Schools in the UK?!

International Students
1

<p>Hello all,</p>

<p>I am considering applying to schools in the UK and Canada, if they still have slots available for my program. (I’m a US student). So let’s give you some information.</p>

<p>Currently, I attend The Pennsylvania State University- University Park Campus. I’m really fed up with my current situation here, mostly because I have to take crap courses (read: General Education courses), and all I want to do is math all day everyday. I don’t want to take English courses, or classes on Near Eastern Mythology. I want to do math, and that’s it. I’m also pretty upset, because I haven’t been technically able to enter my major yet. I had to have taken Calculus I and II, and I’m only taking Calculus II this semester.</p>

<p>So the schools I was considering are:
Newcastle University
University of Surrey
University of Waterloo
York University</p>

<p>Preferably, I’d like to switch out for the Fall 2011 semester. I don’t care if I have to start all over (as I technically haven’t started yet). I’ll start as a year 1 student, if I had to. I’ve emailed York and Newcastle about going there. York said to just go ahead and apply- apparently they’re still taking applications for transfers for fall 2011. Newcastle had me send them my information, so they could forward it to the Mathematics and Statistics department. Apparently they too are still taking applications (until 30 June) for fall. Could someone take a look at my stats, and see if Newcastle would potentially take me, and recommend any other places that are “in my potential range” for math?!</p>

<p>High school:
About the High School I attended:
Eastern Lebanon County High School
Located in a rural/farming area. Public school (I’ve been told that’s a little different than “public” schools in the UK, but you folks probably know that). Not known for anything spectacular. Small Advanced Placement Program (six AP classes (English, Biology, Environmental Science, Calculus, United States History, United States government). No possibilities to take classes at a local community college if you met graduation requirements early.</p>

<p>GPA Unweighted: 3.82/4
GPA Weighted: 4.44 (I don’t know this scale)
Rank: 7/200
SAT (first time- junior year): 670 Reading, 570 Math, 590 Writing
SAT (second time- senior year): 660 Reading, 610 Math, 650 Writing
AP Calculus Score: 4
AP English Score: 4
AP Envi. Sci. Score: 3</p>

<p>Freshman Classes:
Honors English I: A
Honors US Cultures: B+
Honors Geometry: A
Honors Biology: A-
Personal Computing: A
German I: A+
Concert Band: A+
Bach to Rock: A+
Physical Education: A</p>

<p>Sophomore Classes:
Honors English II: A
Honors East. Civ. and Geo.: A
Honors Algebra II: B+
Honors Chemistry I: A+
German II: A+
Concert Band: A+
Art I: A
Physical Education: A
Health: A
Driver Education: A</p>

<p>Junior Classes:
Honors English III: A
Honors West. Civ. & Humanities: B+
Honors Pre-Calculus: A-
Honors Chemistry II: A-
AP Environmental Science: B
German III (Online): A-
Concert Band: A+
Independent Music Study: A+
Art III: A+</p>

<p>Senior Classes:
AP English: A-
Honors Physics (Online): A
Spanish I: A+
French I: A+
French II: A+
AP Calculus: A+
Honors US History: A-
Concert Band: A+</p>

<p>Grades from Pennsylvania State University- University Park Campus:
GPA: 3.53
Rhetoric and Composition (Freshman English): A
Introduction to Drawing: A
Chemical Principles I (Honors): B
Experimental Chemistry for Majors (Lab): B
Near Eastern Mythology: B
First Year Seminar in Chemistry: A
Linguistics: A-</p>

<p>Classes currently enrolled in at Penn State, but no grades (yet):
Chemical Principles II
Experimental Chemistry (Lab)
German 002
Calculus With Analytic Geometry II
Matrices – enrolled for a summer semester
Calculus and Vector Analysis in Several Variables – enrolled for a summer semester
Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations – enrolled for a summer semester</p>

<p>Penn State grades on a scale that does not include A+'s (if that’s relevant). </p>

<p>Also, I currently pay $25,000 per YEAR (this is all money due to the school), and from what I saw, tuition for these schools isn’t much more than that.</p>

<p>If you’re at all familiar with the UK system, your help would be greatly appreciated. I’d love to talk to someone REAL, rather than an email (if that even makes sense).</p>

<p>Thanks a bunch!</p>

2

<p>So you want to start from a freshman year or transfer? If so, then pretty much any school in the UK requires 600+ SATs and I think around 4 APs as well, but since you’ve done your first year in uni already, then I believe your requirements might be vaiwed.
As from what I know (I’m an EU national, not living in UK, but applying there) if you’re looking into science/math I encourage you to look into Glasgow, Manchester and perhaps Nottingham. Reading and Sheffield might be matches too. St. Andrews, Edinburgh and Warvick are reaches and might not have any free spots left now, but you could e-mail them. ICL, UCL and Oxbridge are highly competitive therefore requires applying early and tbh they might be out of reach…</p>

<p>You’re definitely at an advantage, since Brittish schools basically fight for non EU students because they pay a lot more. You might even get into your low reach schools. Therefore I suggest you to write to the schools you’re interested in asap and I’m sure there would be some pretty good ones that would agree to admit you.</p>

3

<p>There is no real concept of transfer in the UK. You will be starting from year 1.</p>

<p>Out of all that information posted above, the only grades which are relevant are those associated with Maths/Physics and possibly computing if it involved Maths. As you already know, in the UK you usually only study one subject, so that is all they care about for admissions. It does sound like you will be a good fit for the UK as you are very focussed on your subject. The main problem I can envisage is that UK admissions are rolling for the vast majority of schools. Therefore, though the deadline for internationals is 30th June, most UK students will have applied by January and many courses will be full by now. In 2012 tuition fees will treble for UK students. So there is bound to be an increase in applications this year. No-one is going to take a year out that will cost them £18,000 (£6000 a year tuition increase for the next 3 years at least). Apply as soon as possible.</p>

4

<p>Well not really. I actually transfers from University of Warwick Economics to LSE economics programme and started in my 2nd year at LSE. So a transfer in UK is possible and Im actually an American who did his undergrad and postgrad in UK so if you have any question regarding which school, lifestyle or etc just pm me</p>

5

<p>I think you are good at those UK schools, you should get in. You could also look in Bath, Durham and Bristol, as they all have strong math programmes. Some of the people from my school that have offers from these places seem to be fairly average, so from what i’ve seen you have a very good chance if you get your application in a.s.a.p</p>

6

<p>I think if you want to do math you should actually change your university that you are applying to maybe include LSE, UCL, Warwick, Manchester and etc that are known for their business and math.</p>