Durham is excellent, Edinburgh very good, KCL is good but I hear of some student dissatisfaction, Sussex is OK but not terribly distinguished.
Napier is much lower down academically (I can’t judge the acting side and if that is aparamount perhaps it’s the right course for her). But it will be easy to get into academically (although I see that particular programme requires an auditition).
Your D might like to look at English & Drama at Exeter, or Drama & English at Birmingham.
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Thank you! We were also looking at that program at Exeter, but I hadn’t checked out Birmingham. The Acting course at Napier seems to be a distinguished one, but again, it’s a little tough to judge from this distance.
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Durham is top of the pops for English Lit (over Oxbridge in many rankings), so although they like US students, you will want to make a very strong application- be sure to learn about the program and that you are a good fit for it.
I second @Conformist1688’s suggestions of Exeter & Birmingham, and add Glasgow. Glasgow is highly ranked for both Theatre and English Lit (and offers a joint degree) has a great student experience, some great study abroad options, yet somehow flies under the radar. Trinity College Dublin also has a really strong theatre/english lit course, but there is an audition requirement in April/May.
Sussex is pretty far down the tables for a student looking at the level of Durham and Edi. Napier is ok, but again not particularly well ranked.
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Edi has a strong community of theater majors. There is a dorm right across the street from the school, which is a huge plus. Napier is a laughing stock among Edi students.
He did AP World History and AP Enviro in Jr year. He is doing AP Stats, AP Government & Calculus in Sr year.
His intended field of study is Business.
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He should be fine then, smufriends. Busienss isn’t a terribly academic subject.
@jupiter98 My son has had a very positive experience studying Russian at Edi. Coming at it with a bit of HS Russian, he got an A3 and is heading into year #2 with confidence. He said that the second year students were advanced, as you noted, but his first year tutors were great.
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Thank you, @collegemom3717 ! It helps to get the perspective of people who have been immersed in this. We are checking out Glasgow for sure!
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Greetings!
Glad I found this thread.
I am assuming most of the folks on this thread are from the US? It’s very early in the admissions cycle for my DS at this time. Heck, he’s a HS freshman. Already got 2 kids in college. The first one, I put a bug in her ear about a particular school. We visited and she fell in love with it. She’s a senior there now. Our younger girl wanted to go to a particular school since she was in 8th grade. I didn’t push her away from that thought. She’s in her first year now.
So, I plan on putting a bug in my DS ear such as, “How about considering a UK school?” From his interests so far, seems like he’d go into CS or engineering. We are from Illinois, so great school in UIUC for CS and engineering- albeit tough to get accepted into those majors. There are also 3+2 programs (3 years at a LAC + 2 years at a School/College of Engineering at another school for a BA+BS combo) out there. Bottom line is lots of attractive choices out there.
My question is this for the knowledgeable folks on this thread: Why a UK school when the intent (just assuming) is to go back to the US to work? Let’s say, kiddo will apply and go to Edinburgh for CS or engineering.
Also, is the process to apply to a UK uni onerous? I know about the AP requirements. The essay is a bit different than what you would write for the Common App.
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A UK school can be a cheap option for full pay families compared to equivalent US schools, for example Oxford would be about half the price of top US private colleges (partly because most courses are three years), although note that lab sciences/engineering/CS costs more at some universities.
Secondly, the admission standards are more test driven, there’s no need for ECs and GPAs are generally ignored (direct consideration of race is also illegal). So a kid who is not so outgoing or who is very smart but has struggled with ADD (impacting his/her GPA), will usually have a much better chance of admission than at equivalent but more “holistic” US schools.
Thirdly, overseas fees are very attractive to universities (other than Oxbridge), making it easier to get in for overseas applicants compared to domestic students. The process is very simple and cheap, one application for 5 universities (actually 5 courses), one personal statement and one recommendation (albeit not the same content as for US schools).
So to take an example, a kid might choose St Andrews because they can’t get into UIUC, or Oxford because they can’t get into Princeton, and they might well have a lower total cost in some cases.
You do have to consider that the courses are more specialized, particularly the three year courses common in England, where there are no electives outside the major or general ed courses. And you can’t change without starting over. So you have to be absolutely certain you want to study the subject you choose.
I would be cautious about any majors that lead directly to a professional qualification in the US, like engineering. CS is more transferable, though internships may be harder to secure.
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The UK application process is very straightforward: there is one application (via UCAS) for up to 5 universities: one essay (academic), 1 LoR & 1 fee.
As you have seen, for most US students at most UK unis meeting the stated requirements are likely to get an offer.
As for the ‘why’ go to the UK, there are several reasons. Some go for the adventure. Some go b/c the overall cost of the degree can be lower. Some go b/c some combination of the continuing assessment process of US high schools and their journey from 14-17 has resulted in a transcript with high test scores but a GPA that makes admission to highly selective colleges in the US unlikely. I think most go b/c they have a subject that they love and they want to study just that (vs the US model of a rounded education).
And that last part is the thing to keep in mind for your youngest: he really, really needs to be sure of his subject before he goes. The courses are much more structured and not as flexible as the US. For example, Edi offers courses in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and EE + CS (and a variety of other related combinations). Your son could apply to all 3 (which would be 3 of the 5 allowed). The entry requirements are very slightly different, and the year by year coursework diverges as well. There can be some room for movement between closely related courses in the first year, but that’s it. The year by year curriculum for every course (at every university) is available online.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the UK system assumes a much higher level of independence than the US, and UK students are accustomed to managing the exam based structure. Be sure that environment will suit your son- while most of the US students that I know who go to the UK land happily- but every year there are a few who get there and find that it’s not all swishy robes and ancient buildings 
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Any 2020 students applying for CS or Engineering? Has anyone gotten any updates on their applications? DS20 was accepted into TAMU Engineering and I am super happy for him, but also applied with UCAS, so we are anxiously waiting to make a decision.
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My daughter has gotten acceptances from Glasgow, Birmingham, and Edinburgh in English Lit. We’re so excited!
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Congrats! Is she waiting on any more decisions?
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Congrats to your daughter, @AngieFM! Does she have a favorite? Has she visited? or is she doing the nervous Oxbridge wait for interview invite dance?
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Thanks @collegemom3717 and @Conformist1688 ! Her final two are Aberdeen and Exeter, both programs she’s less excited about, for various reasons. We are visiting later this month to try to get a feel for the schools, and to make sure she experiences winter and the dark there! I have a strong feeling she will be undeterred My guess is she goes for Edi. She can see herself there.
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Edi is great, and better known by the kids, but Glasgow is a hidden gem. Fwiw, Glasgow & Exeter outrank Edi for English LIt.
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Good to know! The Exeter program she applied for is English/Drama, and they are going to require an audition. I think she’ll probably give that a miss, since her interest has turned more towards just the English Lit program.
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If she wants to change her app to Lit at Exeter, shoot them an email. It is still early and they may be able to change it.
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Update: my DS just learned he has an unconditional offer from Glasgow to study Russian & Central European studies. Still waiting on Edinburgh & St Andrews, but at least we know he filled out UCAS properly!
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