I’m not sure if this is the correct forum for this question, but it is regarding admissions.
In general, and I presume it would vary, how do admissions work at universities in the UK for American students? I’ve tried finding certain information regarding acceptance and requirements but haven’t found anything particularly clear. I know that American students pay tuition, and that has some influence on admissions, but again, I’m not clear on any of it. I’ve also seen something along the lines of AP tests and scores influence admission?
Simply, my questions are: How competitive are UK schools for American students? (more, equal or less chance as UK residents) What are the requirements for admission? Is there any sort of ‘guaranteed’ admission? And, how much does being an American, who will be paying, influence admission?
Depends on the university, the subject and the student. But for most subjects and places it’s a little bit easier for an overseas student paying higher overseas fees to get in than it would be a home student with the same basic ability. Something like medicine is a lot harder, because overseas places are capped.
No guaranteed admission anywhere - there are minimum grade requirements, but you can’t be sure you’ll get an offer based just on stats.
Generally speaking, you’ll need to have at least three AP exams with a decent score to be considered, where possible in subjects related to what you plan to study.
@Conformist1688 I’m not really sure what I want to study yet (i’m just a sophomore), but probably something in the humanities, though that might change.
If you’re not sure, then the UK probably isn’t the destination for you. At British universities you apply to study one subject (occasionally two), and that is all you will study. No gen eds, no electives, no testing the waters, no switching because you’ve changed your mind (with, again, a few specific exceptions).
UK uni’s have websites web sites list this information. The Times lists rankings. Full pay to the UK is only cheaper than tippy top full pay in the US. Being a cashed up American would influence only in the way that it would help you in the USA. Competitive UK schools are competitive globally (LOL at 3 APs, good luck with that at the tippy top), but like the US, there are much less competitive schools that would be delighted to take full pay students.
Agreeing with Conformist 1688 & Alfonsia, and adding that admissions is very much based on standardized testing, SAT / AP / SATII. With the exception of St Andrews in Scotland, ECs are only relevant if they are directly related to the subject that you are applying to study, and GPA is a negligible factor.
Every UK university lists every course that they offer, the requirements for admission (what test scores they require, and if relevant, the specific subject(s) required); a thorough description of the course, usually down to the exact modules you will take in each year; and information for international students. Typically English courses are 3 years (except for modern languages and many sciences, which are often 4); Scottish courses are typically 4.
That article is really just about St Andrews, and it seems a fairly obvious pay to play university, I do wonder what Brits make of it.
Why the article references that entry to St A’s is easier than an Ivy is weird. Globally it is ranked by the Times at 111, Arizona rates at 86. Compare apples with apples. Just like it is easier to be full pay at a lower tiered uni in the US, so it is in the UK. There is a post in this section re a student who applied in April and was accepted (offered) in April.
Agreeing (again…) with Alfonsia: St Andrews is a bit of an outlier. StAs does very well in the rankings, but the majority of the Brits I know are underwhelmed by it (and figure that the American fascination with it comes from it’s most famous alum; they don’t realize the full court press StAs has made to woo US students). The American students I know there tend to be very happy.
It can be easier for US students to get into some UK universities than it is for UK students, though not at the tippy top (Oxbridge, LSE). If you have the test scores, and don’t make a total mess of your application you will most likely get an offer. That is true for both UK & US students, but the US students use APs and SATIIs, which is a considerably more flexible process than the A level system.
Also, it can be easier for some US students to get into the tippy-top of UK universities than for that same student to get into HYPS, simply b/c the UK system allows for asymmetry and HYPS typically do not (unless you have some other off-the-charts aspect to your portfolio).
St Andrews is old and not “red brick”, which made it appropriate for Prince William and also attractive to Americans. The US does better in University rankings, as almost all instructors have PhDs and there is an emphasis on “publish or perish”. St Andrews is comparable to a fairly competitive school in the US, although maybe not to Ivies.
IMO Americans are at a disadvantage applying to UK Universities, because they haven’t concentrated on 3 subjects and preparing for exams.
As for OP’s plans to study humanities, those programs are in some ways better in the UK and Europe in general. The degrees are more respected and marketable than in the US. However, there is some disadvantage in returning to the US in that US humanities majors will generally have taken some courses in more “practical” areas.
@Sattut, I think that you are going outside your area of expertise - or at least speaking too broadly- when you say that " US humanities majors will generally have taken some courses in more “practical” areas". Which humanities do you mean? English? History? Classics? If so, you are mistaken about (most) US programs. If you mean Law, you are partially correct, but only because of the different course structures.
Moreover, the world rankings do not agree with your opinion that ‘humanities’ in the UK and Europe are generally better than in the US:
8 of the top 10, 15 of the top 25, 44 of the top 100 globally are US, including not just elite private colleges but state universities such as Texas (Austin), Virginia, Wisconsin (Madison), Ohio State, California (UCLA, Berkely, Santa Barbara and Irvine) and so on.
Also, I disagree with you that “Americans are at a disadvantage applying to UK Universities, because they haven’t concentrated on 3 subjects and preparing for exams”. In fact Americans have a straight run at UK universities for all but the tippy top universities. Imo the challenge is not getting in, but managing it once they get there: there is much less hand-holding, the emphasis on exams requires more self-discipline than more continuous assessment, etc.
As I implied in my previous post, the world university ranking seem to be biased towards US schools. I am sure that big US state universities have excellent graduate programs and faculty research.
You can major in English in the US and just read a bunch of 19th and 20th century novels. English at Oxbridge is more like engineering in the US, and you would study large amounts of medieval and pre-1700 literature.
This is my opinion and not provable. As you imply, my study was in mathematics, so I am not an expert in this.
The US students going to St Andrews presumably can’t get into really top school in the US or UK. In the US, smaller elite colleges tend to have students from wealthy and classy backgrounds, and may have more severe ethnic quotas and be difficult to get into if you went to a high school that didn’t provide good preparation. Many people view it as a status thing to send there kids to those types of schools. A university favored by the royal family would be presumed to be classy, and you could impress people in the US by telling them your kid is going there.
The curriculum in UK schools is structured quite a bit differently from US schools, so you would have to make sure that you are comfortable with that.
One place to start is with the Russell Group, a loose affiliation of 24 highly regarded research universities in the UK. As pointed out above, many uni websites have explicit information for international applicants. If you are serious, there is no substitute for visiting beforehand.
Some other options to consider: Germany now has some fully English language undergrad programs for Americans. There is also a unique 2+2 program between William & Mary and St Andrews–you spend 2 years at each and get a joint degree. Also, many American universities will let you do a sophomore or junior year abroad. Arcadia Univ near Philly coordinates a lot of international programs.
Speaking from experience (Australia), there is a significant learning curve to being a US student enrolled in an overseas uni (as opposed to being a study abroad student). It is very rewarding, but do a lot of research so you know what you are getting into.
Where are you from, that this is your belief of American universities?
Also, your logic is off: the people who can afford to send their children to St Andrews will be able to send them to “smaller elite colleges” that “tend to have students from wealthy and classy backgrounds”. They go to St Andrews to have a foreign adventure, because they are anglophiles, lots of reasons. That the handsome prince went there means they have heard of it, and yes it seems glamorous.
@Alfonsia, there is no good answer to your question, but remember this is the same country that just spent 2 days fixated on the Kylie Jenner Challenge…!
I probably didn’t explain it well. It may be partly status and charm, but there is an attraction to a school like St Andrews with old buildings you wouldn’t find in the US, as opposed to “red brick”. The fact that Prince William went there adds romance, but also makes Americans think it is a place where British aristocracy not smart enough to go to Oxbridge go. In the US, there is prestige for some people in going to a college that is “preppy”, and Americans might have the impression that is true of St Andrews.
Also, don’t underestimate the marketing drive that St Andrews has been making in the US. They are at nearly every college fair, with pictures of historic buildings, students in Harry Potterish scholars gowns (though theirs are red), and talk of traditions hundreds of years old. US student can apply through the Common App, the StAs people will talk about ECs and GPAs in a way most UK unis won’t- all making it a safe, easy way to have a big adventure. I have seen US student’s who get into StAs post “I’m going to Hogwarts!!” on their fb pages.
