Applying abroad

[Scatter]

Just curious, as my oldest DS is only 15 so university applications are a while off. He has mentioned wanting to study in America. Can you apply to the US universities and, at the same time, apply through UCAS in the normal way for English universities?

Also does anyone have any experience of sons or daughters applying for university on the continent?

Thanks in advance.

[MedSchoolRat]

@Bobochic: do the French medicine students you work with even get interview offers?

[Sunshowercap]

He has mentioned wanting to study in America

Why not look at British universities that offer a year abroad? Some of them offer it instead of a UK-based 2nd Year, some of them offer a year abroad as an additional year between your 2nd and 3rd year in Britain. A north American degree takes 4 years. A good UK university will have tailor-made exchange agreements with carefully chosen US universities (we have exchanges with some of the top places across the US - Brown, Austin, Berkeley, and Vassar for example). An exchange place at a top US university will be competitive, so there's the added CV kudos of achieving one in a UK degree.

There's been a lot of guff stated in public about studying out of the UK now there are fees. The US system is very much more expensive for non-US domiciled, and even more so if you go to a private university.

And the quality is variable. Very variable. Students also tend to be taught in larger groups and in a more school-like way, at least in the first 2 years. It's a very different system (I taught in it for a bit at the start of my career and now & again more recently on staff exchanges).

And if you want to come back to work in the UK, that can be more difficult - depending on how much an employer organisation is going to recognise the qualification & understand the quality of your degree.

[JWIM]

Sunshowercap any views on USC, UCLA, Boston and NYU, and also Edinburgh, in terms of recognition by UK/international employers? DD would be aiming at international NGO/Charity sector possibly.

[lljkk]

JWIM... my degree is from US Uni nobody on MN ever heard of. I turned out to be highly employable in UK (unusual technical skills). That was in 1992 when we didn't have no WWW to look things up, they had to use real telephones. Just because East Coast is cheaper & easier to get to, I want to suggest Boston or NYU from your list. UN in NY must mean good links to international aid agencies in the area.

I had lectures of 500+ students, btw. Expect that at UCLA for sure. PhD students provide individual feedback to undergrads.

[JWIM]

lljkk thanks for that feedback. DD is currently overseas pondering her choices in a wifi cafe before we chat later on. Will add your thoughts to her list of pros/cons.

[Sunshowercap]

JWIM the field your DD wants is not mine. But I'd say that any employer in the UK would recognise NYU, and UCLA. Boston - which one? There are quite a few in Boston. And USC - in my field there are some excellent people there as researchers, but I don't think it's Ivy League or top 40.

The US has very different sorts of hierarchies from the UK, and there are very few national quality control records to go by.

[Leeds2]

JWIM, my DD will be starting at a US uni this September. My info may now be out of date, but when we looked round NYU a couple of years ago, one of the big advantages of them to DD was that they didn't require any form of SATs, so you could apply on the basis of GCSE/AS scores alone. In the end, DD did do SATs because everywhere else seemed to require them but it m might be of interest to your DD.

[JWIM]

Sunshowercap it is the University of Boston - but latest update from DD is that she is now discounting it as the least successful in various rankings. She has to start somewhere in reaching a decision.

Leeds2 thank you, that may be helpful to others reading this thread. Although just a heads up that the SATs for the US are changing this year I believe.

I posted the question as DD has offers from these US universities, plus 3 'waitlisted' until mid May, for start this August/September. She sat the SATs etc. She is trying to weigh up what to choose having completed her US applications convinced they would all be rejections - only one did. And already holding Edinburgh with which she is also very happy.

[Leeds2]

JWIM, sorry, I thought your DD was about to apply, not that she had already done so! My DD also has offers from NYU, and Boston College, plus a few more, and, like your DD, is trying to make her mind up.

DD has also been waitlisted at one place. Tbh, I had never heard of this in regards to US admissions until the letter arrived! Can I ask if you know how the mechanics of the wait list works? I think you ask to go on the wait list and answer any extra questions the institution may have, whilst at the same time accepting one of the other choices. When accepting, do you have to tell that institution that you are waitlisted somewhere else? If the wait list place comes through, do you just lose the deposit at the place where you have accepted, or are there more financial (or other) consequences? DD and I have struggled to find any real explanation as to how the process works. Thank you.

[Leeds2]

Have you been able to look at any of the places your DD has offers from? We were very impressed with NYU, although it felt much more international than any of the other places we looked at.

[JWIM]

Leeds2 congratulations to your DD. Having observed our DD going through the process it does take some commitment and grit.

DD has been very fortunate to have visited all the universities she applied to except NYU although has been to NY a couple of times so is familiar with the locality.

She has been refining her choices and NYU and Edinburgh remain strong possibilities. A great but challenging choice to make. West coast offers were LA located and she seems to regard them as having less of a solid 'reputation' back here if here is where she might be looking for employment eventually. The LA ones are both well regarded (one very well) but she has to start with some means of sifting out 'the one'.

DD has confirmed her waitlist places and followed up with yet more essays but, based on the data available, is fairly sure there will be no movement. But then she didn't think she would get a offer at all.

I think you have to meet the 1 May deadline to accept US offers and pay the initial fee (I've seen anything from $150 - $700ish). If you then relinquish the offer in favour of an offer from a waitlist you lose that first offer deposit. Will be exploring the consequences too regarding accommodation. If I find a good explanation I'll let you know.

Edinburgh would, in many respects be a much more straightforward choice for an easy life. But if she wanted an easy life DD would not have pursued the US options - and this was entirely driven by her.

[Leeds2]

Well Done to your DD too! Would certainly agree that it is not an easy process!

We sound like we are in very similar situations. We are off to the States on Tuesday for a flying visit to check out a couple more places she has had offers from, but we have not yet seen. Then it will e decision time.

The wait list thing has really thrown me, as I didn't know that such a thing existed. It just seems to prolong the process, when I think I/DD really need closure! From what little information she has found, DD doesn't think there will be much movement on her wait list either but, as you say, it is worth a go. Nothing ventured, nothing gained sort of thing.

Anything you find which sheds any light on the matter would be most welcome!

Will your DD firm Edinburgh too, if she accepts a US offer?

[JWIM]

DD has a firm offer for Edinburgh as she applied for a deferred place last year. She is now on a gap year - worked and is now on a 3 month internship in Africa. This is adding some extra challenges to discussing options and for her to actually have wifi to research.

Hope your trip helps with decision making. I can offer a parent view of Berkeley, Stanford, Univ of Chicago, Univ of Boston. DD also visited UCLA and USC on her own but happy to provide her views on them.

[Leeds2]

Gosh, I can imagine lack of wi fi being a source of immense frustration at the moment. I hope she manages to come to a decision (ignoring the wait lists!), and then can put it to the back of her mind for a few weeks.

Thank you for your offer of help. Unfortunately, DD didn't apply to any of the places you mention, otherwise I would've welcomed someone else's point of view! We urged her to restrict herself to the East Coast, partly as a means of reducing the vast number of places to consider and also for ease of travelling back. Don't really know whether it was the right thing to do or not - the initial attraction was initially New York and not much else, although she did subsequently widen the net a little.

[AmericanInBattersea]

I'm not sure how often people revisit this discussion, however, there is going to be a free seminar in Richmond on 13 April at 7PM regarding American admissions that should answer many of these questions. If you are interested, please find the details below:

American Universities 101: The Secrets of College Admissions
Presented by Collegewise
The Cambrian Community Centre
Caplan Court, 1 Grove Road, Richmond, TW10 6SN
7PM on 13/4/16
:)

[Leeds2]

Thanks for that, American. Do you know if the seminar is aimed at DC who are thinking of applying to the US, and whether it could also be relevant to those who already have offers? Thanks.

[AmericanInBattersea]

There will be a Q&A at the end. Generally, Collegewise presenters will try and answer each and every question, no matter the topic!

[Leeds2]

Thanks! Will look into it.

[didofido]

Look at Malta. All courses in English, lovely climate - and when I looked (back in 2010) no fees for EU citizens.

[Sunshowercap]

And the quality in Malta? The recognition of degrees and qualifications?

£9k per year is one of the best value investments you'll get in your life for a high-quality education in demand by prospective students from all over the world.

[quit2dis]

The quality of education and research is poor in Malta.