University in America?

[PossumInAPearTree]

Or college I guess.

Dd is interested. I have no clue where to start looking at stuff. She's started looking but is focusing on the nice stuff, good looking campus, etc.

I can't get my head round finances. I can find fees, etc. But as a U.K. Student do you have to pay it all upfront? I'm guessing the English system of getting the course for free upfront and paying it back via future wages won't apply?

A lot of the courses she is looking at in the subject she wants to do talks about been able to do the major in that subject if doing well in prescribed modules in the first year. Is this standard? That you have to do a more general degree in year one and then specialise in year two?

DD also wants to attend university in the USA but it's financially out of our reach unless she is offered a full scholarship. I did find that Kings College in London and East Anglia University both have degree programs which involve spending 1 or 2 years at Columbia. Places on the exchange are limited but the fees are waived for UK students and you also get a rebate on the cost of the year's tuition they aren't getting whilst in the UK.

That sounds like a good idea, Invisible. Is that offered to students taking any degree, or just certain ones?

She was looking at a Law degree but I see from the UEA page they have links to lots of USA/Canadian universities for a multitude of courses.

OP I agree that, given your daughter's goals, a US education probably doesn't make much sense.

Just want to add, if you have an income of under $65,000, then you will have free tuition and living expenses at Harvard, for instance, IF you can get in. Financial aid at Harvard is based on financial need, and it covers everything.

If you have a child who is very academically able, and wants a broad education which is not an option at an English university, this might be a wonderful option.

It is very hard to get in to Harvard, though.

If a DC were very very academically able, and hoping for free tuition at an Ivy, the best approach might be to try for a sixth form bursary place at somewhere like Eton or Westminster. They are both sending significant numbers to good US Colleges, and know the process. Plus both offer bursaries at sixth form.

needmoresleep only if they have no ovaries of course ;)

Westminster sixth form then has more than its fair share of cross-dressers.

Knowing the process doesn't improve your chances of getting into the very top schools such as Harvard or Princeton very significantly, though. The success rates are of order 5-6%, amongst highly qualified candidates. Compare this with rates of 15-25% for most Oxbridge subjects.

Competition is higher, but it is normal to apply to more places, and some British schools manage to get impressively high acceptance rates.

I don't know about this year but last, Westminster was able to boast of a 60% Early Decision acceptance rate, which is unusually high.

US Universities, however, clearly select in a different way and it would be possible to be offered a very top US University and not be offered a place at Oxbridge.

needmoresleep I stand corrected ☺

You need to see who is going from Eton! As I said earlier, very wealthy students can get in and pay!!! They give money to the USA universities - these are prestigious families with serious wealth. Many not U.K.based either. I do not think Eton is a good example for ordinary folk!

For Law, you really have to ask yourself how useful a year abroad would be. The prestige of the university here counts for a lot, not your year abroad. So KCL over UEA in that case. Having an idea of future career is key and working /volunteering towards that matters too. Again a further degree from the USA is good but only from prestige unis for Law and only if it is relevant for career specialism.

Borojo, you miss my point.

If you are very very good and want a fee free place at a top US University, you may well be good enough for a bursary place at a top sixth form.

Eton gives plenty of bursaries, Harvard et al give scholarships. I think eight from DD's school year went to Harvard and plenty of others to other big name schools. Not all were fabulously wealthy Americans. (Admittedly many were, but I was following on from a previous poster who suggested that to get a scholarship, you need to be very very good indeed. And if you are that good, I think it is worth planning ahead and considering a sixth form with good experience of the US application system.)