Advice for US student coming here?

[Chilldonaldchill]

A friend has a child who would be starting uni in 2022. Both parents are from the UK but child was born in the States and has lived there all their life. They are considering both UK and US universities. They are very very academic; I don't understand the system there but they are apparently right at the top of rankings across the country.
We are helping them navigate some of the UK system such as UCAS, good websites for comparing courses and the online open days - but is there any specific advice for international applicants?
They are very likely to apply to either Oxford or Cambridge - is there data for international applicants so that we can advise on statistics (even though I know as individuals those are quite meaningless)?
If your child is applying/did apply from overseas is there anything you wish you'd known that would have helped them?
Thank you!

Oxford and Cambridge colleges will have standards for admission from US applicants; make sure they've found out what they are. For example, all 5s may be needed on AP tests. (The AP tests are not really used as university entrance criteria in the US and there's not much emphasis on preparation for them.)

The details of the admissions assessments and interviews at Oxford and Cambridge can change from year to year, so the most accurate source of information is the universities' own websites.

For example, the deadlines for international students applying to Cambridge are listed here

It sounds as though he won't have any difficulty with the academic requirements Cambridge lists them here but bear in mind that both Oxford and Cambridge have many more applicants with top grades / scores than there are places.

(or she, obviously)

The problem is that top us students aren't at the same level as U.K. students due our different education systems. Universities tend to require very high grades and advanced classes if they want to avoid a foundation year. Oxford and Cambridge are very oversubscribed so they will need a plan b. USA courses are quite different at university level and which suits them better depends on their aptitude

Thank you all. They have received their AP results this week and have all 5s. (This was what we didn't understand fully as other Americans we happen to know and asked about this did not know what APs were).
The subject they want to study is not in that list of subjects for interviews where the application needs to be in in September so I'm assuming that means the October application date applies to them.
They are not necessarily sold on Oxbridge I think - they are definitely looking at other options too - but I think a straightforward single honours degree appeals much more than the American system.
I accept that the US and UK aren't alike (coincidentally we have lots of family who have been through the US education system in a different state) but this person seems much more on a par with someone who's done A levels than the others we know (but obviously we have limited knowledge of them).

You could direct them to this website, lots of info on overseas students here

www.wiwikau.co.uk/index.php

I would advise contacting the international offices of the universities. I’ve been involved in recruiting in North America for my own university (not oxbridge) and the advisors in our international office have encyclopaedic knowledge of the US school system. They can answer questions about entrance requirements, funding, visas etc. Overseas fees are important to universities so they are (at least in my university) some of the most responsive and helpful people I know!

I think I read St Andrews takes a lot of American students. Specific sessions here

www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/meet-us/online-information-events/parents/

Yes St Andrews has dedicated staff for recruiting US students and helping them with information re applying, i believe they have outreach staff based in the US too. My son is at St Andrews and the US presence is noticeable, it seems to be popular as its a 4 year degree that is a little more flexible than an English degree but not broad like a US degree, its also much easier to get in as an American than a Scot . Of course, it depends on what subject you want to study but it is near the top for several subjects and consistently top for student satisfaction.

Thank you for all this.
St Andrews is very very high in the league tables for the subject but the isolation of the city is a little off putting I think. But we will definitely mention it.

Is not really isolated though, half an hour to Dundee and an hour to Edinburgh with good public transport links. It has very active student societies and, in particular, the international students travel a lot in normal times.
If big nightclubs and major chain shops are your thing then it's probably not for you but otherwise it packs a lot in and has lovely beaches!

Thank you. I admit I didn't look at any Scottish universities because of the low likelihood of DC getting an offer so all I know has been filtered through one of my children who - whilst not into nightclubs - are Londoners through and through and probably perceive most places as being isolated

The longer degree programmes in Scotland make it easier to accommodate overseas school qualifications.

That's the trouble with Londonders, everything seems remote to them!

The American university system was originally modelled on the Scottish system, so some similarities - most obviously the wider choice of subjects in first and second year - remain. Edinburgh university has quite detailed information on entrance requirements on their webpages, which might be useful.

Edinburgh is an outlier in the course DS wishes to study. It insists on a specific second A level (which he is not doing) that we haven't found any other university insists upon.

@EwwSprouts

Edinburgh is an outlier in the course DS wishes to study. It insists on a specific second A level (which he is not doing) that we haven't found any other university insists upon.

This thread is about US entrance requirements, Edinburgh, for example, has very detailed information on this, which might be generally useful when looking at A-level comparisons to US qualifications. Oxford also has similar information here: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/international-qualifications

Yeah street-wise Londoners are going to find life at St Andrews pretty dull, I would say (I have experience of both)! If you're used to having both culture and nightlife on your doorstep, an hour to Edinburgh by public transport isn't really going to cut it…

With regard to American students coming here, the biggest issue is likely to be that their education might be broader but will be much less deep. Also, your friend's child needs to be aware that in England they would most likely study just 1 or 2 subjects from the word go, which is very different from first year at a US university. There are exceptions, such as Natural Sciences, or PPE, but they are less common. The US system isn't necessarily worse, but it is quite different.

@thing47 American students from big cities at St Andrews don't seem to mind. I think they're just glad they're allowed to drink!

They might like to consider Glasgow as well.

It is usually a massive shock to US students that they no longer get an A for what would get them an A in the US.

Anecdotal data is that Oxford is keener on American applicants than Cambridge.

They need to make sure they are taking AP tests in relevant subjects and getting 5s in them.

Do you know what subject they're interested in?

Are your friends aware that their child will almost certainly be liable for international fees, and will not be eligible for student finance? Eligibility for these things is based on residency, not citizenship

www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/Fees-and-Money/Home-or-Overseas-fees-the-basics

The forum www.thestudentroom.co.uk can be very useful too.

If they have the money to come over here for university then definitely look at the London universities I have had a great time at university in London, there is absolutely everything you could possibly need