Son raised in US applying to UK unis - any recs for a 'consultant'/ service to help?

[Expatmum2023]

Hi all

My son wants to apply to UK unis from the States where we live right now and where he's mostly gone to school apart from a few stints in Italy. (I grew up in the UK and went to UK unis but am sure a lot has changed since the dinosaurs roamed ..) I need someone/a consultant to guide him through the process, in particular someone who knows how various subjects are taught in various places. E.g. if you like hands on engineering go to X, whereas more theoretical go to Y. There seem to be lots of 'consultants' online but I have no clue who is good or bad.. Has anyone used them? I'm looking for something that won't break the bank but will be active in hold his feet to the fire so to speak in terms of writing the essay and turning things in on time.. Better I outsource this and preserve my mum-son relationship (: he's that kind of kid.. Thanks all

I do agree with this, OP.

A russel.group uni

I agree with PPs that Scotland would be a better choice if he's unsure what he wants to major in, as although he'll still have to apply for a specific programme, he'll take three subjects in his first year and be able to change fairly easily. St Andrews in particular recruits a lot of students from the US so its admissions department is very familiar with a wide range of qualifications.

Studyacrossthepond.com is worth checking out.
Most unis here (especially the ones you mention) will have an international department.
He has to know what he wants to study before he applies. Joint honours are not as common as in the US. You tend to study your subject only, there maybe an option module but you may find that hard to schedule and those doing it as a degree will have priority. My DD does Sociology at Durham and first year managed a History option but not the class she wanted. She can’t add in anything for Y2, one reason scheduling the other is she didn’t take the prerequisite in Y1.
Universities here don’t care that he’s a champion rower or footballer - they want demonstrated passion for the subject, which comes down to what has he done outside the classroom? Attended lectures, listened to podcasts, read books, work experience and so on.
My DD decided on her degree subject then cross referenced the subject (not overall university) league tables: The Times, Complete University Guide, a couple others. If a uni was in the top ten of two out of three lists she noted it down. Then got more specifics: location, campus vs non, did they offer a year in industry or abroad and so on. So much research can be done online, not just on the unis own website but YouTube, thesturdentroom.com etc. She created a shortlist and visited. This was invaluable. Bristol and Exeter looked good on paper but were immediately crossed off her list. She liked Glasgow but not the distance and the extra year (Scottish unis are four years) with the extra year fees and that was off the list. And so on.
I’d say applying is pretty straightforward EXCEPT Oxbridge. That is a part time job in itself! That would be the one exception to getting advice - my DD relied heavily on her school to help with interview prep, selecting written work to be submitted, and so on (and note the deadline for Oxbridge is in October). She was interviewed but did not get an offer.
Students here are definitely expected to manage themselves. When I was at uni in the US I had classes most of the day - here you might just have 8 hours a week. But you are expected to spend like 35 hours outside the classroom studying. There are no fraternities but people join societies and clubs. Freshers is very important part of the initial introduction to a university- you find out about your course, meet lecturers, Society Fairs, just finding one’s feet. There are social activities too.
My DD did meet an American student first week at Durham and was shocked she hadn’t attended so much that was on offer. She hadn’t gone to the Society Fair, she hadn’t attended her course social - my DD didn’t know what she was waiting for. Students have to be proactive.
UCAS probably has a guide for international students.

The good news is that there are some Engineering programmes at Imperial (eg Bioengineering) not requiring the ESAT.

Also DS’ SAT is high enough to waive one AP at Oxford. Essentially he needs three grade 5 AP exams including BC Calculus and PAT for Engineering at Oxford and has the same AP requirement plus, in some cases only, an ESAT requirement at Imperial.

The larger point is (1) it is very easy to find this information and (2) admissions tutors and support staff are generally happy to help. OP’s DS is golden: an Overseas student with English as his first language.

However, OP, everyone does take note of whether the student has the initiative to make these queries. If your DS does not, at least use his email account - email is best for all, anyway - and use his ‘voice’.

I did not reliably recognise the names of any consultants I found

People are being a bit harsh about the self starter thing. There are always lots of posters on Mn saying that sort of thing and clearly that’s the ideal, but most of the parents I know at very high performing London school are engaged in the uni application process, so don’t be put off, op.

either you or he need to do some intense internet research on courses and admissions requirements. Not having APs is a big complication (seems most odd - would have thought that would be a problem for US schools too) - I don’t think Oxbridge is feasible without, nor Inperial but check of course. Some places accept honours/dual enrolment courses together with ACT/SAT but it is very case by case - your son/ you writing as him will have to inquire with each admissions department. Is he going into his last year? If so, you need to work fast.

The UK system is massively more specialised than the US one, although they are probably a bit closer on the science side. If you are on a biology course, that is pretty much all you will study - no adding french lit 101 for fun. So he needs to know what he wants to do. Scotland is very worth considering as it does give some flexibility - at St Andrew’s you only spend 50% of your time on your billed subject and there is scope, by accumulating appropriate credits, to shift subjects for the honours years in 3 and 4. Also, if he hasn’t done AP, having the extra preparatory year would be a useful catch up. Further, there are loads and loads of Americans there, so may be an easier transition. Edinburgh not quite as flexible, but still much more so than English schools.

another angle he might want to explore is Natural Science courses as they don’t commit one to a single science strand upfront. The UCAS site has good course finder tools (stick in AAB for a levels for a suitable level) and lots of general info and for internationals.

Another big difference is style of learning and engagement. My friends’ description of US university sounds a lot more like school - heavy timetables of classes and lectures (“contact time”), continuous assessment / mid terms, parental involvement eg freshers’ parents’ weekends, ability to contact the school etc. UK is very different. Admittedly science degrees have a lot more contact time than humanities - circa 15-20 cf to 10 but it is still very far from a strict school-like schedule. If students stay in bed and don’t attend no one will know or notice for ages and whatever happens, they won’t be reporting back to parents. The student has to take control of their learning.

An advantage for overseas students is that their higher fees mean that offer rates and requirements are often lower than for U.K. students (except at Oxbridge and probably Imperial).

You and he should spend a few days diving into some suitable university websites to get a feel for courses, lifestyle and admission requirements. Off the top of my head, look at St Andrew’s, Edinburgh, UCL, KCL, Warwick, Durham, Bristol, Sheffield. That will give you a sense.

what is his SAT score?

Don't think StA does engineering other than software so might not be good choice.

I agree that some of the answers on here are really harsh. The OP is looking at guidance and outside help for her DS - the sort of help and guidance that UK kids generally get from their schools in the UK - well my DDs certainly did.

I hope you can get some help OP - can the school he's at now not help him at all?

Ignore the snippy posters, it’s normal for the Higher Ed threads unfortuanatly. There are plenty of helpful posters too, luckily.
I don’t think a consultant will add much. Unlike in the US, the UK University admissions system is pretty straightforward and transparent. You can easily find all the data on things like entry requirements and acceptance rates for each university. You've probably seen it already, but UCAS provides a lot of information for international students on their website.( link below) and each uni carefully details what the entry requirements are. There aren’t hidden rules.
My top tip would be to contact a few of the universities your son might be interested in. Most universities have dedicated teams to deal with international applicants, and I'm sure you'll find them really helpful. Most UK universities are skint , and they benefit from the higher fees paid by international students, so they'll want to help your son.
Another thing I'd suggest is trying to get your hands on some university prospectuses (online or printed). Get your son to browse through them. It might help him figure out what he wants to study, and it could also get him more excited and involved in where he applies. While it isn't really common to switch courses once you've started, it's not that unusual either; I've known quite a few students who have. Plus, there are plenty of courses that start off fairly general in the first year, and you only choose which modules you want to specialize in later on in the course.
https://www.ucas.com/international/international-students

I haven’t fact checked this but this article gives a list of which UK Unis have the most American students (2024). Apparently St Andrews has the most with over 2,000. https://www.study.eu/article/u-s-students-uk-universities-with-most-americans

You son is going to have to do some homework to work out what he wants to do. There is no way around that. Has he done any tests to see what careers he might be interested in or have an aptitude for? Ask AI or look on the UCAS website ( or just google)

once he has a rough idea then everything else should fall into place.

What your son studies and where he studies is a huge decision and it should be something that he gets really excited about. The actual mechanics of the application isn’t the tricky part.

There is a Facebook group Flown Abroad Full Time version. This is made up of (mainly US) parents whose children are at University abroad. Many are studying in the UK and it would definitely be a good source of information for you. If anyone has used a consultant to help with UK Uni admissions I’m betting you might find them there. I live in the US (although I’m from the UK) and my daughter has just successfully completed her 1st year at Uni in the UK (although not studying STEM). She did navigate the application process herself (with my help) so can’t help with a recommendation I’m afraid but all the Universities international recruitment teams were extremely helpful. Re. cost of the UK degree v attending a US college. Be aware it is not necessarily that much cheaper especially for STEM subjects at too Unis. Check the tuition costs. International fees for an engineering degree at Imperial are ~£43,000 per year. When you add on travel & living costs in London you will be looking at close to $85/$90k all in (and this is assuming the exchange rate does not move against you).

@Expatmum2023 I have PM's you with our experience with a UK company that helps with personal statements but if you want a US based consultant who knows about applying to the UK then you can't really go wrong with Richard Montauk

www.richardmontauk.com

Move back to the UK, get him to pick 3 A level courses and do them while you get the 2 year residency box ticked and you will charged as a home student and cost will be significantly cheaper and he can confidently apply to the British uni and get accepted. It’s weird how his school doesn’t offer APs or a good solid qualification like the IB program which is transferable anywhere in the world. I personally would have moved him. I have friends few in the US who have made sure their children go through the IB program so that when they move they will have a recognised certificate across the world.

It is such a cultural difference, school in the US versus school in the UK that I don't recommend coming back just for A levels. I did this myself and it was awful.

I would recommend someone possibly taking a foundation year.

Plus you need to have been resident for 3 yrs not two now, or be able to show you own a house in the UK still come back a few times a year to see family (you have to provide proof of flights etc)

Your son really, really, really doesn’t need professional help to write his personal statement. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Aptitude doesn’t replace (certified) knowledge.

Oxford and Imperial can fill their places - and to the extent that they may have separate targets, which Oxford deny - their Overseas places - several times over with applicants who meet the admissions standards.

We have no reason to assume that your speculation is true. If DS is indeed short of qualifications, a Foundation Year is designed to address that.

You have said your son has adhd and isn’t a self starter. I would be VERY careful about having him come here.

whilst better than they were, UK universities are not on the whole as good as US ones when it comes to neurodiversity.

And the system is much less forgiving. If you fail a module here you get a resit option but your mark is automatically capped at 40%. A few of these will limit the over all grade you get for your degree.

If you fail a year (failed more than a module) you typically have to retake the entire year, not just the failed modules. You get something like 2 or 3 modules you can fail and resit with the capped grade but if you fail more you have to retake the whole year. You don’t get to carry the passed modules forward.

if you fail the third year you’ve failed. You can’t just retake. In the US as Long as you are able to finance it, it is not so hard to resit things over summer or take a semester off or transfer universities and carry credits with you.

if you decide after a couple of years that you don’t want to study say physics and you want to study economics instead, you have to start again. There isn’t the collecting credits along the way system there is in the US.

the OP doesn’t realise because the US system is so different. Essays are crucial and many people get a lot of help. Lord knows now with AI how that goes

I understand that- my question was trying to understand the OPs motivations for hiring an educational consultant. She says that she has looked at entry requirements so she will be aware that he won't meet the minimum entry requirements. I did suggest in previous posts that a foundation degree could be the way forward or taking AP Calculus BC this year.

Oh this is bollocks. It’s just a massive marketing exercise. Loughborough, BART, Lancaster and St Andrew’s are not Russel and they are 4 of the top unis in the UK

apples and oranges

in the US a lot of parents hire private consultants to advise on college entry. that is partly because its about negotiating merit aid in some instances and finding places where they are looking for a 1st cellist in the orchestra, etc and often these consultants who charge HUGE quantities of money are pals with the AOs at the colleges and are very much in the know.

And this is why I asked, as if this is what the OP is hoping for from a consultant in th UK then she is likely to be wasting her money.

There’s lots of Americans at Uni of Glasgow. I think Americans favour Scotland as it’s more flexible with 4 year degree letting them take more options yr1 & 2.
There’s facebook groups eg university of Glasgow parents with mostly us parents on, if you joined some could probably recommend consultants. There seem to be reps from the unis based in USA too.

following

but there are us based consultants who have been advising on oxbridge and other uk entry for a while, namely Richard Montauk whose website I listed. He didn't help us, but I have known about him for ages.

Sorry, I missed that it was you posting about the FY.. it is difficult to keep track