Applying to US universities

[SunnyKoala]

Any wisdom please? My daughter is in year 12 and half American, so a UK and a US citizen, but brought up here and very much primarily British.

She'd like to consider studying in the US but we don't really know where to start. She's bright (doing four A-levels inc Further Maths, good GCSEs and 140 average on CATS4) but we haven't had mock results back yet and she said maths didn't go well at all. She has competed nationally in acrobatic gymnastics but I don't think it's really a thing in the US because it overlaps with cheerleading. So I'm not sure if scholarships would be possible or not? Her dad got one for being bright and poor but he was brought up in the US and we are not so poor (although a bit poor by US standards!)

Where should she start with regards to finance and institutions?

There's another thread on this @SunnyKoala which nay be helpful:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5503154-applying-to-top-us-universities-from-uk-sats-essays-and-financial-aid?reply=151166877

It might also be worth going on the US based College Confidential forum. Lots of info there.

Have you actually seen any news in the past year?

It’s madness to be considering going anywhere near the US.

@TheoreticallyAdultdont be ridiculous - we’re off to the States in four days and are not worried at all, and my family that lives there aren’t either.
OP unis in the US (I attended two there) LOVE extracurriculars like sport or anything really. Unlike here where they are only interested in things directly related to your subject in the US they look at the applicant as a whole person, and interests outside the subject are welcome. So she should get into other stuff too: creative writing club, Spanish club, getting a weekend job, volunteering- anything that makes her look like a well rounded candidate. For a scholarship she needs to be top tier as they are competitive. Look up the NCAA guidelines.
To start what is she interested in studying? Any particular locations? Really there’s no point in going unless she goes to one with a good reputation and possibly international recognition as unless she (unlikely) gets a full ride scholarship it will be more expensive than here, and remember US unis are four years, not three. And not all qualifications gained abroad will be valid here. My DD, for example, may consider applying to Harvard or Brown for her combined Masters/PhD because both institutions offer full scholarships plus generous living expenses for a minimum of four years. Both have ‘brand name’ international recognition. And both are extremely hard to get into (5-8% acceptance rate) because of that. But worth a punt!
The NGA (UK) may help navigate the process as she’s likely to need a highlight reel. Checking out Google and both well ranked Baylor University and University of Oregon give scholarships for Acrobatics and Tumbling, though most scholarships for this category are at most 50%, though there are merit scholarships too.

Thank you everyone for the very helpful information. I didn't have a clue before and the college early entry person hasn't replied to my daughter's emails about this.

Practice SATs give results immediately. You can also use the official question bank.

As a US citizen, your daughter will have an easier time with admissions to most schools than international students. Make sure to do the net price calculators for various schools that you're considering.

2 of my DDs went to Ivy League schools.
They are dual Irish/US citizenship but lived their whole lives in Ireland.
I would advise lots of practice for SATs or ACTs which she finds suits her best and do lots of research on college application essays and processes. My DDs research seemed to involve Instagram and TikTok which I was very sceptical about but it seems to have worked.
The Ivies all only do needs based aid no academic or sports scholarships.
Some have calculators on their websites so you can get an idea of how much aid your child would be eligible for if they get accepted.

we did this and are very happy with two at prestigious colleges. You’re very tight on time however and honestly even though I’ve done this twice now I would not even consider it without help. Get on to one of the better US application consultants and negotiate a good rate to help you. Be wary though as many of them know literally zero about the process especially the financial aid side. Top colleges are insanely competitive to get into so choose wisely