Do colleges in the UK care if you send in ACT scores instead of SAT scores? I did a lot better on my ACT than SAT and most colleges here don’t give a preference but I don’t know if they are as widely used in other parts?
Can you use google? the UK unis have the reqs set out. The thing about going to uni in the UK is that there will be no spoon feeding. Most importantly,can you pony up the cash to be a full pay American student? That is your first question to answer.
It depends - some will accept the ACT, but the SAt is better known. But they are just a threshold really - if they say over 700 on a section of SAT there isn’t a significant difference to them between 700 and 800.
Much more important than either is your AP scores.
Can you tell us exactky what your stats are to date, and what additional AP classes/tests you plan to take next year (assuming you’re a junior now).
@Conformist1688 This year I took AP US History and AP Environmental Science. I just took the AP exams so I don’t know my score yet. Next year I will take AP Gov, AP Psychology, AP Lang, and AP Spanish. Would the AP exams I take next year help me anyways? We don’t receive our scores until July so I don’t see that boosting my chances at getting in anywhere… I got a 31 on my ACT first try and will take it again in June. I only got a 1300 on my SAT with a 730 English and 570 Math so I was not even planning on taking the SAT again since I did so badly and wanted to just focus on ACT.
@Sybylla a lot of uk unis are a lot cheaper even as an American than the ones I am looking at now such as American, Georgetown, Northeastern, NYU, etc.
It’s likely that if you get an offer it will be conditional on your achieving 4s or 5s in some of the APs you still have to take. Your academic reference should predict that you will be likely to get those scores. (It’s better for them to be optimistic, then if you don’t quite get the score you can see if they’ll still take you, rather than you getting cut at the first stage.)
History’s good, although for IR they might be surprised to see you only did US and not any of the more global history APs. Spanish is good too. Env Sici and Psych are regarded as less impressive APs; Lang and Gov are fine. St Andrew’s likes American students, so your lower math score may not disqualify you there, but it may be an issue elsewhere.
UCAS requires you to report all scores.
@irgirlintheusa, you just need to do your homework: every single uni in the US posts what they will accept. Some accept both SAT & ACT, some just SAT and some don’t care about either. Your APs will matter, and they do make offers ‘conditional’ on your getting the required AP scores. Typically you ‘insure’ a uni for which you know you have met the requirements (in the US or UK) in case your first choice doesn’t come through.
are a lot cheaper<<<
but that doesn’t answer the question. Can you be full pay? This is an advantage to you as you are not aimed at the tippy top schools.
UK*
@Sybylla: Not Oxbridge-style and LSE, true, but St. A’s IR is pretty renown.
Sure, full pay helps especially at St Andrews for internationals. But no 3 yr bargain.
@Sybylla I’m not sure where you get this notion that St Andrews will accept students even if they don’t meet the minimum academic requirements.
And you’re also making it seem like St Andrews is the only UK uni which likes international students, when it is easier for international students to get accepted by ALL universities in the UK (with the exception of Oxbridge).
@Capricancer1: I don’t see @Sybylla saying that you don’t need to meet minimum requirements to get in to St. A’s.
And yes, the exceptions seem to be Oxbridge and LSE. Everywhere else, meeting minimum requirements as an International is usually enough.
meeting minimum requirements as an International is usually enough.<<<<
Right, it isn't a bun fight like it might be for home students. As long as OP has the money, she seems to have exceeded the ACT reqs and just needs to make sure she has the AP scores/subjects. So really, money is the big question here. Just because OP sees it is cheaper than the schools in the US where she wouldn't garner merit with her stats/doesn't qualify for need, it doesn't mean a @ 40K a yr at a UK uni is actually doable.
@Conformist1688 our school does not offer any other history classes except euro but you can’t take ap euro if you are also taking ap gov for scheduling reasons… I think my school will probably make that clear? also thanks so much for the help!
@Sybylla thanks, ill have to look into the financials more. I am quite unfamiliar with that, but I doubt I would qualify for financial aid here anyways. thanks for your help!
I would swap euro for gov, it is very AP lite. If it is a grad req can you do it online as a non AP? AP gov is a soph class in my kids' school.
@irgirlintheusa, the UK unis won’t care at all what your school offers/requires. Many US students self-study for SAT subject tests and APs in order to meet the requirements.
Also, if you are thinking that US Gov is more relevant to IR, be aware that in the UK Euro > Comp Gov > US Gov. The UK system only started accepting Comp & US Gov as full APs last year- until then they counted as 1/2 an AP each, and some UK unis still don’t have them as ‘preferred’ APs.
Both Comp Gov and US Gov are very self-studyable (I know several students who have done that successfully). IMO, your application will stronger if you take Euro and self-study Comp. If you have not done much self-studying, this is a good opportunity for you to try it out- studying in the UK is much more self-directed than in the US.
Financially, the total cost of your degree can end up being less than in the US, but be aware that in order to get your visa you have to demonstrate that you have enough money available to pay tuition and living costs for the entire year.
(also in post #7, it should read “every single uni in the UK posts…”!)