As an American sophomore in high school, I was wondering what the main differences between applying to schools in the UK and applying to schools in the US are. Of course, getting into Oxford and Cambridge is no easy task, and I may just be your classic overly-ambitious teenager. So, really, while Oxford would be great, it’s my reach school.
I am just curious as to what I will need to do over these next two years. What standardized tests will I have to take? Will there be less of an emphasis on extra-curricular activities? Should I be taking as many AP’s as possible? Will it be harder for me because I am not from the UK?
If this is relevant at all, I plan to study economics and French.
I don’t think you can do that combination at Oxford. Generally speaking in the UK you apply to study one (sometimes two, very occasionally three) subjects, but your choice of combinations is restricted.
If you decide on economics, you will need calculus BC at AP; for French, French AP; plus at least a couple of other APs scoring 5 on each. There are also some special tests administered by Oxford. ECs only matter if they’re connected to your subject and why you want to study it.
Some other UK universities do offer the combnation you want. Aagain, they will want at least 3 APs in suitable subjects.
You may like to repost in the International sub-forum.
^ That is correct. There are others much more knowledgeable than me about this, but here’s a quick first cut run down:
- The first thing to know about Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge) is that undergraduates pursue a specialized program of study. UK secondary school A-levels tend to go into a fair amount of depth, and UK students who are matriculating will already have had a fairly broad education, covering some of what US universities usually try to achieve in the Freshman year. So unless there is a defined program of study (called a "course") that spans areas, it generally is not possible to pursue dual majors or interdisciplinary studies the way it is at US universities and liberal arts colleges.
- The second thing to know if that when you apply to Oxford or Cambridge, the program of study involves much more independent work and much less lecture/recitation than exists in US universities. You will be expected to be able to work independently much of the time, and will have a small number of lectures and small sessions with a tutor in your chosen field.
- The third thing to know is that when you apply to Oxford or Cambridge, you apply not to the University at large, but to one of its specific "colleges". These are smaller residential units (the residential colleges at Yale and the houses at Harvard are modeled on them to some extent, for residential purposes); but the tutors in your chosen field will also be limited to those affiliated with the college to which you apply. So it's important to know which colleges are strong in your particular chosen field of study.
- The fourth thing to know is that for admissions purposes, brilliance in your chosen field is paramount for admission to Oxbridge. They want the highest possible test scores (APs or IB exams for US students) in your chosen field, and in those subjects related to your chosen field; so you had better have 5's on APs or 6's and 7's on IBs in those areas. Having tons of APs unrelated to your area of focus generally doesn't count for much. ECs are also largely ignored - except for research related to your chosen field, which can be critically important. Oxbridge wants the top students in each area. As @Conformist1688 mentions, you may also be required to take some written exams in your particular subject area.
- The fifth thing to know is that if you make it past the first cut, you will have to interview - either in person, or via Skype. This is not like US college interviews - it is essentially a mandatory informal oral examination with tutors in your chosen field to see how articulate and knowledgable you are, and how well you think on your feet. They're often looking for things like how you react when thrown in over your head, and how adaptable you are in terms of your thought processes.
If you get through all this, you get an offer (which may well be conditional on getting further top scores in your exams) to matriculate and study your chosen field at the college to which you have applied.
It sounds like you may be applying to Oxford more based on name recognition than anything else, since you don’t seem to be aware of this. Oxford may not be a fit for what you want; it’s a terrific place for the right kind of student, but it’s not a place to explore what interests you or to pursue divergent fields of study, and it requires a lot of independence and self-discipline.
I hope this helps.
@renaissancedad has good info, with one tiny caveat:
Actually, no: most students take at least some modules at other colleges. As long as a college offers a course you are fine (also, about 1/3 of students are pooled to a different college than they first apply to).
It is very beneficial to have your three AP/SAT2 scores and your SAT/ACT in the bag before you apply your senior year. That way you are not waiting until July for AP results after you’ve graduated to see if you satisfy the conditions of your offer. Definitely spend some time looking at the course offerings and find the right one for you.
Undergrad at top UK unis is like grad-school-lite. Terrific for the right type of student.
In any case, the UK unis like Oxbridge have a ton of info online. I suggest researching some.
There is a perception that at UK schools you can only take one subject, and it is true the majority of entrants study only one subject. However, many universities will offer joint honours degrees, combination such as English and French, Geography and Geology, Sociology and Psychology, etc, every university will post on their website which combinations are available. Some universities will offer Combined degrees where you can do as many as 3 subjects, again check the websites. It is not common to combine disciplines among the arts and sciences, so English and Physics or Biology and French would be uncommon but perhaps not impossible. Scottish universities are a little more flexible with a major plus 2 electives in the first 2 years. I just used the UCAS course finder and Economics and French is quite a common combination at some very competitive schools, although not Oxford… Good luck.
^Yep, and there are some UK degrees that offer some flexibility/double majors.
UCL Arts & Sciences or Durham Natural Science, for instance. TCD in Ireland also has something like that. And joint honours seems pretty doable at many Scottish unis.
And there are a ton of “science + a language” or “econ + a language” or “business + a language” programs in the UK. I don’t think at Oxbridge, though.
I think the important piece for US students is to understand is that (compared to the US) even in dual/triple subjects and even in Scotland, the actual level of student choice in classes is extremely limited, especially in the first two years. A number of universities are putting in the option to take, say, one class outside your subject area, but it is not the norm and it is very limited. In most cases first years either have no choices, or choose from a very specific set of class options that are based in the subject area that they are studying.
Funnily enough, NatSci courses are some of the most flexible- all the classwork is in sciences, but there are lots of options and you typically don’t have to settle on just one or two at the beginning.
^Really, you have to read up online. For each course/major, they tend to be pretty detailed.
My advice is, get a book (How to Get into Oxford and Cambridge) and use it to formulate a strategy. There are many differences of emphasis in the admissions process, such as the umimportance of ECs for Oxbridge that are unrelated to your tripos, that you need to know about.