any recommendations on colleges/universities in the UK?

Student Lounge International Students
1

I’m a high school student in the US and is interested in studying in the UK. I’ve heard about so many benefits and England is such a beautiful country. Here are my stats, not sure if the grade scale is the same as it is there.
GPA,weighted3.77 unweighted3.66
-rank 80 out of 299
-ACT score 25 (will be retaking it, shooting for a 30).

  • I didn’t take a lot of rigorous courses… freshman year=none sophomore= 2honor classes junior=1AP&honors senior=2 AP
    EC
    -National honor society
    -volunteer at local senior center (for about 3 years now)
    -swim team (sophomore&senior)
    -art club
2

Here is the quick & dirty info:

  1. At UK universities you apply to study one subject (sometimes a pair of subjects) and typically that is ALL you study. The courses are highly structured, with lots of specific course requirements.
  2. UK universities are all about standardized testing. For admission using US academic credentials you typically need SATs (many but not all will accept ACTs), plus 3 APs (many but not all will accept SAT subject tests) with specific scores. Except for the tippy top unis, if you have the scores that are listed on the website you are likely to get a place.
  3. For almost all UK unis, GPA is not important (though as more people apply from the US more are putting in a GPA guideline, but it is typically relatively low), and ECs are only important if they relate to the subject that you are applying to study.
  4. Although there are a few UK unis that offer some funding for international students, it is rare and limited, so if you apply you need to assume that there is no FinAid (or merit) except what you can get through FAFSA. The good news is that most English courses are 3 years, not 4 (Scottish are all 4), so there is a savings there; the bad news is that there are nearly always extra charges for being an international student, and to get your student visa you have to demonstrate that you have enough funds to cover the entire year.
  5. The UK university system is really well organized, and the information available online is extensive. For every university you can get; descriptions of each course offered, usually right down to the classes that you take each year of your course; the requirements for admission (start with the international student requirements, then cross-check it with the subject pages- sometimes they require specific subjects for specific courses), how you are graded (in the UK there is typically not much continuing assessment- often your grade will be based entirely on exams), housing options, fees, etc. Note that you make one application through UCAS (like Common App) form, including:

=>one essay (Personal Statement, which is about why you want to study the subject that you are applying to);
=>one recommendation (usually your GC);
=> up to 5 courses that you want to apply to (they can be 5 different courses at 5 universities, or a few similar courses at the same university, or any combination- but they should have enough in common that your one essay makes sense for all of them);
=> one fee

If after all of the above you still are thinking that the UK is the place for you, here is a good place to start identifying possible unis to apply to:

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/universities/choosing-the-right-university/

3

Thank you so much for the tips, really made me understand the educational system in the UK. (: