<p>Oh, I'd never dream of doing the STEP papers, let alone Further Maths. I'm rubbish at maths. I'll be lucky if I manage to scrape an A at A2.</p>
<p>Should've realised that Italian was a popular course in UK universities. Dumb.</p>
<p>Hey people! I'm English so if you have any questions about UK unis, just ask (I know a lot from all the research I did when applying!) I'm either going to Exeter or Cardiff to study ENglish next year. Well, if I get the grades. Exeter want three A's, and Cardiff want AAB.</p>
<p>My son applied to the U of Edinburgh, engineering. They remembered getting his teacher recs etc. at their International office but lost his stuff and we had to resend it in Jan. Just heard back with unconditional acceptance last week.
This is the only overseas school he applied to and is his first choice overall. The Scottish 4 year system seemed such a better fit with our American H.S. system. Unfortunately the exchange rate has gotten so bad (since I first looked into it) that with 2 others in college, we don't feel we can afford it. I REALLY wish we could consider it. He would flourish there and could improve his already decent bagpiping skills while he was there!
He didn't want any ivies. His other acceptances are RIT (w/Presidential scholarship), Pitt (w/ sm. engineering merit scholarship but still the least expensive of all AND an excellent engineering school), Renselaer (no money offer as of yet), Rose-Hulman I.T.(just received a nice scholarship letter today), and haven't heard from Lehigh (local for us).
He sure had his particulars about where he wanted to, and didn't want to apply! I wanted him to apply to Northwestern, CMU and some others and couldn't convince him.
Edinburgh takes US aid but we don't qualify for any need based aid and unfortunately there seems to be nothing in the way of merit scholarships in the UK. I assume this is because it is already so cheap for the native UKers to go, if they qualify. And anyone else, well, they can just pay their way (yet it is STILL cheaper than full T,R&B at many private US schools!). I suppose it is fair but for my son's sake I wish they had some merit scholarships. If we qualified for US need based aid, he'd definitely be going there.</p>
<p>I'm sorry to hear that - I take it you've looked at the excellent British Council Website (<a href="http://www.britishcouncil.org/usa-education-undergraduate-funding.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.britishcouncil.org/usa-education-undergraduate-funding.htm</a>).</p>
<p>Maybe I am missing the boat but it seems that many of the scholarships are for graduate students. We inquired at the U of Edinburgh when we were visiting, about school based undergrad scholarships and were told unfortunately that is an area that is lacking. They are just starting to fund some for graduate students.
Marshall, Fullbright, Rhodes (sp?) all for grad students. Checked with Rotary because of their international leaning, and again, they seem to fund high school exchange students and grad. students but skip over undergrads.
Other independent scholarships seem to be too small, too specific etc.to make a difference for my son.
Believe me, if we didn't have 2 others in college we could make it work and I would try my best to convince my husband</p>
<p>We visited the U of Edinburgh in May. I LOVED the campus! The city is beyond compare in it's international flavor and beauty. The campus is a 3 part campus with the humanities being in an old and charming section of the city not too far from the really old historical area called "The Royal Mile". The sicence and engineering "King's" campus is in a suburban type area a little over a mile away. And the residence halls are in between in a self contained complex at the edge of the gorgeous "Holyrood Park" which offers hiking up a picturesque, ancient dormant volcanic mountain called "Arthur's Seat". The residence halls looked better than any other I've seen in the US. There are buses to connect the campuses or it is a nice bicycle ride.
Of all the campuses we visited for my son, this was by far my favorite.
Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I loved Edinburgh when I was there. I had thought about applying, but looking into the exchange rate, I realized tuition and R&B would cost the same going to a private school in the US, not to mention airfare and any travel. If there was no financial concern, I would have applied to St. Andrews since you don't have to apply through UCAS and is therefore less intimidating. Studying in the UK is still feasable for study abroad... which appears to be a much more convenient option.</p>
<p>After thinking awhile, I realized an overseas undergraduate education would be far more limiting than in the US. Education is far more rigorous at the high school level, therefore enabling a college education to be specialized (therefore you must apply to a major). If you are unsure of what career you want or want the opportunity to change your major during college, I'd say stay for college in the US, then attend graduate school overseas.</p>
<p>My son had decided in perhaps 9th or early 10th grade that he wanted to consider Imperial or U of Edinburgh. When we first looked into it, the exchange rate was much more favorable and the T, R&B was about $20,000, barely more than Pitt and much less (airfare included) than private US universities, most being $29,000 to $40,000.
Then we discovered that the difference in tuition between engineering and the humanities was much more there than in US unis, and then the exchange rate went nuts, pricing us right out of it. My son applied anyway, hoping for a more favorable exchange rate in the meantime. He was given an unconditional offer but unfortunately the exchange rate has only gotten worse.
We skipped Imperial because of the differences in the English HS>college system but found that the Scottish system was basically just like the US system with a more general HS experience and a true 4 year college experience. because he wanted engineering, declaring his major has to be done upon application, US or foreign. Otherwise, I do think that the Scottish system, like the US, allows for waiting a year to declare. Not so in England.
All in all, we always knew Edinburgh was a long shot but felt we had to give it our best shot or he might forever regret giving it up at the idea stage.
I sure wish we could afford to send him there. Ironically, if we qualified for US aid, we could do it, as US aid can be used there. Unfortunately we fall in between the cracks at our income level, we have to make a decision based on the cost because we are not rich, but we also don't qualify for any help.</p>
<p>"If there was no financial concern, I would have applied to St. Andrews since you don't have to apply through UCAS and is therefore less intimidating"</p>
<p>St.Andrews is no different to any other UK university and must be applied to through UCAS.</p>
<p>". Education is far more rigorous at the high school level, therefore enabling a college education to be specialized (therefore you must apply to a major)."</p>
<p>Untrue and tbh a very surprising viewpoint considering it is totally contrary to popular opinion (and indeed fact) expressed on this website. US school education is far more basic than that generally found in Europe (certainly the UK) which is why British school qualifications allow advanced entry into US degrees.</p>
<p>"If you are unsure of what career you want or want the opportunity to change your major during college, I'd say stay for college in the US, then attend graduate school overseas."</p>
<p>Again this opinion is completely contrary to that commonly expressed on the topic. Generally people advise that an overseas undergrad education (as undergrad degrees are more specialised than in the US) followed by a grad education in the States is the best option.</p>
<p>It is easier to get in Harvard than to Camby, Oxford or Imperial (sp?). Don't even try unless you are in the British K12 system.</p>
<p>courses such as law and medicine are hard just in general in the UK... around 14 applications per place.
you should try.. i did AP's and received offers from british universities for law... however be warned that they look down upon AP's, as they consider A-levels to be more difficult. IB's on the other hand are no problem whatsoever.</p>
<p>
[quote]
British school qualifications allow advanced entry into US degrees
[/quote]
.</p>
<p>There are American school qualifications that allow for advanced entry to US degrees.</p>
<p>The top tier secondary US education is every bit as challenging as the top tier in the UK or Europe. They work from college texts and they cover extensive material in depth. The best students from Phillip Exeter are comparable to the best students from Westminster--or wherever.</p>
<p>It might help if there were fewer generalizations about an highly varied education system serving a diverse population of 290 million? For example, did you know that private schools in the US are truly private and independent? </p>
<p>Unlike private schools in the UK, private schools in the US have no obligation to follow federal curriculum. They are free to design their own curriculum and the top schools often incorporate college coursework and texts. Besides the SAT--which is optional--there are no mandatory state examinations. The schools are free to design their own final exams and the top schools make those exams very very difficult.</p>
<p>Can you guys tell me about St. Andrews. I got accepetd there, but find moving to Scotland a bit intimidating. I am English but i've been in US for almost four years.</p>
<p>I was talking about students generally not whoever happens to go to whatever specialist independant/private school. The average british student who completes the entire school term will graduate with a higher level of qualification and knowledge (A-Level/Higher) than the average american student which is why our degrees (other than in Scotland where the system - both university and to an extent high school - is similiar to your own) are shorter and immediately more advanced. Im suprised that this is a topic which is anything approaching contentious as ive seen numerous americans say as much themselves throughout this forum and on other websites. The fact that a gifted student studying a highly advanced curriculum at a private specialist school in the US may match the level of work covered by those studying at the top British/European schools is irrelevant as they are not a standard example of the American school system anymore than anyone graduating from Eton/Harrow etc can be viewed as having enjoyed a typical British education. Unusual examples aside the average british school student having studied at a state school with standard curriculum enters tertiary education having covered a greater depth of knowledge than the average american school student who has studied at the equivalent in his nation and this is ackowledged by your universities from Harvard downwards.</p>
<p>St Andrews is a really good university, in the top ten in the UK. Everyone knows about it, especially since Prince William goes there. I didn't apply there because I live in the south and thought it might be a bit too far away, but one of my best mates is going there.</p>
<p>It's situated in a small town in Scotland, so it's not the liveliest of places, but I've heard that it has a great community spirit, and the university itself holds loads of functions to make up for the lack of nightlife elsewhere. It's also quite near dundee if you want to escape to a bigger city.</p>
<p>It is in Scotland, but it has a very large number of English students too.</p>
<p>For everyone thinking of going to UK unis, take a look at <a href="http://www.unofficial-guides.com/guides%5B/url%5D">www.unofficial-guides.com/guides</a></p>