<p>I’m a current ANU student. I’m a domestic student, so I guess I’ll have a very different perspective to what you need, but here’s the info.</p>
<p>Firstly, any Australian university is significantly more expensive for an international student to attend than for an Australian student. There is definitely an ‘international student culture’, because most international students come from Asia, are quite cliquey and the universities see them and their expensive tuition fees as a way to make up for inadequate government funding. There should be less of a culture divide since you’re from the US, but you know, still. Be prepared to be treated as different from the majority of the student body, although that should be a given.</p>
<p>In terms of acceptance, Australian universities are also very different because firstly, there is a simple academic equation to gain entry: no essays or interviews or any of that. Also, entry requirements are differentiated depending on what degree you plan on studying: it’s not a liberal arts system so you’ve got to choose what degree you want before you start, although they are fairly flexible on taking electives from areas outside your major/degree path. So even if you’re “well in range for acceptance” for the lowest course cut-off, you’re not able to access the higher ones. Largely you’ll still be able to take the same subjects as those in other degrees though. You can also combine degrees, for example Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws. I don’t know how the ACT works, but I assume an ACT 25 roughly equals an ATAR of 80 (lowest course cut-off for Australian domestic applicants), which you can get into a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. The degree I take is the Bachelor of Philosophy (Arts) (Hons) which needs an ATAR of 99. Be aware of that.</p>
<p>Note that the academic culture will be very different from American universities: I’ve heard that US universities are much more supportive, some would say suffocatingly so, whereas Australian universities really expect independence. If you need help, you seek it out; you are not spoonfed. I would also say from what I’ve heard that Australian universities are generally much more academically rigorous for the average undergraduate than American universities.</p>
<p>Campus life is pretty great. Most Australians will disparage Canberra as a city to avoid at all costs. It is alleged to be deathly boring, home only to public servants and politicians (it’s the Australian capital). This is partially true of the city, although I like it because it’s kind of a student town and it’s really easy to get around, usually on your bike or inexpensive buses. But the campus is great. About half the student body lives on-campus and academic and extra-curricular groups are really vibrant, not to mention the parties, which usually centre around your residential college or inter-hall events. You generally live in ‘residential colleges’ or in the for-profit UniLodges, but you really want to be in a residential college. Some of the residential colleges are catered, such as Burgmann College (where I live), Bruce Hall, Ursula Hall and John XXIII College. Some of them are self-catered, so you cook for yourself, but there’s a great sense of collegiality in the kitchen I hear! These are Burton & Garran Hall and Fenner Hall. They’re not too expensive, about $AU170 p/w for self-catered and $AU350 p/w for fully-catered.</p>
<p>I really love the academic life at ANU. As previously said, you have to be very self-directed and it won’t appeal to you otherwise. But if you’re willing to get out there, contact academics yourself, do the hard yards, it will reward you with world-class academics and research abilities. I’m not an English major, I’m a Development Studies major, but I’ve heard great things about the department. The thing to remember is that ANU is a research university and that is where its strength lies, and why it gets such high rankings on international rankings sites.</p>
<p>Clearly I’ve got nothing better to do for writing this long response, but if you’ve got any other questions, do feel free to contact me.</p>