Also, from those universities of the IVY League which accept the IGCSEs, which ones you think are most suitable for me and my situation?(If you need to ask me something more, ask)
I understand, thank you.
@littlestudent Don’t let others scare you about American Catholic colleges. You are from Spain so seeing religious symbols is part of everyday life. That is exactly what you will find at a school like Boston College, just statues and maybe church bells during the day. It otherwise pushes your buttons. Many students in the United States are so sensitive that they cannot even see a religious symbol without breaking down.
I understand.
You will need to double check how each school treats the IGSCEs. I just looked at the document I pulled that list from and it sounds like these school use it to give course credit, similar to an AP exam. I’m not sure they are OK with using it instead of the SAT.
IVY League universities with diversity and good international relations programme?
@me29034 I will definitely double check everything; Also this year I am doing the A levels, so perhaps these universities do accept having both IGCSEs and A levels.But I will double check it.
Virtually all US universities and colleges will be familiar with and accept GCSE/IGCSEs and A levels if they admit students from the UK (as almost all do). The US-UK Fulbright Commission, which organizes a US college day in London every year attended by over US 160 universities/colleges, notes the following on its website:
"there are thousands of universities in the USA, so academic expectations range from high to low. You do not need straight As and A*s to be admitted to a good university in the USA.
In general, American universities will at least be looking for:
Five subjects at GCSE or the equivalent National 5s
IB or A-levels/Scottish Advanced Highers
Very few ‘soft’ subjects
Some sort of extracurricular involvement
You should be following at least the standard course load or curriculum that students at your school normally take for university entry…
US universities don’t have specific entry requirements like British universities.
They do publish the grade point average (GPA) that their first year (freshman) students achieved in high school. This can be usually be found on the admissions section of a university’s website, and is out of 4.0.
Use the link below to average all your GCSEs, A-levels and/or Scottish qualifications into a GPA.
This will help you know if a university’s academic profile is within your reach.
www.fulbright.org.uk/going-to-the-usa/undergraduate/educationusa-advice/choosing/academics
Franklin & Marshall touts that they are very diverse, something like 18% internationals.
littlestudent7, every single university in the US will accept your UK credentials. Not only do they accept them, they understand them. The GCSE is equivalent to a strong 9th and 10th grade US curriculum while the A Level is equivalent to taking 5-6 APs in 11th and 12th grade. They get it, so there is no need to worry.
That being said, universities in the US do not accept the IGCSE and/or A Level in lieu of the SAT/ACT and Subject tests (in the case of universities that require the Subject tests). You need to research each university you are considering individually and see what credentials are required. Some do not even require the SAT/ACT, but that’s not because you followed the British curriculum, they simple are SAT optional for all applicants.
To break it down for you, here is what most universities will expect:
- School transcripts. In the case of students enrolled in a British-patterned high school, that means GCSE/IGCSE results, AS results and A Level predictions.
- Recommendations/evaluations from your high school counselor and from 2 teachers (preferably, teachers from your AS/A Level subjects)
- SAT/ACT. With the exception of NYU and Wake Forest, virtually all top universities require them. In the case of Liberal Arts Colleges, many good ones are SAT optional (Bates, Bowdoin, Denison, Holy Cross, Grinnell, Skidmore, Wesleyan to name a few)
- SAT Subject tests. Very few universities still require the subject tests. Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Harvard, MIT and Tufts are four such universities. Georgetown recommends them highly.
- Obviously, the application itself, along with the application fee
- Some universities require you to fill an affidavit of support/proof of finances form, along with supporting documents from a financial institution
That’s about it. But each university varies, so you need to research universities individually.
To get help with your process, read through the information at https://educationusa.state.gov/ then contact the counselors at the advising center closest to where you live. There is one in Madrid: https://educationusa.state.gov/centers/fulbright-madrid Those counselors are expert at helping international students find good places to study in the US. They will be able to tell you where students like you have been accepted in the past few years.
Quite an array of criteria…the “amazing happy energy” one will be scarce at some schools, especially in the Northeast, where a grumpy, aloof, cynical attitude is fashionable. And there are a lot that you would likely think are “too liberal.” However, among the better universities it’s hard to name one other than Notre Dame that the OP would consider “too religious.” I’m very familiar with Georgetown and Boston College, and it’s hard for me to believe that either would be considered too religious by an American atheist, much less a Spanish Catholic. All things considered, including proximity to airports that have direct flights to Madrid, I’d start with:
U of Miami (Florida)
Northwestern U.
Tufts
Boston College
Georgetown
Without being close to airport with direct flights to Madrid:
Wake Forest
Wisconsin (Madison)
Indiana U (Bloomington)
Penn State
Dartmouth
Colgate
North Carolina (Chapel Hill)
Richmond
U of Florida
@littlestudent7 “IVY League universities with diversity and good international relations programme?”
The obvious choice here is Columbia, which, in the heart of New York City, has far more diversity- not just social-racial but also intellectual and cultural - than any other university in the US, and which has by far the best international relations program.
Here’s a list of reasons that Columbia should be #1 on your list:
- Exceptionally high-quality (rigorous, in-depth, broad) academics
- Opportunity to take international development, international relations, international economics courses as an undergraduate at the top-notch School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA)
- Broad range of courses and research related to non-profits, development, liberal economics, including an all-star Economics faculty with Jeffrey Sachs and Nobelist Joseph Stiglitz
- New York City - living there as a young person is an education in itself
- Columbia undergraduate "Core" curriculum that immerses the student in a rigorous, Socratic-style education focused on deep investigation of the greatest ideas of western civilization
- Opportunity to learn technical skills relevant to management of non-profits, via cross-registration with Columbia Business School
- Opportunity for internships in New York City at some of the world's biggest, best-run, most prestigious non-profits
In my experience, European students tend to be happiest in large, coastal American cities that offer the kind of cosmopolitanism and cultural institutions that one takes for granted in Europe. This is not a judgment - rather, a reflection of the perceptions of young European first-time residents of the US.
European friends of mine suffered in the midwest and loved New York City. They felt at home in the San Francisco Bay Area and Boston but were less comfortable in Los Angeles or Seattle or Chicago. They found Washington DC to be provincial compared to European capitals.
In short, you are probably best advised to go for a university in New York or Boston. (Nb. San Francisco has become completely insane: money-mad, absurdly politically-correct, oblivious to the world outside of tech, ignorant of Europe.)
Given that money is not a barrier for you, I would recommend you look at:
- Columbia (see post above - this should be your #1 choice)
- Boston University - an underrated yet major research university that is getting better every year and that has a nice location in one of the best parts of Boston
- New York University - a good alternative to Columbia
The Ohio State University, Main Campus offers a President’s Prize https://presidentsprize.osu.edu/about/ which would be of great value in starting your non-profit after graduation. Even if you are not selected, the application process of the president’s prize will help you create an action plan to create your own non profit.
And Buckeye spirit is best in the country for team sports!
“European friends of mine suffered in the midwest and loved New York City. They felt at home in the San Francisco Bay Area and Boston but were less comfortable in Los Angeles or Seattle or Chicago. They found Washington DC to be provincial compared to European capitals.”
That’s based on your own limited experience. In my own, admittedly also limited experience, Europeans that I have known have loved Chicago and had good a time in the Midwest. The university I attended currently enrolls 7,000 international students, 2,000 of which are undergrads. Naturally, those numbers are inflated by Asian students, but even if one looks at students from Europe, the Mediterranean, Australia, South Africa and South/Central America, you are still looking at roughly 1,000 students (300 undergrads and 700 graduate). Those students are there mostly on the recommendation of their countrymen that attended before them.
That being said, different settings will appeal do different types. Skiers and mountain lovers will really like Colorado-Boulder, while beach lovers looking for a Latin culture may want to consider University of Miami. But if an international student is seeking a slice of Americana, complete with a friendly and welcoming local population, great school spirit etc…, Midwestern schools could well fit the bill. It is important to reflect on what one wants, and then draw up a list of universities that make sense given their priorities.
Frankly, none of these American universities compare to Jacobs University in Germany. While not as famous as them; I can tell you its far more diverse than any of these unis. I study here and the student body is about 70% foreigners. It’s a small campus, about 1400 people, but has 120 nationalities. It’s a really open minded campus, and frankly it feels special. It’s extremely diverse, having hundreds of people from every continent. Give their website a look for more info.
Foreign Policy magazine periodically ranks undergraduate and graduate IR programs in the USA
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Ivory_Tower).
For internship opportunities, NYC or DC would be desirable urban locations. Columbia, NYU, Georgetown, American, and GW span a fairly wide selectivity range for NYC/DC schools with well-regarded IR programs.
I’ve never heard Columbia mentioned before as a place to go for an undergraduate IR degree. That may be because it doesn’t offer one.
"I would really enjoy going to a University with a strong school/ team spirit, as well as with amazing happy energy. Also, a well ranked university is what I’m looking for. As you may see, I have a lot of requirements, which may be the reason why it has been difficult for me to find a good match. "
U Miami would tick a lot of the boxes that you mention above, plus it is 16% international, is in a Spanish speaking city and does NOT require SATs from international applicants. The IR programmes seem pretty good.
For a better IR programme, look at Georgetown which has an excellent School of Foreign Service, plus it has tons of Europeans there which should minimize some of the culture shock.