chance me - Northeastern/Boston College

Student Lounge International Students
1

Hi! I’m an international applicant from the UK and thinking of applying this fall. My top colleges are Northeastern, BC, UWash Seattle, UCLA, UC Berkley, Tufts, and a couple ivy leagues like Cornell and Brown.

school: private christian co-ed boarding school in UK
race: white female
GCSEs: 7 A*-A, 2 Bs
A levels: Maths, biology, economics and predicted AAA, might be self-teaching AS further maths, hoping to get A/B
GPA: we dont have it in the UK but i used a calculator and i think its UW: 3.83, W:4.1
SAT: Havent done it yet and wont send it off as most of the schools i want to apply to are test-optional and i know it wont be a strong score. Hoping 1350-1450. SAT Subject tests Biology and Maths: Hoping 750+ for bio and 700+ for Maths.

ECs
business/marketing (what i want to major in)
-ran a youtube channel w/over 250,000 views +made it into a business
-marketing and finance intern at a big film company
-currently a social media coordinator for a NGO that connects communities in the COVID-19 Pandemic
-microsoft STEM student challenge finalist (national competition)

volunteering/jobs

  • Pinsent Masons virtual work experience (Law)
  • animal shelter volunteering + retail assistant volunteering (over 70 hours all together)
  • waitress

music

  • school orchestra and choir, 5+years
  • lessons in singing, cello and piano
  • piano (Grade 6) and music theory (Grade 5) ABRSM music exams
  • Did some choir and orchestra performances in London concert halls and around Europe
  • music tech club

sport

  • club cross country/track athlete
  • school cross country, track + netball teams
  • a couple RYA sailing awards

random

  • DofE bronze
  • 7 years of girl guiding
  • navy cadets
  • random clubs like Biology society, science club+oxbridge economics
  • classics school prize
  • about to start a course on intro to English common law as i want to go into law after my undergrad

I know its harder to get into US unis as an international student so would this be good enough to get into some top unis?

2

First question has to be: are your parents happy to spend close to $300,000 for your undergraduate degree?

Second question: how important is marketing? b/c it’s not going to be a big part of the business degree at several of the places on your list. I don’t think Brown even has a marketing module in their brand-new business concentration, and pretty sure that there is only 1 module at Cornell Dyson.

Note that the UCs are not test optional and there is no financial aid for out of state or international students.

Most of your list is what looks (to me) like reasonable places for you to apply- but the stats on international students are brutal, so I wouldn’t pin hopes on any of them. Given your predicted A levels you should have some really good choices in the UK, and it’s hard to see where most of the schools on the list would offer you something that would be worth the wild disparity in price. A year exchange program would get you most of the benefits. But - if your parents are well enough off that they won’t notice the cost, and you have a hankering for adventure- go for it :slight_smile:

You might, though, spend a little more time getting to know these colleges better- some of them are so different that they usually appeal to pretty different people.

3

Hi! I’m applying to both US and UK unis this autumn, so if I don’t get into US unis I can study in the UK. Yes the costs are crazy! I’ve done some research on scholarships and one college I forgot to put down (University of Oregon) has scholarships available to international students that I’ve looked out and I fit the criteria for some of them.

Marketing was just an example of an area of business I enjoy but I’m also interested in other areas as well :slight_smile:

Thank you for your advice tho!! What you’ve picked out has been the main points of conflict between UK and US university but I personally find UK degrees too dry compared to the width of classes you can take at a US college! I’m also a huge traveller and have traveled all of the US and loveee it!! But then again, there are some amazing Uk Unis that would be great to attend so the dilemma continues … I think I’m going to apply to unis in both countries that I’ll probably decide at the last minute tbh!

And yes that’s good idea to do more research on the colleges, the most I’ve done is an informal Northeastern campus tour (fell in love lol) but I think I need to look more into the academic courses available. Thank you!

4

To clarify, on April 1, UCs announced that they will be test optional for this fall’s admission season only.

Agree.

5

That’s an . . eclectic list.

Some of them, you and everyone else are a low possibility for. Some of them are possible/likely.

How did you come up with that list of schools?

Also, some US unis will give you credit for A-Levels (and some even for AS), which may save you time/money.

Some UK unis also have some flexible programs that allow you to study different subjects (or switch, in Scotland).

Canada also exists and unis there tend to feature a fair amount of flexibility (compared to the UK).

So what do you want out of undergrad and how much are you willing/want to spend?

Some unis have International scholarships (Minnesota comes to mind).

6

I think I came up with the list using a mixture of word of mouth, location, price, rigour and campus life. I’ve made sure I’ve done my research in what I want as a college and I most likely won’t be applying to every college listed (bc of fee and I will probably narrow it down).

Yes, those schools are hard to go into and so I’m planning on applying to ‘easier’ schools as well such as UMass Amherst, BU, University of Oregon, UCSB, UCSD. However, as an international student, location is a huge factor to me and as I’ve lived by the sea my whole life I would prefer to go to college on the coast, which I’m aware does knock off a lot of colleges, but that is just personal preference, and I’m prepared to give up applying to schools like Texas schools for example.

I’ve looked into advanced credit from my A levels and it’s seems like a most/all colleges I can graduate at least one semester early, which would aid my decision massively as it cuts a lot of costs.

The study abroad programs available at UK unis, yes, are very impressive and sound like a good idea, but I’ve always been a fan of the US education system, and the US degrees appeal hugely to me compared to UK degrees. I’ve made a list of Uk Unis I will apply to, but none of them have that ‘wow’ factor that I get from a couple US unis. No school spirit, most of the campuses aren’t as beautiful, no college football games etc. For example, the city of Boston is probably my favourite city, and studying there would be a dream (that’s why I want to apply to most of the Boston schools like Northeastern, BC, BU, Tufts and UMass Amherst). I feel like it’s a personally preference, however the decision is depended to on scholarships or even just the total cost for each year, dependent if it’s public or private.

For example, I’ve done some research and it seems that i could be elidgible for the UOregon’s summit scholarship, and with that scholarship, one year at this uni would be £33k, whereas one year at UK uni would be roughly £20. So for me, that price difference is worth for the experience.

However, my Dad and I are interested if having a US degree is worth the same as a UK degree (employability wise) as I’ll probably return to the UK after college. Do employers prefer UK degrees or do they value the skills I would’ve learnt by attending college in a different country?

7

Lots to sort through in this!

In no particular order:

Employers everywhere like unis they have heard. You will almost certainly return to the UK, as there is little hope of getting employment straight out of undergrad in the US. IME, in the UK there is an assumption that -except for a handful of famous names- UK education >> US. The one place you could get a boost is from summer internships: these are a much bigger part of undergrad life in the US than the UK (not counting those heading for consulting, banking or law).

UOregon is a fine school. It is entirely unclear to me that there is any part of that experience that is £50K better than what you would get at the UK unis that AAA at A level should get you into. If you want to go that route, 1) practice up on your SAT or ACT and get that score up. 2) look up ‘automatic scholarships’- quite a few state (public) universities offer them

Boston: UMass Amhert is almost a 2 hour drive from Boston- without traffic. You won’t be going there very often. Tufts is really close- and even they aren’t in and out of the city all the time. For US unis, if you want a city be IN that city, or be happy with the college community.

Beach: sigh. At this point it feels as if you are still in the ‘think of every thing you want’ stage. You have always lived at the beach. There are comparatively few colleges at which beach will be a regular part of your experience. iirc, Revere Beach is 40min by T from Boston. Even for people used to UK beaches, by October only the most determined are still swimming, and Nov-April is just plain cold. Eugene (where University of Oregon is) is an hour and a half by car from the beach- and public transport is limited. If it is that important, then the UCs (esp SD or UC-SB- less than a mile away) are your best options (though the Pacific is colder than you might expect). How important an element is that really when you are investing 4 years & $300K in an education?

School spirit & beautiful buildings =/= UCs. They are much more like UK unis than you might imagine.

There are 2 kinds of aid: need & merit. Guessing you won’t qualify for need, but you might qualify for merit at some places. Your AAA prediction + a high SAT/ACT might make you competitive for merit at places like Oxford/Emory.

8

Neither UCSB nor UCSD are “easier” schools. The UC‘s are public universities, funded by the State of California and made for State of California’s taxpaying residents, who get priority preference for admission. Cost is 65K a year. Expect to pay $65K a year. They do not fund international students. Expect to pay full fees at any California public school.

UCSD is near the coast, but the coastal fog doesn’t burn off until the afternoon. The school is not “beautiful” but stark concrete and glass. It’s known as “UC for the Socially Dead”. There are no large sports and school spirit. Did you do any research on the schools?

9

So, I’m having trouble with a lot of your reasoning.

It seems that you’re willing to spend a ton of money for lifestyle factors, but if that’s the case, why not just save the money and vacation across the US (or Boston if you like) during a gap year? You’d probably still come out ahead financially.

I agree with @collegemom3717 about how US unis would be perceived. Unless you attend an Ivies/equivalent tier (and maybe near-Ivy research powerhouses like UMich), most Brits wouldn’t understand why you’d spend a ton more to go to uni in the US. Take UCSD. I may see them as equivalent to Warwick. Most Brits probably would see it as closer to Newcastle or Aberdeen (if they even have heard of UCSD).

10

So if you’re going to spend a ton of money, go somewhere that is top tier and also fit your criteria:

  1. Allow you to study marketing.
  2. Be at a beach.
  3. Ideally prepare you for law.

I can only think of one school that fits those criteria well: Northwestern.

  1. It’s renown for marketing and offers an Integrated Marketing Communications certificate.
  2. It is right on Lake Michigan, which is essentially a giant freshwater sea (you won’t be able to see the other side), and actually is better as it’s freshwater (I’m not a fan of saltwater) with beaches and seagulls.
  3. It’s among the colleges that has highest per capita representation at top American law schools.

BTW, how much can your family afford total for undergrad education?

11

Another alternative is New College of Florida. They are tiny, but on the beach in Florida (so warm the whole year round) and you can design your studies. Also can have Oxbridge-style tutorial classes. Costs for Internationals are cheaper than the most expensive American schools. They are a Near-Ivy by alumni accomplishments. Nobody in the UK will have heard of them, though. No big-time sports.

12

ok thank you. Ive edited my list as i realised that ill be applying to test-optional schools as when i took a practise test i did awful and so my application wouldnt benefit from a SAT score, and i won’t have enough time to fully prepare for the SAT (if it’s not cancelled). For reference, i don’t like beaches and i don’t necesserily want to go to uni on the beach i just meant on the east coast. I have talked to my parents and they said they could afford a US education, so that isn’t a worry for me.

I research unis way more than just lifestyle choices, i understand what it means to be committed to one university for 4 years. I won’t be applying to any ivies, UMass Amherst or USC anymore as they’re not test optional, but that doesnt bother me as it was unlikely i would get in there anyway, and none of them were high on my list anyways.

My personal preference has always been US study for many personal reasons that i find it hard to explain, and i’m academically motivated and would love to attend a good university with lots of motivated students, not just a university ‘by the beach’.

13

Northeastern had 62,000 applications this year. Insane!