<p>I'm confused, should I go to UK or US to study abroad
I like UK because I love the european civilization and culture but I'm not sure wether I should go there or not.
I want to get in a prestigious university, I thought about US universities but they're very hard to get in unlike UK's.
I want to take a double major Physics + Mechanical Engineering.
If I get in a university in US I would like it to be prestigious like MIT,Harvard or Stanford and in UK I would like it to be Cambridge or Oxford.
I have a couple of questions and I need your help :
1.What's the difference between the educational system in UK and US ? People say UK system is based on researches but I don't quite get it, can someone explain it to me ?
2.Do they accept TOEFL and SAT in UK universities ?
The problem is I don't have much to talk about myself ( achievements, extracurricular activities, leadership etc ... ) That's why I'm more into UK universities.
Because I heard that if you want to get into US universities you have to have one of those.
What are your recommendations ?
Thanks.</p>
<p>It is my understanding that in the UK, they go much more by standardized test scores than in America, where the trend is holistic admissions, and a downgrading in importance, at least somewhat, of the SAT. And extracurricular activities are less important in the UK.</p>
<p>You should look at Imperial too. I think that is the name. It is good for the subjects you want to study.</p>
<p>By the way, in some areas of the UK, an undergraduate degree is only three years.</p>
<p>You might also take a look at Canada.</p>
<p>I am a UK student and just to inform you, getting into Cambridge or Oxford is as difficult as getting into MIT, Harvard or Stanford. However, if this is your standard of university then Cambridge and Oxford are certainly excellent choices. I have friends at both. floridadad55 is right though, Imperial is part of the ‘golden trio’ and worth looking at (but is just as difficult to get in).
Entry requirements are based on a single personal statement for all university applications, with a focus on why you want to do a specific subject, along with your grades at A-level or AP or equivalent. SATs are not generally considered but TOEFL probably will be needed.
There is not a major focus on extracurricular, more a focus on supercurricular (extracurricular activities surrounding your topic of choice. ie. shadowing in an investment bank if you are applying for accounting or archaeological dig work if you are applying for history) Supercurricular also includes BOOKS. To get into those top universities, you need to show you have read academic works around the topic and will be a good choice for the university.
If you want an easier university to get into, with good British standards, I would recommend looking at Warwick.</p>