International student from the UK: can you tell me which Ivies/top US universities are suited to me?

College Search & Selection
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<p>OP: can you tell us 1° the schools you already have on your list so that we can suggest others like them rather than repeating what you already have and 2° your parents’ budget and, especially, whether you’ll need financial aid?</p>

<p>I agree that straight A’s in Highers is great, and 4 Advanced Highers is incredible, but make SURE your counselor explains the difference and how rare that is, as the difference between Highers and Advanced Highers isn’t all that well-known here (even among international adcoms, there’s only so much we can memorize about each country’s educational system. It’ll be your GC’s job to make sure that system is well-explained and your place in it is clear).</p>

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<p>I think she said already she need a great deal of aid, but it is a no risk situation for her since she has good options at home. And she named unis on the list so far. She is saying Princeton, Yale, Brown, Columbia and possible Vassar which now seems out of place. </p>

<p>Getting home will be an issue because when they give aid they don’t give enough money to fly home for all the breaks a lot of internationals on aid only go for summer. But you aren’t going too far so I suppose winter break will work. From the colleges above you could get to airport easy P and C very easy, B one hour from Boston easy trip, Y have to take bus. 2-1/2 hrs.</p>

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<p>@scottishbritish given that you visited Harvard and found the undergrad education to be 'poor", I doubt you’re going to be satisfied with other American universities. Yes, there are some differences at Yale and Brown, but a lot of very basic structural similarities. As @Englishman points out the American university is just different from the UK university. Williams has perhaps more similarities to a UK school, but Williams would not meet (among other things) your criteria of “a sizeable university with a postgrad population.”</p>

<p>Also, your other concerns including cliques, queer events and societies, overly energetic and political outspoken students will - to a certain degree - be unavoidable at most of these schools.</p>

<p>Best of luck in your college search! </p>

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<p>Not clear why you want to spend a large sum on UG study in the US when you can save the money for PG which offers more opportunities. You are unlikely to get sufficient financial aid to study UG in many top US colleges, but it will cost you a fraction of that in the UK. If you are a Scottish high school student you will get free tuition at a Scottish university - who turns that down. Have you actually passed your exams yet and got unconditional acceptances to all these Scottish universities? Otherwise you will get conditional offers and courses of all kinds at the top universities are very competitive.</p>

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<p>It didn’t sound to me like you wanted off the charts left-wing. Georgetown is both liberal and gay-friendly.</p>

<p><a href=“How Georgetown Became a Gay-Friendly Campus - The New York Times”>How Georgetown Became a Gay-Friendly Campus - The New York Times;

<p><a href=“http://lgbtq.georgetown.edu/”>http://lgbtq.georgetown.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>scribe1984 - If she gets in to Yale, which seems to be her first choice, she will get a full ride and the Fulbright Commission will probably pick up the balance (airfare, books, etc.) Yale also offers up to $10,000 for summer abroad studies to full-need-met students. Could be cheaper than studying in Scotland.</p>

<p>Once in a while you run into an Ivy aspirant on CC where you pretty much know it’s going to happen - not only because of stats but also because of the student’s demeanor and comportment in their postings. </p>

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<p>Non-religious but not a place where religious people feel excluded - Princeton’s a fit</p>

<p>Chilled out about gay people but not obsessed with “queer” events and “queer” societies - Princeton’s a fit</p>

<p>Prestigious and academically challenging - Princeton’s a fit</p>

<p>Mainly strong in humanities but reputable for sciences too - Equally strong in humanities and sciences</p>

<p>Somewhere where students are well cultured about the rest of the world, interested in foreign foods, films, art - Yes, but the location doesn’t offer the advantages of an urban setting in the way that Harvard or Columbia do, so the option to explore worldly culture is relatively limited. NYC is only an hour away by train, but students mainly live within the Princeton “bubble”.</p>

<p>Somewhere where students are not nationalistic - In my opinion, Princeton students understand the US’s place in the world and aren’t particularly nationalistic. I expect the same is true at all the colleges you’re considering.</p>

<p>Somewhere where political beliefs of all variations can co-exist (but liberal ones prevail) - **Princeton’s a fit **</p>

<p>A place where students are genuine, not cheesy or overly energetic, but pleasant and contented - Generally true at Princeton, but there’s a limit to how content you can be with a rigorous workload.</p>

<p>A place where people are witty, humorous, perhaps sometimes discreetly sarcastic (not dramatically so) but still friendly - Princeton’s a fit</p>

<p>An open, accepting, welcoming place that has no cliques or pathetic attitudes - **Open, accepting, and welcoming? Yes. No cliques? It’s a fact of human interaction that people form groups based on shared values. Cliques exist everywhere, including Princeton. That said, my son spent 4 years at Princeton and it was never an issue for him. **</p>

<p>Somewhere where students are treated like full adults…one thing that would drive me insane is being treated like a child, or a “college kid.” - This is definitely one of the most important factors! - Princeton’s a fit</p>

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<p>@keesh17 You’re right - it would be cheaper than studying in Scotland because I’d have no living expenses. In addition, if I wished to study abroad whilst at Yale my financial aid would carry with me, whereas I believe that study abroad here would only be free of charge within Europe. Regardless, I don’t want to stay in Scotland for my undergraduate degree. Yes, there are great universities, there is free tuition, I know the culture well and I could stay at home and commute to about ten universities within an hour each day, but what’s the fun in that? I never planned on just getting an education, I want to experience the world, live independently and see amazing things and meet amazing people. I’m certain that unless I choose a profession, I’ll study in England (at Oxbridge, Durham, Warwick, UCL, York or Bristol) or in the USA (at Yale, Princeton or Brown). :)</p>

<p>Thanks for the support!</p>

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<p>@scribe1984‌ </p>

<p>As highlighted above, I don’t wish to and will not spend a large sum of money on an American education. If it did cost, I wouldn’t pursue the US. Financial Aid is in abundance for UK students at American institutions, thanks to encouragement from the US-UK Fulbright Commission. </p>

<p>Sorry, but are you actually questioning whether I have passed exams yet? I’m six months off of leaving school - of course I have. I’ve sat 13: my eight Standard Grades which I got aged 14 (they’re normally taken by 15 and 16 year olds) and my five Highers. All were at the top grade available (a 1 or an A). Also, if you were knowledgable about admission to Scottish universities, you’d know that it’s based almost solely on grades. Most universities publish requirements on their websites such as “AAABB in Highers in one sitting = Unconditional Offer,” so yes, in essence I do have unconditional offers. They would never turn someone with five As down (unless for medicine, dentistry or vet medicine since these are highly competitive, even with the grades) and certainly wouldn’t give them a conditional! :)</p>

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<p>That still sounds great. Princeton’s location sounds ideal in that I would be able to access NYC by public transport fairly easily but I’d have a pleasant town to live in that isn’t too hectic. I don’t mind not having world cultures around me, just as long as people are knowledgable about the rest of the world, other religions, don’t mind trying foreign foods, don’t hold too many stereotypes about foreigners (especially Muslims and people from the Middle East!). An American girl was at school with me once who had never eaten a curry before coming to the UK…I found that eye-opening! :stuck_out_tongue: </p>

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<p>Again, good! I don’t mind people liking their country, of course, but I’m just weary of misguided attitudes. Once, when I was in Canada, a man kept telling me “Canada is the best country in the world” without any justification and, funnily enough, having never left Canada. It might be bad of me, but I just absolutely, wholeheartedly detest people acting like that! </p>

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<p>I understand - still sounds very ideal!</p>

<p>One thing I want to know, is are students at Princeton snobby in any way? I’ve heard a lot of rumours but I’ve always thought they’re probably just misconceptions. </p>

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<p>Also, just to let everyone know, I’m male. I think a couple of people assumed I was a girl and then it snowballed into everyone assuming so. :)) </p>

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<p>I’m glad that you mentioned that. I had thought that you were a male in another thread, then stumbled onto this thread and was wondering what I had misunderstood. I more closely read your posts, and still didn’t find anything. Thank you for restoring my confidence :)</p>

<p>As to the schools, you might remember that I’m very fond of Yale and have a son attending. I think it’s a fit. Btw, on everyone being happy at Yale: yes, they generally are, but it isn’t as though they’re Stepford Students (possibly too early a reference, Google Stepford Wives movie). My DS, for example, will complain about workload and stress one day, followed by a text the next day of (edited for the forum): “I f@@@ing love Yale!” </p>

<p>IMO, Princeton fits, Brown fits, Columbia a bit less of a fit, Harvard a partial fit (based on a small sample). </p>

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<p>@IxnayBob‌ </p>

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<p>At first, I didn’t correct it but then as we got deeper into discussion I felt it was necessary! :P</p>

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<p>Yep, Yale seems the best fit to me! I want people to be happy, just not over the top :slight_smile: I’m glad your son really enjoys it!</p>

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<p>I think Princeton, Brown and Yale will be the three to which I apply. Columbia’s core curriculum is just nauseating; it put me right off. </p>

<p>Apologies for the never ending string of questions, but what makes Harvard a partial fit? I’m curious</p>

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<p>My son had a pretty strong lock on acceptance to Columbia (he did not apply, so we will never know), but the Core Curriculum was a distinct turnoff. </p>

<p>Harvard has obvious positives, and a good number of wonderful students attend. My son considered applying, but then did an analysis of who was accepting/attending H (of the students he knows/knew), compared it to a similar analysis of Y, and came to the conclusion that H was not for him. Exceptions exist, of course, and tastes differ, of course, but I get the strong sense that you would have the same view. Just a hunch. </p>

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<p>I think this stereotype stems somewhat from the eating clubs. If you’re interested there is discussion about the clubs here on CC, in the Daily Princetonian and elsewhere. Here are a few links:</p>

<p><a href=“Eating clubs at Princeton University - Wikipedia”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_clubs_at_Princeton_University&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“Housing & Dining”>http://www.princeton.edu/main/campuslife/housingdining/eatingclubs/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“Princeton FAQ: Get your questions answered by current students - #8 by Weasel8488 - Princeton University - College Confidential Forums”>Princeton FAQ: Get your questions answered by current students - #8 by Weasel8488 - Princeton University - College Confidential Forums;
<a href=“http://dailyprincetonian.com/opinion/2013/10/the-cult-of-exclusivity/”>http://dailyprincetonian.com/opinion/2013/10/the-cult-of-exclusivity/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I meant to post this link.</p>

<p><a href=“http://dailyprincetonian.com/opinion/2014/04/prefrosh-should-know-more-about-eating-clubs/”>http://dailyprincetonian.com/opinion/2014/04/prefrosh-should-know-more-about-eating-clubs/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I know you said not a religious school but some of the larger, Jesuit or non-Catholic Christian schools would fit almost all of your criteria. Most of the Ivies are not particularly tolerant of religion or of non-liberal ideas. Someone mentioned Georgetown. Notre Dame also might be worth a look as would Holy Cross. They are all Catholic but not overtly so. SMU and TCU are fairly liberal Christian schools. </p>

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<p>As a parent of a Brown freshmen, I can say this is absolutely NOT true about Brown. One of our first communications from Brown was a heartfelt and moving letter from the college chaplain welcoming us to the Brown community. </p>

<p>During parents weekend, Jewish, Muslim and Christian services were featured, and we spent a lot of time with our daughter’s friends’ parents who were Hindu, Jewish and Christian. It seems to me a very open, accepting and respectful campus to all religions.</p>

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<p>Hence the use of the word “most” which doesn’t mean “all”. </p>

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<p>^^^^I’d honestly be surprised if there were any.</p>