Hello everyone,
I’ve been searching Northwestern’s Study Abroad programs and I’ve encountered Studying Abroad at Oxford. This really surprised me since tuition at NU is about 70K and tuition at Oxford plus study abroad fees is about 66k. I was wondering is there a catch to it? I know that the required GPA is a 3.7, which is EXTREMELY difficult in college and especially in NU’s engineering, but is there anything else? I’m pretty sure that most qualified students wouldn’t miss this chance. Are study abroad programs selective? Does this mean that only a certain number of students go there?
Why would there be a catch? I believe the 3.7 are minimum requirements, so not a guarantee. You have to apply.
Not everyone is interested in study-abroad at Oxford. Likely only a handful from NU go each year.
Various colleges at Oxford take in a plethora of American study-abroad students (many from schools much less prestigious than NU). They offer various subjects but engineering likely isn’t going to be one of them. In any case, engineering facilities and labs at NU are almost certainly going to outshine those at Oxford.
Here are the colleges at Oxford that take in visiting students:
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/international-students/events/which-colleges-accept-visiting-students?wssl=1
Many also list the American schools they have relations with.
BTW, likely only a tiny minority of NU students are interested in studying at Oxford.
@koolguy - My D went to Edinburgh from NU Engineering - and LUVEd it…
BTW - Not to scare you off Oxford - but a little warning about AMERICAN exchange students going to Oxford:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/programs/inspector-lewis/
Every time an American Student was in an episode of the PBS Inspector Lewis series - the student(s) came to a BAD end! Something to consider! 
We loved watching that series, and she just went back to the UK and took some great pics of Oxford, including a lot of the places the series showed. Good Luck!
@PurpleTitan I personally would love to visit and see the ancient Oxford University, so quality of the engineering program isn’t a huge factor. Are you sure that Oxford doesn’t have engineering? I’m pretty sure I saw somewhere that it does.
@nugraddad that sounds interesting too! I would love to go there. Thank you for the suggestion. Do you know what the minimum GPA is?
@nugraddad what do you mean by a bad end?
Oxford has engineering, but I doubt they take in Visiting Students in to engineering. Ask the NU study abroad office…
And yes, it’s likely more possible to study engineering as an exchange student at other UK unis besides Oxbridge. Other UK unis seem to have actual exchange programs. Oxbridge and LSE don’t seem to; they just take in Visiting Students.
BTW, the Ancient Scottish unis (St. Andrews, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen) are also ancient (founded between 1410-1582). Trinity College Dublin is also ancient (founded in 1592) and considered a peer by Oxbridge. The only other uni that the 2 Oxbridge unis consider a peer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_eundem_degree.
That makes all of them older than Harvard.
@PurpleTitan I also like the idea of Trinity College. Is it a christian college though? Thank you so much for your replies! I’m now even more excited to study abroad!
No, not any more. All these unis (including Oxbridge) were started to train priests.
Read up on them in Wikipedia.
@koolguy654 - Cliff Notes - Inspector Lewis was a PBS Murder Mystery Series - so “bad end” means the American Exchange & Grad students are “not generally around to view the conclusion”, and, with apologies to Monty Python & The Dead Parrot Sketch: “This student is no more. They have ceased to be. They have expired and gone to meet their maker. This is a late student. Bereft of life, they rest in peace. They have rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. This is an ex-student.”
Please keep in mind that 1. Inspector Lewis - NOT Real. 2. American Exchange Students/ Grad Students do NOT really die in job lots in Oxford. 
@nugraddad Oh thank God! I got scared. I guess it’s funny now that I know
Hi. I’m a northwestern undergrad currently abroad at Oxford. I think they’re lenient with gpas if you come from a prestigious school. My friend two years back had a 3.5/ 6 and got in no problem. I also know a girl from Princeton and 3 from mit doing engineering, so that’s not a problem. It is the best year abroad you can ask for; do it!
@Sway17 Are you treated like an Oxford student or are you more of a “visitor”? Also, what is your current major?