<p>How hard is it for an American student who gets exceptional grades, with good ECs and SATs and takes the hardest possible courseload to get accepted to Oxford or Cambridge in UK? Specifically the engineering and applied sciences school?? Thanks</p>
<p>Please compare this admission process/selectivity to that of applying to colleges in the U.S.</p>
<p>Well for a start they don't care about your ECs. If you're not getting As in everything then don't bother. But both schools would be great for anything. However if you're into the more sciency side of things you might want to check out Imperial College and UCL too.</p>
<p>It's incredibly selective, in the same way that applying to Harvard or MIT is.</p>
<p>You don't apply for the school, you apply for a specific course and take modules only in that degree. So on the application on your personal statement you need to write about your passion for the subject and convince them that you're right for the course.</p>
<p>Unless you have a lot of money though be careful because financial aid is tricky.</p>
<p>Financial aid isn't tricky; it's virtually nonexistent. </p>
<p>It's relatively difficult for Americans to get into Oxford or Cambridge. Your chances are probably better at the former; Cambridge is not particularly American-friendly. You most likely won't be considered unless you have 2100+ (1400+ CR/M) and 5's on at least three AP exams. For engineering, these APs should be in math/science.</p>
<p>As an addendum to ninja's post, you usually apply for a specific college as well, although you can do an open application if that doesn't matter to you.</p>
<p>Interviews are also very important. Unlike American college interviews, these are intense and focus almost entirely on academics. </p>
<p>Read the UCAS site for more info:
UCAS</a> Non-UK Students: Non-UK students</p>
<p>Yep interviews are tough too. It's not a case of chatting in Starbucks for an hour. You go there for the whole weekend and the cast of judgmental eye over everything you say or do to see if you're worthy.</p>
<p>The UK system of higher education is really all about the UK and the EU. They have uniform rating systems and a well worked out specialization of universities. Their universities are, as a whole, much more professionally oriented. A music major for example, doesn't do that as a lark. They take orchestration, which Americans never take, because they are going to go out and do music for television commercials a week after they graduate. Oxbridge has a specific place in their system. It is far far from the "anyone from anywhere" approach that elite US universities take. There are many opportunities to have meaningful study abroad experiences at Oxford from colleges such as Princeton. Also, there are excellent post graduate opportunities , mostly at Oxford, if you go to a top tier school such as Wash U in St. Louis.</p>
<p>oxford is still cheaper than an ivy, assuming you don't qualify for any aid. and i equate getting into oxford with getting into Caltech. stats are king.</p>
<p>£11,750-13,450 for tuition, £5200 for college expenses, £3100 for accommodation, £1500 for food, and £750 for an international flight. A total of £22,300-24,000. </p>
<p>Depending on the exchange rate, that's $34-48,000.</p>
<p>^ an Ivy like Columbia would be over 51,000. Fees</a> and Expenses | Columbia College</p>
<p>Yes to all of the above: Oxbridge is as competitive as the Ivies and perhaps more so, as the interview is intense, focussed on academics, and the cost of going to the interview as well as the completely different UK admissions process probably filters out all but a handful of US candidates. D applied to Cambridge and was accepted, in a humanities field that Cambridge is tops in. At current exchange rates, the total cost would be at least $24 K less than going to Ivies, so we're waiting to hear on March 31/April 1 and financial aid.</p>
<p>
[quote]
3 year degree is cheaper
[/quote]
Engineering (which the OP is interested in) is a four year course.</p>