I wrote this guide summarizing applying to UK universities, much of it is what I learned online, particularly here and in the Students Room. I would be interested in comments and suggested improvements.
Applying to Oxford and Cambridge
When I was going to college, it seemed like you had to be a Rhodes Scholar to go to Oxford as an American. Now you can apply out of high school, and this guide explains how.
– Summary of what you need to apply to Oxbridge from a US high school
– -- You obviously need to be a top student, probably applying to top US schools.
---- You need lots of AP exams and perhaps SAT IIs with top scores, as well as meeting minimum SAT I requirements
---- You need to know exactly what you want to study. You need to have strong qualifications for that subject area, and you need to convince them you will learn using the tutorial system
---- Grades and ECs not directly related to what you are applying to study don’t matter.
---- Obviously, if you have relatively bad grades or EC or are not well-rounded academically, Oxbridge or other British universities may be right for you.
---- You need to have or be able to obtain funds for tuition.
– When you apply to UK universities, you submit a common application. You can apply to at most 5 schools, and you cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge. You need one faculty reference.
– British students spend there last 2 years in high school studying 3 or 4 subjects.
---- Usually, they are related subjects, such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry, or English, history, and French, or mathematics, economics, and geography. It is considered a disadvantage in applying to university if you take a mix of humanities and science for example: it does not help to be well-rounded.
---- They take exams called A-levels: graded A-E; the highest grade is A*. These exams are advanced, covering what is considered college material in the US.
---- Universities do not look at grades from their teachers.
– If you apply to British universities from the US, they are not interested in GPA or ECs. They are mostly interested in test scores. It is the opposite of the US in that AP exams are generally most important, then SAT IIs, and then SAT Is or ACTs.
– When you apply to a British university, you apply to a specific department. At least at Oxford and Cambridge, it is the the department that makes the decision. You will study only within that department and it is close to impossible to change.
– For a US student, it is probably better to apply for a combined program. For example, you can study politics, philosophy, and economics (PPE) at Oxford. You may be able to study biochemistry, math and finance, or math and physics.
Programs at Scottish universities allow you to make a decision later and are not as structured as in England, but more structured than in the US.
– About 30 US students from US high schools get into Oxford or Cambridge every year. It is easier than it used to be, but difficult because it is hard to meet their requirements with the more general US system.
– Cambridge says they want 5 AP exams with a score of 5. You also need 2100 combined SATs. It is best if you can provide AP and SAT II exam results in areas related to the course you are applying to. AP exams cover smaller subject areas than British A-levels. Most successful US applicants provide many AP exams.
– If you meet the minimum requirements for Oxbridge, you will be invited for an interview. It is preferred that it be in person, but you can do it over skype.
---- The interview is not at all like a US interview. It is with the faculty of the department you are applying to. You will be given something to read and be asked questions on it. They want to see how you learn with their tutorial approach.
---- There are British firms that will do practice interviews for a fee and it is recommended that you use their services.
– International tuition is something like $32K/year, which is much more than for UK students, but less than most top US private colleges. The universities do not provide financial aid, but you may be able to get financial aid or loans from other sources.
– The UK system is does not require UK students have a lot of money for tuition. You cannot buy your way in, and there are less hooks. It is based on knowledge of very advanced material, which gives an advantage to English private “public” school students and those from upper middle class state schools.
– British students usually receive conditional offers.
---- Their faculty reference predicts their scores on A-levels taken the senior year and the offers are conditional on achieving certain scores.
---- If you are taking APs your senior year, the person writing your recommendation will need to predict the scores on them, and you are in trouble if the predicted scores are not all 5s.
---- You could receive an offer conditional on AP exam scores from your senior year, but if you have enough AP exams and SAT IIs it is possible for an American to receive an unconditional offer.
Applying to British Universities other than Oxbridge
– You get to apply to 5 schools. http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings
– Less competitive schools are more concerned that you simulate 3 A-levels, preferably in fields related to what you are applying to study. You can do this with AP exams or SAT IIs. There is only one A-level in fields like physics and history, but many AP exams and SAT IIs. You can only count one exam in those areas. However, submitting a whole bunch of AP exams and SAT IIs in those fields if you are applying to something related at Oxbridge should help your application.
– Lesser schools tend to want to take Americans, as they do better with students paying full fees.
– For schools besides Oxford, and particularly for those not at the top level, if you meet the qualifications, you generally get accepted. They do not do holistic evaluations as in the US.
– St. Andrews has about 10% students from the US. They have been aggressive about marketing. Advantages are a prince went there and the campus with old stone buildings. Many highly ranked British universities are 100 or less years old, newer than comparable US universities, and have “red brick” or even “plate glass” architecture. Also, the Scottish educational system is closer to the US system than the British system is.
– Oxbridge is about the level of a top 10 US university, although you could argue it offers a better education. The top “red brick” universities are probably below the level of the Ivy League.