I’m currently a freshman attending a US school but looking to possibly transfer to a school in England for my sophomore year. Does anyone whose done it before have any information or advice that could be helpful to the process?
Should I email the schools I’m thinking about transferring to? How do student Visas work exactly? Will Brexit impact any aspect of my transferring colleges to the U.K.?
Any extra information would be extremely helpful!
Do you have the money to be an international student? Your other thread only obfuscates this question. .
Transferring isn’t usual in the UK, although it’s occasionally possible to go straight into the second year with significant time at a former university. Prob not just with one year in the US though, as that’s one possible qualifier for freshman admission (for those who didn’t do APs in HS), i.e. it’s generally regarded as below the level of a UK university’s first year.
Basically, you’ll need to apply for admission. All British universities use an automated application system called UCAS, and you can apply to up to five choices. You can still apply now for admission next autumn. You need a good academic recommendation, and your Personal Statement should be about why you want to study the subject you’re applying for.
To see if you’re qualified for admission, look at the websites of each university you’re considering. They will have general requirements for US applicants, and you may also need to meet specific requirements for your subject - see what grades in what subjects they ask for domestic students and convert them. If you have specific questions you can email the admissions office, but the websites have most of what you need (and we may be able to help here too).
Once you have admission, you can apply for the visa from the government. You’ll need to prove you can pay for your course and living costs. https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa/eligibility
Brexit shouldn’t affect you directly. However, if you are an EU citizen, be aware that you won’t be eligible for domestic fees and loans unless you and your family are actually resident within the EU. If you are, then that eligibility will be honored throughout your course if you start in 2017. It’s possible however that you might need a visa for after Brexit actually comes into effect (likely spring 2019).
What subject are you interested in studying? Academic stats?
One year at an American college usually means you can start the first year at an English uni (where most degrees are 3 years long) or 2nd year at a Scottish uni (where most degrees are 4 years long.
Just to add to @Conformist1688, keep in mind that, unlike in the US, undergraduate education in the UK is completely focused on a single subject that is like a major. It isn’t liberal arts where you have electives. My d just read archaeology in the UK and that is essentially all she did. Exams at the end were what determined her grades, so the curriculum was very strict. Where she was, an American undergrad degree counted for only the first year if you transfered. There are many Americans with a BA who apply for an option like that. Thus, you can’t transfer laterally like you can in the US. You basically start over.
^ undergrad at an English uni is almost solely in the subject(s) that you read (there exists combined courses). But they are typically 3 years long.
Scottish unis allow for a bit more flexibility (being 4 years long), so first year or two you may not have to choose a subject.
And @alcibiade, I think it was you who pointed out that the 3 years of undergrad at a (top) English uni is equivalent to 2 years in a major + a year at the Masters level at an American uni (so cutting out all of the first 2 years/CC years/gen ed requirements of an American uni as the English cover that to a degree in college, which is between HS and uni in England). Essentially, the English undergrad experience is kind of like grad-school-lite.