Agree with this generally having worked in Japan and Asia for over 10 years in my career (and with European clients in cross border deals).
What I would add, which should be relevant to OP, is the power/prestige of the local university. For example University of Tokyo, Peking University, Seoul National, Taiwan National and Singapore National University grads have as much recognition/prestige (and way stronger network) than Harvard in their home countries and have very strong regional recognition â as good as Harvardâs IMO.
If OPâs daughter plans to have a career in the British world, Oxbridge should be at the very top of her list unless it is an issue of affordability. I assume she can do a year abroad if she wants to experience another country/school.
This is vanishingly rare except for foreign language majors which require it. Oxbridge colleges have a handful of exchanges which maybe 1-2% of students take advantage of, but because of the way UK tuition financing works, they can only do this if there is external funding to cover the costs involved.
(On the other hand many of the poorer colleges are very happy to take American money for students going the other way).
Oxford is almost this kidâs âsafetyâ (hence selection by the special British program) but would be MUCH MUCH more expensive (prohibitively so) than an elite US college for this very low income family.
yes, thatâs it in a nutshell.
If the parent wants to learn more, based on what the daughter tells him after the US visit, weâll still be here to answer.
Thanks Guys,
I think her plan is Harvard for REA and if she gets a place she will take it - and it also takes the pressure off HAVING to get A star A star A as she would retain her place, from what Iâve read, on an AAB. If she does not get offered a place then she will go for regular application to a range of the best funded/needs blind US Colleges including applying for some academic scholarships (a whole new topic and can of worms by all accounts).
She will also apply to Cambridge and UK UCAS (general application to UK Universities).
The order is therefor:
Harvard (REA)
Cambridge (Early but conditional on final exam results)
US Colleges
UK Universities.
She is on a UK University scholarship program that means she can go into one of the Russel Group (pale imitation of Ivy League in some respects)with a BBC - which is a âsafetyâ school that a lot of kids in this country would be envious of.
She has no âbadâ options - which is good - Iâm just more concerned with debt or as itâs become in the UK âa 9% graduate tax for lifeâ than she possibly is, hence funded US programs look pretty good.
Sounds like a plan BUT- make sure she understands the difference between âNeed Blindâ (they donât consider whether or not you need aid when they decide to admit you) and âMeets Full Need for Internationalsâ (they will provide enough money to âmeet your needâ AS THEY DEFINE IT).
Most Uâs in the US are need blind. You might need 5K or 50K or 70K to attend- they donât care, they donât consider it. Why? Because they arenât offering you anything near what you need to attend (mostly because they donât have the money to give).
I donât think one could call Oxford my Dâs safety by any stretch of the imagination (though itâs actually Cambridge she would apply too) as at the very most, and dependant on her shining at interview could be 50/50. However the US Colleges and UK Universities actually look for different things. The Cambridge interview is more like a Socratic grilling where academics assess your love of the subject and academic ability as well as your ability to be argued into a corner and graciously lose after exploring all logical escapes from the net they cast (slight exaggeration but Iâm trying to get âthe differenceâ across.) while US top Colleges are all about âpersonalityâ extracurriculars and international awards with high academics as more of a baseline. Harvard wants a mega spike from a strong base. Oxbridge wants simply stella academics. My Dâs profile suits the US College assessment better than the Oxbridge one as though her academics are very high her spike is in community and politics with international awards.
So Yes Harvard would rank above Cambridge for her but because going there is more âstandoutâ in the UK than going to Oxbridge and the finances are A LOT better even though they have a bigger national excellent pool to choose from.
Also any kid can theoretically apply for an Ivy but the whole University entrance thing in the UK is very heavily and directly moderated by teachers not parents as the US system seems to be based on. I treat the 3% for Harvard as about the same difficulty as the quoted 20% for Oxbridge. For a start you can only apply for 5 Universities in total in the UK system so the choices are very different. I think at best she has a 50% chance of getting into one or the other and not that much higher a chance for any of the other needs blind (and fully needs funded) US top colleges. The pressure in the UK is all about final exams when you are 18, there is practically no teacher or school assessment and certainly nothing like a grade average. They take 5-12 national subject tests at 16 then 3 (sometimes 4) at 18. The government in the UK doesnât trust any teacher grades and are even trying to phase them out in vocational education ⊠so you get to be a plumber by taking an exam, again exaggerated to make the point but it really is like that here⊠and yes our kids get stressed very early. Many do a test called the 11+ (often done at 12) which decides what type of school they get to go to and what type of education they receive. The US system may be nuts, but ours is archaic⊠and very stressful for kids from a very young age.
For the benefit of users unfamiliar with UK admissions, not to correct the OP who is clearly aware:
Thatâs 5 universities of which 1 can be Oxford or Cambridge. And those that apply are very self-selecting. Itâs not like clicking one more university to add to the Common app. So one really cannot compare US vs UK admission rates
If you apply for an Organ Scholarship, you can apply to both Oxford and Cambridge, but this only condition upon which you can do so, otherwise itâs one or the other.
You also get an MA rather than a Bachelors after 3 (not 4) years doing a Bachelors degree at Oxbridge.
OK I know that is not strictly true as those who have been to Oxbridge know itâs not a seperate MA but for âthe great unwashedâ (like me) who usually donât know these things it LOOKS like you got an MA.
âIf you have completed a BA or BFA you will be eligible to take an MA in or after the 21st term since you matriculated (i.e. seven years after matriculation). This is not an automatic process and to obtain your MA you must apply to graduate at a degree ceremony (either in person or in absentia).â [google]
Always thought that was a bit of a con.
So: Fill in a form, rent a batman cape, turn up to a ceremony and viola - you are magically an MA.
