<p>I'm really interested in applying to a university in the UK for undergraduate studies. I know a girl from my school who went to the University of Sussex and really enjoyed it. Does anyone know about the general quality of education in Great Britain? I've heard its superior, but that was coming from a British student. Is it really difficult for American students to get in to decent colleges in the UK? Please share your experiences and observations!</p>
<p>From what I know, obviously Oxford and Cambridge are world class. Most of the University of London schools are pretty good, as is The University of St. Andrews. Beyond that, you would probably be better off just going to school in the U.S.</p>
<p>St. Andrews is mediocre; there are plenty of better schools in the UK. To be frank, I'm not sure why it's so popular. </p>
<p>There are good colleges in the UK, but there's certain drawbacks as well. Financial aid is virtually nonexistant, and merit scholarships are nearly impossible. Be prepared to pay the entire cost (and living in the UK can be EXPENSIVE). Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, and LSE are arguably the best. Other colleges, like King's, Edinburgh, etc. are also good. For specific info, go to <a href="http://www.thestudent-room.co.uk%5B/url%5D">www.thestudent-room.co.uk</a> (take out the dash). It's the British CC.</p>
<p>It's popular because Prince William went there. Obviously. ;)</p>
<p>Hello burberrybrit22, i spent 1 year in europe as an international student and met some england students, according to them the best schools are:
Cambridge
Oxford
Imperial Coll London
I think it's only worth it if you go to one of those schools , and like Bryozoan said it's very expensive and ddon't expect no financial aid..</p>
<p>Just like selecting a school in the U.S., it really depends on YOUR abilities and YOUR personality -- you just have to find the right match. There is a wide variety of colleges/universities in England, especially since Thatcher. Polytechnics, that were rather mediocre at best, started to call themselves universities, and private schools appeared out of nowhere. So, you have to be careful, and do your research.
Every year the Times, and other leading British newspapers, publish a sort of league table of the universities -- sort of like the USNWR over here -- and they rank the unis, not only by general reputation, but by discipline, too. So, if you want to study U.S. History, you're probably better off NOT at Oxford or Cambridge, but at one of the newer universities (York, East Anglia, Sussex -- check it out). Similarly, if you're more a Math/Science person, check out Imperial College, London.
Generally, the leading British universities give more personal attention to students than do US univs. But perhaps the key differences are (1) you have to know what you want to major in BEFORE you apply, because you spend 3 years specializing in a specific discipline. For example, if you want to major in English, you can say goodbye to any more Math and Science classes! (2) The course load tends to be lighter: normally you will do just 2 courses a trimester, but you will also have to do a lot of work on your own, and (usually, if you're doing a Humanities subject) you will have to write an essay a week for each course. (3) In many universities (e.g. Oxbridge) the class/quality of degree you receive will depend on examinations given to you AT THE END OF THE THREE YEARS! Yep, no exams at the end of each course -- so you'll be examined on stuff you might have learned during the 3rd trimester of your 1st year there (oftentimes the first two trimesters are examined by "preliminary examinations."
I've looked into this fairly thoroughly as I, too, have thought about applying to English Universities (most of my relatives live there). But, much as I love the place, I've decided I'm better off Stateside.
Best of luck with your decision.
Oh, btw, Sussex is considered a solid "2nd tier" university. It was wildly popular in the '60's and '70's, and was noted for its radical student population. It's campus is very modern, its academic approach is inter-disciplinary, and it generally has a somewhat American feel to it. It's also near Brighton, which is a cool town, and just an hour away from London for weekend getaways.</p>
<p>From what I understand, St. Andrew's is somewhat the equivalent of perhaps a Duke. A breezy, preppy, khaki atmosphere, very green (but rather isolated) setting, academics (though not bad at all) don't take the precedence they do at Oxbridge, lots of students enjoy the unlimited free golf, etc.</p>
<p>I'd have a hard time passing up a chance to play at The Old Course at St. Andrews, lol.</p>
<p>Thanks for the detailed replies! Very helpful ronjons. Is ANYONE else out there thinking of applying to British schools?</p>
<p>I spent a lot of time looking into the London School of Economics which is amazing, but my parents wanted me to go to an American university, at least for undergrad.</p>
<p>British education is not "superior", but it is very different. Getting into a good university in the UK isn't any more difficult than getting into a god university in the US, you just have to approach the application process differently. UK universities do not care much about ECs or essays, but they expect several 4s and 5s on AP exams before you apply. High SAT scores are also expected and recommendations are important. </p>
<p>As for the top universities in the UK, it really depends on your intended major. Some of the better schools in the UK include:</p>
<p>Cambridge (for everything)
Endinburgh (the best university in the Highlands...yes, better than St Andrews)
Imperial College (for the hard sciences and Engineering)
London School of Economics (for the Social Sciences)
Oxford (for the humanities and social sciences)
University College of London (for everything except Engineering)
Warwick (especially in Economics and Business)</p>
<p>I am thinking about going to applying to UK unversities also.</p>
<p>From what I have researched, it appears that british university education is more specialized...none of that liberal arts type thing like in a lot of american uni's. </p>
<p>I think it is also less expensive in the UK. For international students, tuition fees are around 10000 pounds per year depending on your course (around US$20000), which is less expensive than in the US, where tuition fees are usually around US$30000 for private uni's.</p>
<p>yep..but remember that you can get some financial aid in most private universities in the usa ,and that is almost impossible in the UK ...I believe that if you like the UK and don't mind the rainny weather it's worth it .!!</p>
<p>This might be a stupid question, but applications to Oxford or Cambridge aren't binding, are they? So, you can apply to a US school ED at the same time?</p>
<p>Good! So there are more people like me out there...that's good to know! I don't know if I want to fly across the Atlantic every time I come home, but that's the only minor thing holding me back. I am interested in government/foreign policy/history so I'm worried that British universities will focus more on the European system and that might prevent me from getting the education I need to have a job in America. Do you think this could be a problem? </p>
<p>Also, is the London School of Economics and Political Science my best option(after Oxford and Cambridge, of course)?</p>
<p>I can't imagine what kind of job would reject you because your undergraduate study of politics had a European rather than American focus. It may be true, but think of it as an asset; it's a rarer commodity in the US. </p>
<p>In any case, UK universities are brimming with American history/politics institutes and even many American professors can be found lecturing in them. It seems odd to cross the Atlantic for an education in American culture and affairs, though. </p>
<p>As for LSE: it's possibly considered more prestigious in North America and Asia, but in the UK and Europe it's not seen as having such an amazing cachet. In terms of US employment, then, it may be a very good choice; one can get a better education in many subjects, though, at some of the other London colleges and UK universities. UCL in particular is very strong.</p>
<p>My focus is politics/IR, not so much history, but of course it's intrinsic to those fields. If anyone has any insight as to the quality of education, prestige, location, admissions, and strengths ect. of the following schools please post! I'm excluding a few of the better known schools that I have enough information about. </p>
<p>University of Edinburgh
University of Warwick
U. of Sheffield
U. of Bristol
U. of Birmingham
King's College London</p>
<p>You know you're only allowed to apply to 6, right?</p>
<p>Uni of Warwick is nowhere near the actual town of Warwick, medieval castle and all. It's in the middle of a field near in the industrial town of Coventry, where most of the students live (after spending their first year living on the isolated campus). Shakespeare's Stratford is in Warwickshire.</p>
<p>Americans often have the perception that there are no big cities in England outside of London and everyone lives in small ancient towns like Oxford and Cambridge. This is very far from the truth. Birmingham is the second largest city with a population of over 1 million. The city centre, known as the "bullring" has been hugely re-developed in the last 10 years and is very busy with lots of shops and cafes etc (and famously more canals than Venice. This is true but they're not quite as glamourous. This is what it looks like <a href="http://www.virtualbrum.co.uk/images/canals/iwe3.jpg)%5B/url%5D">http://www.virtualbrum.co.uk/images/canals/iwe3.jpg)</a>. It's right in the middle of England and is the crossroads for all the roads, rail travel and a big airport. The university is huge and spread out across the city. About 120 miles from London I think (given that I know Oxford if about half way between the two).</p>
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<p>Sheffield I have only been through on the train. A bit more difficult to get to than Birmingham. An industrial city which traditionally made all things steel. North-middle of England.</p>
<p>I like Bristol. It's also quite a big place. It's in the south-west of England near Bath. Very hilly (because Wales is just above it). Famous vet school. A huge port and bridge. When I was walking round Bristol with a map 3 people asked me if I was lost and helped me. This has never happened to me anywhere else in England.</p>
<p>Edinburgh is the best university in Scotland. No-one had ever heard of St Andrews until Prince William went there. Obviously Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and an ancient city. (Remember it's pronounced ed-in-bur-a not ed-in-berg BTW. You will make the locals fall over laughing).</p>
<p>London you know all about. It is insanely expensive (and currently travel hell due to the heat. I keep seeing people fainting on the tube).</p>
<p>The London tube is travel hell (in fact London is hell full stop) every single year due to the heat and humidity. It seems as if people forget from one year to the next! The tube's idea of air conditioning is to open a small window, which is no good at all if the train's stationary in a tunnel for an hour due to some fault.</p>
<p>I have to say Oxford and Cambridge are nearly impossible to get into for nething but obscure subjects for north americans. My school has had 5 ppl apply the last 3 years and all were rejected. Here is where they went:</p>
<p>Harvard (EA)
Harvard (EA)
Princeton (ED)
Stanford (SCEA)
Harvard (EA)</p>
<p>So I guess the moral of the story is, especially if you do APs you wont be equally appreciated and are fighting an uphill battle for admissions</p>