<p>I am thinking about studying abroad for the fall semester at UCL next year but I am wondering how difficult it will be academically. All the grades I get transfer back and are calculated in my GPA and I am worried my GPA will go down (it is currently 3.91). Basically I am wondering if it would be harder to get an A at UCL than it would be at Penn in political science/other liberal arts courses</p>
<p>It’s hard to say as teaching styles are different in the UK. The course at UCL will probably be more specific and in-depth than at Penn (closer to what an american post-graduate degree might be like), but it will also be narrower so overall it won’t necessarily be harder. I know people at UCL and they are getting along fine so the work isn’t crazy, but hopefully you will get a reply from someone who has done both the US and UK and can give a better comparison.</p>
<p>UCL is a very academic university (the London Times ranked it fourth in the world, above Oxford) but Penn is an Ivy so it wouldn’t exactly exactly be an easy ride in comparison. If you do find it more challenging, then it may well boost your performance when you get back, so my advise is to just go for it.</p>
<p>thanks for the reply. If you could venture a guess. What percentage of students would you say get above a 70% (the score which would convert to an A) in most classes. At Penn I would say the average is around 30% but I have a feeling this is not the case in the UK system.</p>
<p>I emailed someone I know at UCL, but I don’t know how useful their response will be as they may have stronger/weaker entrance requirements. I’ll let you know what they say.</p>
<p>thanks a lot, i’m sure it will be helpful</p>
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<p>Bad news - it could be very low.</p>
<p>UK universities grade roughly like this</p>
<p>1st - 70%+
2.1 - 60-69%
2.2 - 50-59%
3rd - 40-40%</p>
<p>There is sometimes a “pass without honours” grade between 3rd and fail.</p>
<p>The final grade awarded after 3 years study (which is important as it carries with the graduate for the rest of their lives. I’m always asked for mine at job interviews for example) is a 1st for about 20% of students nationally. But this varies between universities. Also, in my personal experience all students tend to do quite badly in their first year when the experience is new, and first year classes can be graded quite harshly. but first year grades can usually be discounted towards the final grade for enrolled students. But not for a study abroad student…</p>
<p>Problem is if you take 2nd or 3rd year classes, your fellow students will have been studying that particular subject exclusively for at least a year already (no minors) so they might be ahead of you. They will also be more used to the undirected approach of UK universities. You are left alone to do a lot of self study. You also generally have to do a lot of writing, in an “essay” style which you may not be used to.</p>
<p>You really need to find out EXACTLY how your US school is going to convert UK grades. I get PMs all the time from people who are worried their GPA will be ruined by studying abroad in the UK - and it will! It amazes me that very many study abroad programs (even long established ones at top schools) do not seem to take differing grade systems into account. While others lean in the opposite - extremely leinent - direction where you pass for attending (but this could still be a problem in the UK. Who takes attendance? Usually no-one.) Find out if you have to take exams (and hope you don’t. Extremely different compared to any US exams) or “coursework”, and who grades it (someone in the UK? With a UK grade? With a US grae? Does someone at your “home” school in the US translate this grade?)</p>
<p>In conclusion I don’t think it’s harder to get an “A” or equivalent at UCL, but I do think it could be very hard for someone not used to the UK system. It’s good that you are thinking about this now, not afterwards when it is too late to change anything.</p>
<p>I found some of these reviews helpful- it’s worth a look. </p>
<p>[Study</a> Abroad Program Reviews of Direct Enrollment: London - University College London (UCL) | Abroad101](<a href=“http://■■■■■■/c0I1EJ]Study”>http://■■■■■■/c0I1EJ)</p>
<p>I’m also curious about this. I’m going into my 3rd year as a chemical engineering major (at a UC), scheduled to spend the entire year at the Imperial College of London. Thus far I’ve maintained relatively decent grades (3.7+), and I’m worried that next year is going to absolutely decimate my GPA.</p>
<p>I am very interested in eventually applying to graduate school, so it’s a fairly significant problem. Anybody have any insight?</p>
<p>I don’t wish to be pedantic, but I see this a lot on CC and it’s annoying me. There is no “of” in Imperials, or for that matter UCLs name.</p>
<p>In that case I apologize, and thank you for the correction.</p>
<p>In my defense, every letter/notification/email/website/etc I’ve seen on my end (UC’s) have phrased it with an “of.”</p>
<p>
see my long and detailed post above. It is your responsibility to find out how your school will grade your year abroad. Someone else’s experience on a different program at a different school will not be a guide.</p>
<p>Hi Tangie, I am replying to your query about the UoL full-time program.Did you know that you can complete an entire degree(Bachelor,s/Master,s and even a Phd) by distance learning with the University of London external degree program ? I completed 64 credits with the UoL external program at about 1500 US per year then transferred the credits to EXCELSIOR COLLEGE in the New York where I have now accumulated 104 credits towards the BSc in Liberal Arts.I used CLEP exams and now I will use Excelsior College Exams to finish my degree at a fraction of the cost of attending a traditional brick and mortar college.My entire degree cost less than fifteen thousand US dollars.If you are self motivated and have good self discipline along with effective time management,then I would recommend the University of London external degree program.They have degree programs in Law,Humanities and Social Science also and Master,s program in Law and Psychology.Good Luck and let me know if you need info on how to apply.LIONEL</p>