Hey guys,
I am planning on applying to UoM as an international student,However, I still have some doubts about it. How reputable and good are their engineering programs? Is it as good as the ones offered in the US universities like Purdue or UMass? I know that their natural sciences programs are pretty decent but I am still not sure about their engineering programs. Any help will be appreciated.
Purdue engineering is ranked significantly higher that Manchester even by the British ranking tables. What draws you to Manchester specifically?
Manchester University is major research university in the UK and has a solid reputation in engineering. Others you may wish to consider are Loughborough, Strathclyde, Newcastle, Leeds. It also depends on what type of engineering, as some universities have better reputation in some areas than others.
Even though Purdue is ranked significantly higher than Manchester, its tuition fees are significantly higher as well. Manchester is also a good university, so thats why I am also considering it.
Total fees are not that much higher, maybe 3-5k for non-residents. Tuition only is £21k for engineering at Manchester. All in all you will be looking at the same sticker price.
I do realize that Manchester normally takes 3 years to graduate, and some eng courses take 4 years. That is the best case scenario for american applicants. it might take longer. It will depend on your level of academic readiness (you are essentially coming in as a sophomore by the American standards and most of your peers will be adequately prepared by british high school curriculum to start at that level), your commitment and flexibility. I am not discouraging you. I just want you to go with your eyes open.
You will want to know your predicted IB scores. Are they much better than your GPA and SAT metrics? Are they adequate for Manchester’s engineering courses? The UK unis have clear requirements.
The problem is, I am not American. I will be applying as an OOS student. That is why the tuition fee difference between Manchester and Purdue is significant in my case. However, I will still apply to Purdue and try to seize every opportunity I can get.
My predicted total IB score is I believe around 32. My all around score would be adequate but, I don’t take some of the HL classes they require. My GPA is really low due to the IB classes I take, which is around 2.0. I will be applying both for a direct entry to the university and for a foundation year.
Yeah, the GPA & SAT won't be an issue for Manchester but the question is are you going to hit their reqs if you are having trouble with coursework and subject reqs. In the states and other countries many IB kids have a high GPA and get great IB scores. You might consider casting a wider net in the UK as you might not be the candidate getting 6/7 in the HLs as specified. Is Purdue a realistic option with your gpa and SAT? Plenty of kids take IB in the USA, US schools are not going to overlook a low GPA for IB. UK schools are just going to require solid IB scores in a conditional offer. You need options. I assume those would be in your home country.
“I don’t take some of the HL classes they require.”
Can you elucidate? I.e. what HL subjects ARE you taking? Also, what kind of engineering do you want?
I know that I may not fulfill the reqs that Manchester wants, so thats why I will also be appyling to the foundation year. I will try my chances with the direct entry as well.
About Purdue, I have an SAT of 1270, math 700 reading writing 570. My GPA is low but, I will be applying without any consideration for scholarships, to pay the full tuition fee. I hope that this would increase my chances. However, I doubt that my family has the capability of paying that much money.
They require Physics and Maths at HL. I take Literature, English B and Chemistry at HL. I want to study Mechatronics or Mechanical Engineering.
Purdue is not going to take you just b/c you are full pay: they have plenty of full-pay applicants who are well qualified- especially for engineering. The average GPA for engineering admits is 3.5; you are applying with a 2.x… Your SAT is in the 25-50% range of admitted students for the university as a whole, which is lower than that for engineering. Your parents can’t afford it. Why are you applying there?
Similarly, you are simply not qualified as a direct admit for Manchester: if you do not meet the requirements you won’t get the offer- especially for classes as important as Physics and Math to an Engineering course. As @jupiter98 pointed out, being ready for the course is a very big deal for the UK: the teachers will assume that you have math and physics to the required level and will start from there. And if you do the foundation year you have wiped out any cost savings over Purdue- which you have already made clear is unaffordable.
Seriously: in order for next spring to be a happy one I strongly urge you to re-think your choices. Affordability is job #1- especially in engineering, where any ABET-certified program will get you into the job market. Given that you are an international student, who wants to do engineering with a weak physics & math background, a very low GPA, middling SATs and limited budget you need to put pride to one side and start looking at schools that are less expensive (which means less famous) and that you can get into. There are numerous threads here on CC on less expensive universities: look for ones that you can afford and who have an ABET engineering program.
Sorry, but without Maths you aren’t going to get into any Mechanical Engineering course in the UK. A Foundation course is your only possible route - and actually even some foundation courses want HL maths (e.g. Birmingham). (Apply to foundation courses at some lower ranked universities as well.)
Why are you taking two English courses at HL rather than maths when your SAT shows you’re stronger on the mathematical side? Even if you weren’t interested in engineering, you aren’t doing yourself or your GPA any favours by not playing to your strengths.
You really should make sure your local options are optimised. As money and stats are big problems, you need to be realistic. Even lower tiered schools need to be paid, and any ABET school is going to weed out weak engineering students at some point. The UK might be more competitive this year with the pound being so weak as to present a very real cost benefit for certain internationals. You probably need to stop worrying about ranking schools at all as realistically, they will also rank you.
My school doesn’t offer Physics and Maths at HL. They offer some specific courses at HL, which is in my case, Lang A, English B and Chemistry.
That’s a shame - it makes UK admission so much harder for you.
Good luck!
My daughter’s IB school does offer Chem, Physics and Math at HL but the engineering admissions standards would be difficult for a student to achieve. They only all 3 HL’s. English HL is required. The first year of HOTA HL is required(focuses on US History), so most students take both years. Then most students take one math or science at HL.
In general US schools value a well rounded focus more than several math/science classes at the higher level.