<p>Dzheims Posts: 30Registered User New Member
7:35PM in College Search & Selection
I'm an American college student looking to potentially apply to some British unis. I don't know too much though and am searching for more info.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>What is the Russell Group? I've heard it is comparable to the Ivy league, but there are far more Russells than Ivies. Are these the best schools in Britain? How would you rank them (both in terms of academics and admissions)?</p></li>
<li><p>What is the application process like for American? What do British schools look for? Would being a college student as opposed to fresh out of high school boost my chances?</p></li>
<li><p>Here are some schools that I have particular interest in:</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Glasgow
Edinburgh
St Andrews
Warwick
LSE
UCL</p>
<p>What are these schools like? How would you rank them (academics/admissions)?</p>
<p>Do you want to study in the UK for grad school or do you want to transfer? I can tell you now that you won’t be able to transfer into UK universities, you can apply to begin from the first year but that’s it. What do you want to study?</p>
<p>The Russell Group are the top research universities. Technically it’s more relevant for postgrad and postdoctoral purposes, but they do broadly correlate with the more ‘prestigious’/‘better’ universities for undergraduates as well, although much depends on the subject you want to study - there are spots of excellence elsewhere.</p>
<p>A lot of UK colleges will prefer you to have done a year of US college first, particularly as you only have one AP, which is the closest equivalent to the A level qualifications English 18 year olds will have (they are expected to have three in subjects closely allied to the subject to be studied at university). You’ll need to look at the specific requirements of each individual university, and within that, the course you want to apply for, for admission.</p>
<p>Okay. Nobody can give you any advice until you tell us what you want to study because different universities do better in different subjects. For example, I wouldn’t consider Warwick particularly good for any subject other than maths, statistics and physics.</p>
<p>What they look for is focus, talent and interest in the subject you wish to apply for. Demonstrated by high test scores in that subject and/or related subjects. ECs are irrelevant unless directly related to the subject you are applying for. In most cases being a college student will help you (see for example the UCL link I have posted below. GPA of 3.3 or above needed)</p>
<p>You need to decide on the subject you want to study (and you can use the ucas website I have linked above to search for French and Economics joint honours degrees if that is what you want) and then review the website of each uni you are considering.</p>
<p>Bear in mind it is very unlikely you will get any financial aid.</p>
<p>Just saying… I have very similar stats to you (you’re about ten off my CR+M) and I got into UCL for Law.</p>
<p>But that’s largely due to my AP scores (which, given that you have only one, may not help you that much) and my LNAT (which I had to take for law). </p>
<p>“I currently go to a regionally well known state university and am entering my sophmore year.”</p>
<p>Awesome. UCL has slightly different requirements for college students, being you need a 1950+ SAT (which you have). As long as you got a 3.3 GPA at least, I think you’ll be good.</p>
<p>Any more questions, you’re welcome to ask me!</p>
<p>@dubaitragedy Thank you! It’s always helpful to hear from people who actually got accepted! My APs are the only big concern in my mind. Then again, I’m assuming that law is one of the more competitive subjects.</p>
<p>@cupcake
Your response was very detailsd, thanks :)</p>
<p>Yes, I think they’d count a college course as the equivalent of an AP in the circumstances. So you’ll need to have done some economics (macro and micro) as well as keeping up your French.</p>
<p>I see from cupcake’s link that UCL doesn’t seem to offer Economics with French. Or did you mean you were torn between the two and would only study one?</p>
<p>Sorry to double post, but something which has just occurred to me, which you’ll need to investigate is that virtually all language courses will include a year abroad, either at a university in France/Francophone country or working, and that brings a second visa into play. </p>
<p>Your lack of APs could be a problem in my opinion, certainly UCL and LSE will require you to have done a substantial amount of economics and maths at college to make up for not having APs. I think you should email each university you’re interested in and tell them exactly what you’ve done at college and ask whether they’d consider it equivalent to APs or A levels.</p>
<p>LSE doesn’t do a combined ‘Economics and/with French’ degree. I think LSE allows students to take an optional language module as part of their degree. You could also study French outside of your degree in the university language centre (nearly all British universities have a language centre, they’re great).</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>UCL has two different degree possibilities.</p>
<p>European Social and Political Studies BA - this degree allows student to ‘major’ in a particular field (economics is an option), specialise in a language and spend a year abroad (France and Belgium for French). If you did this degree then roughly 60% of your time would be spend doing economics, the rest would be French language, French history/culture/literature/society and some European law, politics and history.</p>
<p>I do not think the ‘Economics with a Year Abroad’ degree allows students to take French. The year abroad is in North America (Toronto, Columbia, UCLA, UofChicago, UPenn or Washington in St. Louis), if you want to study French this isn’t the degree for you.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>Glasgow has an Economics and French degree; I don’t think Edinburgh or St Andrews do. The university system in Scotland is quite flexible however, even if a subject combination isn’t officially offered you can still combine two or three subjects for at least the first two years.</p>
<p>You’re kidding right? Warwick has several top-notched programs other than those that you’ve mentioned. Warwick is also superb for Economics, English, Business, Computer Science, Law, History, Politics & International Studies, Philosophy and Psychology.</p>
<p>No, I’m not kidding. Warwick’s reputation is built on a very few excellent departments, most of its departments are distinctly average. I would not go there to study English, Comp Sci, Law, History, Politics/IR, Philosophy or Psychology.</p>