<p>Hi! I'm a girl from the USA (Canadian citizen tho if it may help...) and I really, really want to go to London for uni, get a job there and live my life there probably. I've been there on vacation and several times and it's like my second home ( I only got back yesterday haha). I want to go to Uni there, like I said, and I was wondering if my chances would be better if I did the IB Diploma? I will be a Junior this come fall and I will have to switch several of my classes if I do do the IB Diploma. Also, my mother is pretty hell bent on not letting me go because she doesn't want me to leave my family and stuff. But I honestly love the place so much and I could not imagine a life here like it's just not the place for me at all. If I were to continue with my regular schedule (flourishing with APs and IBs!) and did good on my standardized testing, did sports, etc..could I still have a chance of getting into a Uni in London? Or should I switch into the IB Diploma program? I've already figured out my schedule which is why I'm hesistant on switching into the IB program and I think it may be too late. Also, if I decided to go to Uni after convincing my Mother, such as my Sophmore or Junior year of Uni, could I still get in? Like if I didn't do the IB program as well. Thank you! Also...are Unis in England cheaper than the UNited States? I need to give my mother some good reasons as to why she should let me go study across the ocean. Thank you!</p>
<p>I considered studying my degree in the UK for a while (I’m now set on Australia) so I spent a lot of time researching into this — here’s some of what I learned.</p>
<p>Tuition in the UK is generally cheaper than in the US, but this only applies for UK citizens —*international students will be paying 2-3 times as much as local UK students. International tuition is almost definitely more expensive than an in-state public uni, but it usually will be much cheaper than any out of state school. Tuition will depend on the school you attend and the course/degree that you study (unlike in the US, there are different costs for different degrees) and it tends to range from around $17500 - $23000 for an average uni and between $25000 - $30000 for an upper tier school. Paying these fees can be very difficult due to the fact that there are very limited scholarship opportunities for international students, and I also believe that fees must be paid upfront each term/semester.</p>
<p>Cost may not be a good argument for your plea to your parents, unless you will be attending one of the UK’s finest schools (Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, etc.) in which case you will essentially be getting an Ivy League quality education at a lower price. Still though, there is the added cost of living and visa-related costs, so it all in all it can be quite expensive.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, the UK’s immigration is not as open as countries like Australia and Canada (sparsely populated countries with booming economies), so finding employment may be very difficult for international students — I believe the UK has a policy to hire local and European Union citizens before non-EU internationals.</p>
<p>Good luck, it took me over a year to convince my parents to support me in my decision to study in Australia, but once they saw how determined I was, they came around. Do be open to alternative pathways to fulfill your dreams though.</p>
<p>Hi, thank you for your reply. Just one clarification though; is it essentially cheaper to study in England than to study out of state? I probably will not need board due to the fact that I have family there and may have a house there. Thank you once again.</p>
<p>University in the UK will be cheaper than a private US university. But bear in mind the undergraduate education is very different. US schools will give you more teaching and assistance, UK schools will be lectures and you’ll have to be very independent. It’s probably only a good idea to go if you get accepted somewhere very good, as mentioned before.</p>
<p>IB will probably hold you in higher stead than APs, as the IB is an internationally comparable curriculum. </p>
<p>However before deciding to go, seriously consider what you want to do in the future and whether you will even be able to get a job in the UK - it’s much easier said than done!</p>
<p>If you want to continue staying after you graduate from uni, you have to obtain a job before graduation - and usually the only firms that will hire you as an international student are large multinationals and investment banks; and they will usually only hire international students from the top unis (Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, etc.)</p>
<p>If you’re not able to go to one of the top schools, then I’d advise to stay in the US - Oxford is cheaper than Harvard, but if you’re not going to an Ivy League standard university in the UK it’s not worth the money. </p>
<p>It won’t be fun if you’ve made it through 3 years of uni and then you are forced to return back to the US because you havent found a job - something I’ve seen happen to way too many of my friends in London this year!</p>
<p>So should I basically give up my dream of living in the country and city I want to because my parents decided to start a life here in the United States and raise me here, something that I had no say in? I’m not asking this sarcastically, but seriously. It saddens me that I have to stay in the country my parents choose to live in and not be able to live where I want to. I guess I’ll just try extra hard to get into one of the top tier schools in England. Thank you all for your help.</p>
<p>Once you are out of school, you can work hard and make a name for yourself in a multinational co., then work overseas as part of their management development track. I know several men and women who have done just that.</p>
<p>What you are talking about is by no means unique. Loads of American girls want to do this.</p>
<p>It will probably be cheaper for you to study in England than OOS private in the US, except that there will be no financial aid. Unless you can get into a top UK uni (like top 10), it is not worth it.</p>
<p>You might be advised to do a BA in the USA and then a Masters in the UK.</p>
<p>Check whether you will be allowed to stay in the UK after doing a degree (post-study visa). The rules have recently been tightened.</p>
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<p>Correct. And almost everybody on the planet is in the same position.</p>