What are my chances at these British schools? Should I apply?

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>I have been searching overseas options and am considering applying (next year) to British schools. I am a junior at a public school in northern Virginia and am interested in studying either politics, economics, physics, or, maybe, law.
I have a 2060 SAT (690 CR/700 M/670 W) but I hope that will increase because I have a 219 PSAT and a 32 ACT. I have a 4.1 GPA (3.85 UW) but, with my grades this year, it should rise to 4.3 or 4.4 and 3.91 UW. I am in the top 5% of my class. I got a 4 on the AP World History test last year and am taking 5 AP's (Lang & Comp, US History, Calc BC, Psychology, and Bio) this year (and doing well) and 5 next year (Lit & Comp, Gov, Physics C (2 tests), French, Econ Micro/Macro(2 tests)) and Differential Equations (dually enrolled at my high school and a community college). I do swimming, cross country, debate, track, have a black belt in karate, will be going to Governor's school for humanities, may be taking an internship/volunteer position at the Naval Laboratory on the Potomac, own my own math tutoring business, and volunteer at a summer camp.
I am considering applying to Oxford, UCL, Imperial, Edinburgh, and maybe (very unlikely) London School of Econ. It is also very unlikely that I actually apply to all, if any, of these schools. I am just wondering what my chances would be at getting into these schools or whether I should even apply. Also, I am interested in the differences in education between Britain and the US (I hear it is less liberal arts and more specialization). Lastly, what are the major differences between UCL and Imperial? They seem very similar and, though I've done some research, I haven't found a lot of differences.</p>

<p>I'm sorry for the essay and for the over-elaboration on myself but I'm kind of lost here. Some people write that these schools are hard to get into internationally while others disagree.</p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

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<p>Hello! I am a Senior in highschool who applied to schools in the UK this year, so I can definitely help you out here :slight_smile:

  1. The main difference between Imperial and UCL is that Imperial is completely science/maths based, comparable to a Tech school like MIT or Caltech, so unless your are positive that you want to study the sciences, I would not apply there. UCL has a wide range of subjects that they offer degrees for.</p>

<p>2) The main difference between UK and US Unis is that for schools in the UK, you pretty much need to know the exact subject you want to get a degree in. In England, degree courses are three years long, and you initially apply for the subject you want a degree in, and only take classes that pertain to that degree. It is very strict, and there is no room for changing your mind during your time in University. In Scotland, degree courses are four years long. The first two years consist of you taking classes in 3 subjects, one that you applied for, and two that you choose to take alongside that. In these two years, you have the ability to change the subject of your degree to one of the classes you chose to take. The next two years, you only study the subject you have chosen to get a degree in. I found that its a lot more lenient than the English system.</p>

<p>3)Here are the American grade requirements for all the Unis you listed (These are all from their websites):</p>

<p>Oxford- SAT Test score with 700+ in all three sections, or ACT with a 32. In addition, they want a 5 on at least three subject tests or Three SAT subject tests with 700+.</p>

<p>UCL- Must have grades of 4/5 on at least five AP’s taken in the final two years of school.</p>

<p>Imperial- You’re going to have to look them up yourself, they differ for every course.</p>

<p>Edinburgh- SAT score of 1800 (600 minimum in Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing) plus two APs at Grade 4;OR SAT score of 1800 (600 minimum in Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing) plus two SAT Subject tests with 650 minimum OR ACT Composite score of 27 minimum plus two SAT Subject tests with 650 minimum; OR ACT Composite score of 27 minimum plus two APs at Grade 4;OR Three APs at Grade 4 minimum </p>

<p>London School of Economics- 5 RELEVANT AP tests with a score of 4/5. The list of relevant ones are on their website. </p>

<p>In my experience, as long as you meet these posted requirements, you will be given an offer of place at the universities. There really aren’t that many factors they consider, just your grades and a personal statement that you send off to all the schools you apply to. As long as you don’t apply to schools where you don’t meet the requirements, it is almost guaranteed that you will get an offer, especially as an international student, because you pay full tuition. So no, I would say its not very difficult to get into these schools (Except perhaps Oxford, which requires an interview if you get past the first stage of admissions) as long as you provide the grades they require, EC’s are not really considered at all. </p>

<p>ULTIMATELY (after this very very very long answer that I hope has helped you in some way) you really need to sit down and decide if you really know exactly what you want to get a degree in, and if you mind not taking classes in other subjects. When I applied to schools in the UK, I fell in love with the schools I was accepted to, but couldn’t see myself only studying one or two subjects for the next four years. </p>

<p>It really broke my heart that I couldn’t move to the UK for Uni now, but for myself personally, I know that it will be a better option for graduate school, when I have a more focused career path and subject I want to study. It really depends on who you are as a person. It just seems to me like you seem a bit unsure of what you want to get a degree in, so the schools overseas might not be the best option right now. </p>

<p>Let me know if you have any questions! I was very successful with my applications overseas and for the most part, I had to figure out the whole process by myself with very little support, so I’d love to lend a hand to anyone that is having difficulty with the process, it can be a bit confusing at times. </p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

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<p>

are you me, by any chance? o_o</p>

<p>it seems like stressedsenior13 has already provided a lot of information, so I’ll try not to be repetitive :)</p>

<p>keep in mind that UK universities will not see your transcript (it’s unlikely that they even know what a transcript is), so they will not know the courses you’ve taken, your GPA, or your class rank. everything you will send them will be through either UCAS or collegeboard. extracurriculars also aren’t important. if they relate to your major, you may get a chance to briefly mention them in your personal statement, which you write to show universities how much you love and how you will do well in the subject you’re applying for.
excellent websites to help with personal statements:
[Personal</a> statements](<a href=“http://www.studential.com/personalstatements/]Personal”>2000+ Personal Statement Examples | Studential.com)
[url=<a href="http://www..co.uk/wiki/Personal_Statement_Help%5Dthe">http://www..co.uk/wiki/Personal_Statement_Help]the</a> student room: personal statement help service<a href=“if%20you%20use%20this,%20get%20your%20statement%20written%20EARLY%20so%20they%20have%20time%20to%20get%20back%20to%20you”>/url</a>
don’t underestimate the importance of the personal statement, because I was rejected from a few universities, because mine wasn’t good enough (ironically, I was rejected at my “safeties,” but got in to my dream school). </p>

<p>for the qualifications they do see, such as collegeboard exams, you may have to predict your grades. for example, say that you need to take AP Lit, because you’re applying for English, and you haven’t taken it junior or sophomore year. you would say that you have not taken it yet, and put in a predicted grade for it. this is what British students do since their exams are after the due date for the university application. </p>

<p>you may get rejected (in which case they may or may not tell you why), a conditional offer (where they say “if you get grade x in y exam, your place will be confirmed”), or an unconditional offer (“your place is confirmed”- unlikely unless you’ve taken all required exams before sending in your application).</p>

<p>you apply through UCAS (google it, and the website should pop up). all universities get sent the same application, though they do not know where else you have applied. </p>

<p>

very true for the most part, but I would like to say that it may be possible at certain universities, and for certain subjects, students can make minor changes. for example, a student whose major is Theoretical Physics may be able to switch over to Physics early on. or a student whose in a 4 years masters program may be able to switch over to a 3 year undergrad in the same subject (in the UK, a few 4 year masters programs are offered).</p>

<p>you are likely to be offered a place if you meet the qualifications for schools like Imperial, if my experience is any indication. I believe that UCL looks a bit more at the personal statement. I do think that being international gives you a bit of an advantage since you pay more than home students (speaking of which, look into the costs if you’re thinking of applying). but, of course, there is no certainty, only oppurtunity :wink: your welcome to PM me if you have any more questions.</p>

<p>I have a feeling I went a bit overboard, but hopefully this will help someone who is planning to apply to the UK in the future :)</p>

<p>EDIT: 2nd link doesn’t seem to be working. :frowning: should be able to find it through google</p>