Hello,
I am an American student I am currently a junior. I’ve researched a lot about the colleges I would like to go to. Which includes Sheffield Hallam University, Leeds University, Westminster University, and my dream
School UCL. I would like to study Human biology/ Biomedical sciences depending on the school. It would be an absolute dream come true if I got accepted and could study in england. I am just really nervous I won’t get accepted and my parents are constantly telling me I’m stupid and to just go to the local community college. But I want to be happy. Okay so my grades, I will have a cumulative gpa of 3.2-3.3 on the 4.0 scale. And 5 APs Ap literature : 5 AP psychology:5 AP Biology: 5 AP Chemistry: 4 AP World History: 4. My SATs are 1410. What do you think? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Xx
Most of what the UK schools look at is your relevant test scores and it appears that you have done well with your APs. I don’t know the exact required scores for each of these schools but I would guess that you are on the right track with yours. You’ll have to check the individual schools website to be sure as they each have specific entry requirements. Just right a good essay and find a teacher that will write you a good recommendation and you’ll probably get in.
Well, the first thing is, can you/parents afford them?
And why do you want the English higher ed set up?
You do realize that you can study abroad at American colleges, right?
UK universities are a lot easier to get into than American ones. For the majority (medicine/law/Oxbridge aside), if your grades are good enough you’re in - although for internationals competition may be a little tougher, I doubt it’s anywhere near that of America.
However, like @PurpleTitan says can you afford it? UK unis can and do put the prices up for internationals because there’s no cap like there is for domestics, and scholarships are hard to come by.
You also seem to have an odd range of schools - there’s quite a difference between Sheffield Hallam and UCL in my opinion, not that variety is a bad thing, it just seems a little random.
If you want any info/advice on UK unis and applying feel free to PM me! (I’m British 
)
@greenstudent: That depends on your status and what you are aiming for. There are a ton of non-selective and open-enrollment American unis/colleges.
UK and US unis/colleges look for different things (actually, the US just has a big variety of different types of colleges/unis, who all look for different things).
BTW, it may actually be easier for non-Brits/EU to get in to some UK unis (they pay more). Such as the Ancient Scottish ones. And for Brits, the level just below Oxbridge/LSE may not be a sure thing either even if you have the acceptable A-levels.
Have you gone to each school sites and assessed the reqs? The UK schools are good at listing those. Frankly, as your parents are unsupportive the chance of them ponying up the cash for a UK school and all the extras that entails seems a little unlikely. US students are full pay at international rates.That might well be why it seems easier to enter some UK schools.
Are you looking at the UK because of your GPA?
Find out your $$ limitations from your parents. Maybe talk with your GC about options. Why IS your GPA so low?
I do have enough money for tuition, my parents are just very unsupportive. I know my grades are not well that is what I am worried about. I did not do very well but junior and senior year I have been trying very, very hard and maintains straight A’s. I was just curious if you think it is possible I could get accepted into university. Oh and yes my choices are a bit random but it is due to the entry requirements and Sheffield Hallam is a more realistic option in my opinion.
Thank you everyone
Well, if they are unsupportive, then who is paying for your tuition?
Also, you still haven’t answered what about the English higher ed set up that you like better. Do you realize that college in the US and uni in UK is pretty different?
So…what is your opinion based on exactly?
It is pretty easy to figure out if you are a viable candidate for each of those colleges. For the sake of argument, lets assume that you have a decent LoR, and that you have done your homework and written a decent UK-appropriate Personal Statement. If so, to get into:
UCL: you need 5 APs (taken in grades 10,11 and/or 12), with at least 3 5s and 2 4s, of which one of the 5s must be in Bio and another in either Calc BC or Chem. You have that. You could help yourself by doing the SAT Math 2 subject test this spring, and you would have a decent shot at an unconditional offer.
Leeds: they want 120 UCAS tariff points. You have 132 (3 x 28 for your 5’s and 2 x 24 for your 4s). 40 of those points must be from a biological science: you have 56 from a biological science (your 5s in Bio & Chem). Again, you are in a good position for an unconditional offer.
Sheffield Hallam (really?): wants 112 UCAS tariff points, with at least 32 points from Bio & Chem. Again, you have 56.
Westminster (really really?): AP scores of 4,4,3 to include two science subjects, plus an SAT of 1180 (min 570 Math / 610 R-W)
The rankings of these universities range from (overall/biological sciences) UCL(10 /4) to Leeds (16 / 21)( to Hallam ( 72/70) to Westminster (102/97)- out of 127 ranked universities. It’s easy to over-emphasize rankings, but you are a realistic candidate for better universities than SH and Westminster. With the exceptions of Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial, you are a credible candidate for any of the Russell Group universities.
You obviously test well, which is how the UK system works. Depending on why your grades are (relatively) lower, you may like the UK system, which emphasizes fewer, big assessments rather than lots of small assignments. However, it is very important that you read the course descriptions for each course really carefully (available on all websites- though sometimes you have to dig a bit). You will find that they are much more specific, with few choices (especially in the beginning).
Also, be sure to check out the fees carefully- the first number up on the website is just tuition- accommodation is separate, and some unis slip in other ‘extra’ fees for international students. Be aware that London is a breathtakingly expensive place to live.
I do have enough money for tuition<<
Like a trust fund? You have let’s say $130 K assuming a 3 yr option? Describe your unsupportive parents? Is English your first language BTW?
May I just ask why bio/biomed? Are you by any chance thinking of med school? Because studying undergrad in the UK isn’t really a preparation for US med schools’s specific requirements.
Replace Sheffield Hallam and Westminster with Glasgow or Edinburgh or St Andrews plus another Scottish university. Those are four year programs that allow you to explore a bit more and if you’re interested in med school* or graduate programs it would provide you with better preparation.
I would also STRONGLY advise you take calculus BC (or at least AB) next year. Most of your classmates will have had it.
- note that you'll be missing courses for us medical schools and will need to take them over the summer in the US. Foundation have more flexibility with the Scottish universities.
I agree with the above to ditch Sheffield Hallam and Westminster. Also, your APs are much more important than your GPA or SATs, as it is similar to AS/A-Levels/IB, while there are no UK equivalents of GPA. In fact, universities will not even see your GPA unless your referee puts it in your reference (but your SAT should be included in UCAS I believe).
However, I disagree with collegemom that you have already met the UCL requirements. These are the requirements (taken from website):
"A levels:
Grades: AAA
Subjects: Biology and Chemistry required, plus Mathematics or Physics preferred.
Accepted equivalent qualification(s) for United States of America:
5,5,5,4,4 in five AP subjects, taken in the final three years of high school
Please see ‘A Levels’ for subject requirements. Where A* is required at A Level, 5 will be required in the relevant full-year AP subject; for A, 5 will be required; and for B, 4 will be required."
As As are queried in Chem and Bio, this means you need a 5 in BOTH Chemistry and Biology, and you have a 4 in Chemistry. So you will have to retake it. You do not need to retake before you apply, but you need to list it on UCAS as being retaken, and then they may give you a conditional offer. You should also take an AP in Physics or Calculus (SAT subject tests are not substitutable for APs so doing Maths Level 2 or SAT Physics would be less effective) and get a 5. This can also be achieved after you apply so you just list it on UCAS as ‘pending.’
For deciding on your other choices (you can apply to up to 5 and you should use all 5 slots), as an international looking at league tables will be helpful for getting an idea of the tier of universities (though they shouldn’t be the be all and end all). Your grades are good, and I would say with your scores you shouldn’t be applying for anything below #45 (remember there are only around 130 universities in the UK while there are ~5000 in America, so a ranking of 80th would be very low in the UK but would be relatively high in America. But you are a good contender for top 30 universities and Russel Group.
Btw I am a 2017 entry applicant to UCL.
@PurpleTitan I mean in terms of top American ones compared to top UK ones, UK are much easier (I swear most of the UK unis I applied to didn’t bother to read much beyond my grades when they gave me offers).
@ammielove, I think that you mis-read the OPs AP scores (I did, on the first read-through)- OP already has 5s in both bio & chem. SAT subject tests can be used in conjunction with a minimum of 3 APs for UCL (“High achievement in combination of five distinct AP and SAT subject tests, to include at least three AP’s. Please contact the undergraduate admissions office for further information”). I suggested the SAT subject test b/c if the OP is not in a math AP now it would strengthen the application. I agree strongly with @MYOS1634 that taking Calc next year is genuinely important, as the coursework will assume that background.
I don’t think that St Andrews is a runner for the OP, though: they are much more attuned to the US system and do genuinely pay attention to GPA, and they ask for an A/B+ average. A few of the Russell Groups have also started to ask for GPAs (as more US applicants apply the notion is starting to permeate the system), but they tend to be relatively low (by US standards) and they are not weighted as heavily.
oh- @ammielove, for 2017 entry the group A/B distinction for APs has been dropped by UCAS. Obviously, individual unis can still have ‘preferred’ lists (LSE still has them up for 2017), but it is uni-specific, and UCL seems to have modified it’s requirements to align with the new UCAS guidelines.
Moreover if you apply with a combo of APs and SATs, your APs do not have to be from the last three years of high school. UCL finally changed the last three years requirement this admission cycle.
As others have said you are a very good candidate for the UK. UCL is definately worth a shot. Consider schools with a direct flight from the US it makes travelling so much easier, Birmingham, Manchester and Queens Belfast are all great schools which fit that metric.
Seconding Queen’s Belfast 
@collegemom3717 : No, I think she only has a 4 in chemistry. Cuting and pasting from the OP, but inserting line breaks to make it clearer, she has put the score after the subject in each case:
" Ap literature : 5
AP psychology:5
AP Biology: 5
AP Chemistry: 4
AP World History: 4."
OP: I think you could get into Warwick for Biomedical Sciences, and that’s a very solid university: