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Going to university in America
Hello, I want to go to America and I'm trying to find out my options. I'm 16 in year 12 and in the UK. I would like to peruse science at university. I was wondering If I could get academic scholarships or for sport (I play tennis but I'm not amazing) and how to go abput applying, what will give me an advantage etc?? Thank you
You don't have a hope of a sporting scholarship unless you are amazing (which means playing at a national / international level).
Not many American universities offer full scholarships to international students. Only the best (and hardest to get into) universities like Harvard, Yale and Princeton offer really good financial aid to international students, and you need to be very smart and have a tonne of extracurricular activities to stand a chance. They're looking for exceptional students, e.g. people who invented a popular app, written a book or started a charity in their spare time whilst maintaining excellent grades.
It is also worth saying that you have to be pretty poor to qualify for a full scholarship even if you get into the likes of Harvard. They will assess your combined family income, savings, and assets to determine what you can afford to pay. If both your parents work then it is unlikely you will qualify for a full scholarship.
In short, I think the US is a bit of a pipe dream for most British students. I think you should focus on your AS levels for now, do some extracurricular activities and reassess your US ambitions in 6 months. It is certainly way too early to be thinking about the application process.
Not many American universities offer full scholarships to international students. Only the best (and hardest to get into) universities like Harvard, Yale and Princeton offer really good financial aid to international students, and you need to be very smart and have a tonne of extracurricular activities to stand a chance. They're looking for exceptional students, e.g. people who invented a popular app, written a book or started a charity in their spare time whilst maintaining excellent grades.
It is also worth saying that you have to be pretty poor to qualify for a full scholarship even if you get into the likes of Harvard. They will assess your combined family income, savings, and assets to determine what you can afford to pay. If both your parents work then it is unlikely you will qualify for a full scholarship.
In short, I think the US is a bit of a pipe dream for most British students. I think you should focus on your AS levels for now, do some extracurricular activities and reassess your US ambitions in 6 months. It is certainly way too early to be thinking about the application process.
Original post by Snufkin
It is certainly way too early to be thinking about the application process.
AFAIK US applications do start early so OP needs to be aware of the pitfalls sooner rather than later...
(But I completely agree with the other points...
)Original post by Ameliajones10
Hello, I want to go to America and I'm trying to find out my options. I'm 16 in year 12 and in the UK. I would like to peruse science at university. I was wondering If I could get academic scholarships or for sport (I play tennis but I'm not amazing) and how to go abput applying, what will give me an advantage etc?? Thank you
Start by looking at the stickied posts at the top of this forum
And also the Fulbright web site
http://www.fulbright.org.uk/study-in-the-usa/undergraduate-study/getting-started
(edited 7 years ago)
Keep in mind undergraduate courses in the US are usually four years because it's a major/minor system. That's an additional year of expenses and we're talking double digits per year. So unless you get into a really prestigious university it's a huge waste of money. I'd argue even if you had a scholarship to some lower ranked Podunk U that would be a waste of time as well. Perhaps focus on getting into a good Russell group and then consider postgrad in the US. That's a more realistic route for most people.
Original post by Ameliajones10
Hello, I want to go to America and I'm trying to find out my options. I'm 16 in year 12 and in the UK. I would like to peruse science at university. I was wondering If I could get academic scholarships or for sport (I play tennis but I'm not amazing) and how to go abput applying, what will give me an advantage etc?? Thank you
Original post by Snufkin
You don't have a hope of a sporting scholarship unless you are amazing (which means playing at a national / international level).
Not many American universities offer full scholarships to international students. Only the best (and hardest to get into) universities like Harvard, Yale and Princeton offer really good financial aid to international students, and you need to be very smart and have a tonne of extracurricular activities to stand a chance. They're looking for exceptional students, e.g. people who invented a popular app, written a book or started a charity in their spare time whilst maintaining excellent grades.
It is also worth saying that you have to be pretty poor to qualify for a full scholarship even if you get into the likes of Harvard. They will assess your combined family income, savings, and assets to determine what you can afford to pay. If both your parents work then it is unlikely you will qualify for a full scholarship.
In short, I think the US is a bit of a pipe dream for most British students. I think you should focus on your AS levels for now, do some extracurricular activities and reassess your US ambitions in 6 months. It is certainly way too early to be thinking about the application process.
Not many American universities offer full scholarships to international students. Only the best (and hardest to get into) universities like Harvard, Yale and Princeton offer really good financial aid to international students, and you need to be very smart and have a tonne of extracurricular activities to stand a chance. They're looking for exceptional students, e.g. people who invented a popular app, written a book or started a charity in their spare time whilst maintaining excellent grades.
It is also worth saying that you have to be pretty poor to qualify for a full scholarship even if you get into the likes of Harvard. They will assess your combined family income, savings, and assets to determine what you can afford to pay. If both your parents work then it is unlikely you will qualify for a full scholarship.
In short, I think the US is a bit of a pipe dream for most British students. I think you should focus on your AS levels for now, do some extracurricular activities and reassess your US ambitions in 6 months. It is certainly way too early to be thinking about the application process.
Not necessarily, as far as I know.
I know a couple of students (british) who got fully scholarship from universities in US. They're ivy league unis, but not the toppest ones like Harvard, Yale, etc. And they're both from typical middle-class families with quite comfortable income. They're both very bright, but not exceptionally so, and no that exceptional either in terms of extra-curricular, either. A sort of very typical boys who attended very competitive private school in UK with great grades and a few extra-activities, etc, etc, who'd put Oxbridge as a part of UCAS application. That's all. Not extraordinary special by all means.
I don't know what sort of selection process they went through, but I know their parents only have to pay for their flight fares to/from UK/USA. Everything else was covered by their scholarship they got.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Ameliajones10
Hello, I want to go to America and I'm trying to find out my options. I'm 16 in year 12 and in the UK. I would like to peruse science at university. I was wondering If I could get academic scholarships or for sport (I play tennis but I'm not amazing) and how to go abput applying, what will give me an advantage etc?? Thank you
I don't intend to demotivate you but have you thought how you are going to pay for living costs, food, university fees (they are extremely high ranging from $20,000 to $40,000), medical insurance is a must and can be quite expensive. I think I have left out a couple of stuff, but anyway make sure you look into these sort of stuff before even applying.
Original post by vincrows
Not necessarily, as far as I know.
I know a couple of students (british) who got fully scholarship from universities in US. They're ivy league unis, but not the toppest ones like Harvard, Yale, etc. And they're both from typical middle-class families with quite comfortable income. They're both very bright, but not exceptionally so, and no that exceptional either in terms of extra-curricular, either. A sort of very typical boys who attended very competitive private school in UK with great grades and a few extra-activities, etc, etc, who'd put Oxbridge as a part of UCAS application. That's all. Not extraordinary special by all means.
I don't know what sort of selection process they went through, but I know their parents only have to pay for their flight fares to/from UK/USA. Everything else was covered by their scholarship they got.
I know a couple of students (british) who got fully scholarship from universities in US. They're ivy league unis, but not the toppest ones like Harvard, Yale, etc. And they're both from typical middle-class families with quite comfortable income. They're both very bright, but not exceptionally so, and no that exceptional either in terms of extra-curricular, either. A sort of very typical boys who attended very competitive private school in UK with great grades and a few extra-activities, etc, etc, who'd put Oxbridge as a part of UCAS application. That's all. Not extraordinary special by all means.
I don't know what sort of selection process they went through, but I know their parents only have to pay for their flight fares to/from UK/USA. Everything else was covered by their scholarship they got.
Are you sure? I find it hard to believe that any US university would give full scholarships to someone from a middle/upper-middle-class family whose parents could afford private school. Perhaps they're an anomaly, it isn't standard practice.
Original post by Ameliajones10
Hello, I want to go to America and I'm trying to find out my options. I'm 16 in year 12 and in the UK. I would like to peruse science at university. I was wondering If I could get academic scholarships or for sport (I play tennis but I'm not amazing) and how to go abput applying, what will give me an advantage etc?? Thank you
Hey there,
I have a friend who was in a very similar position to you two years ago now - she applied for US universities via something called the Sutton Trust (http://www.suttontrust.com/), and has just started attending Harvard (as far as I know on a full scholarship). I don't know an awful lot about the Sutton Trust itself, but I think it would definitely be worth you looking into!
You should probably be warned that if you are seriously thinking of applying... if my friend's experience is anything to go by, on top of your current studies applying for US unis will be a LOT of extra work to do. I don't know the exact details, but basically she was studying for US high school qualifications at the same time as her A2s, doing essays and stuff for the actual applications, and on top of that had to maintain all of her existing extra-curriculars and volunteer stuff (and there were a LOT of these). I'm talking school vice president, tutor/mentoring younger students and peers, helping to run homework clubs, leader of student council, in multiple music groups and all the school performances, volunteer work in the holidays... it was intense, I felt stressed just watching her deal with it all!
She also needed excellent AS & predicted A2 results (which she did - in the end she got straight A's in the three science subjects).Spoiler
Original post by catrinana
Hey there,
I have a friend who was in a very similar position to you two years ago now - she applied for US universities via something called the Sutton Trust (http://www.suttontrust.com/), and has just started attending Harvard (as far as I know on a full scholarship). I don't know an awful lot about the Sutton Trust itself, but I think it would definitely be worth you looking into!
You should probably be warned that if you are seriously thinking of applying... if my friend's experience is anything to go by, on top of your current studies applying for US unis will be a LOT of extra work to do. I don't know the exact details, but basically she was studying for US high school qualifications at the same time as her A2s, doing essays and stuff for the actual applications, and on top of that had to maintain all of her existing extra-curriculars and volunteer stuff (and there were a LOT of these). I'm talking school vice president, tutor/mentoring younger students and peers, helping to run homework clubs, leader of student council, in multiple music groups and all the school performances, volunteer work in the holidays... it was intense, I felt stressed just watching her deal with it all! She also needed excellent AS & predicted A2 results (which she did - in the end she got straight A's in the three science subjects).
I have a friend who was in a very similar position to you two years ago now - she applied for US universities via something called the Sutton Trust (http://www.suttontrust.com/), and has just started attending Harvard (as far as I know on a full scholarship). I don't know an awful lot about the Sutton Trust itself, but I think it would definitely be worth you looking into!
You should probably be warned that if you are seriously thinking of applying... if my friend's experience is anything to go by, on top of your current studies applying for US unis will be a LOT of extra work to do. I don't know the exact details, but basically she was studying for US high school qualifications at the same time as her A2s, doing essays and stuff for the actual applications, and on top of that had to maintain all of her existing extra-curriculars and volunteer stuff (and there were a LOT of these). I'm talking school vice president, tutor/mentoring younger students and peers, helping to run homework clubs, leader of student council, in multiple music groups and all the school performances, volunteer work in the holidays... it was intense, I felt stressed just watching her deal with it all!
She also needed excellent AS & predicted A2 results (which she did - in the end she got straight A's in the three science subjects).Spoiler
Good post but just to be clear, OP don't worry about the bold. it is most definitely NOT important to complete US highschool qualifications (referring to AP exams. Obviously the SAT/ACT is necessary for almost all). They are superfluous.
Original post by Snufkin
Are you sure? I find it hard to believe that any US university would give full scholarships to someone from a middle/upper-middle-class family whose parents could afford private school. Perhaps they're an anomaly, it isn't standard practice.
Maybe it's easier to pull the wool over their eyes with a bit of creative accounting than it is with sfe?
Original post by Snufkin
Are you sure? I find it hard to believe that any US university would give full scholarships to someone from a middle/upper-middle-class family whose parents could afford private school. Perhaps they're an anomaly, it isn't standard practice.
YEs, very sure.
They're both from the families we've known very well for years.
One of them even went to a very well-known boarding school in Scotland.
Original post by Student403
Good post but just to be clear, OP don't worry about the bold. it is most definitely NOT important to complete US highschool qualifications (referring to AP exams. Obviously the SAT/ACT is necessary for almost all). They are superfluous.
Ah thanks you're absolutely right, I didn't remember the name of what it was they took and assumed it was just general "highschool stuff". I'm pretty sure I can remember them doing the SAT/ACT/something that sounded like that, now that you've reminded me of the name; I couldn't remember what it was called before.
You could go to a uk university and complete a year abroad, but obviously you come back for the other two years and get your degree here
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Original post by Snufkin
Are you sure? I find it hard to believe that any US university would give full scholarships to someone from a middle/upper-middle-class family whose parents could afford private school. Perhaps they're an anomaly, it isn't standard practice.
Actually a lot of universities in the States, especially Ivy League ones, provide great financial aid to students (including international) who's family income is less than $60000 per annum. You can also do something called collecting scholarships whereby you look to private organisations, whom are not connected to specific universities, and offer scholarships for a range of different things. One may offer you five thousand dollars where another might only offer you two, but you can add it all up to cover your tuition and living costs
Original post by Mkrs
Actually a lot of universities in the States, especially Ivy League ones, provide great financial aid to students (including international) who's family income is less than $60000 per annum. You can also do something called collecting scholarships whereby you look to private organisations, whom are not connected to specific universities, and offer scholarships for a range of different things. One may offer you five thousand dollars where another might only offer you two, but you can add it all up to cover your tuition and living costs
Yes, but $60,000 is not a high income by UK standards, which is why I don't think British students from a middle class background whose parents can afford private school will be eligible for full scholarships. Anyway this is quite an old thread so I'll close it now.
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