Would I be competitive for admission to the following universities?

I'm a student from the US,

My high school grades and SAT I/ACT test scores are mediocre to say he least. However, that was due to a learning disablement in maths and my grades and test scores in the areas that I am currently studying/will study are very strong, with myself scoring 4's and 5's on two AP Exams respectively. In addition to scoring well over 600's on the SAT II subject tests.

I have also completed a year of undergraduate coursework with very strong grades at my current university in the US, achieving a 3.4-3.7 GPA which would be considered first class or on the verge of so in many UK universities overall. As well as achieving what would be in comparison, first class in my majors of history/political science.

So I would be applying for a program in both or history/political science and related fields like war studies, defense studies, or international relations/studies.

With all of this, do I stand a chance at the following universities in England and Wales. If some people on here know about the process of US students gaining admissions to universities in these regions?

Kings College London

University of Leeds

University of Kent

Reply 1

Little Jules

I would have thought so - check the websites for the programmes you are interested in, they are used to international applicants and will probably give a GPA requirement.

Reply 2

tem11

There's a very big difference between a 3.4 GPA (which is nowhere near a first and possibly not even a 2.1 by many standards) and a 3.7 (which is borderline a first, but in most cases a 2.1). What is your exact cumulative GPA right now? Because if you don't meet the 2.1 line in most cases, your application will automatically be rejected.

That being said, if you keep that GPA up you definitely have a chance. Personal statements, writing samples, letters of recommendation and similar supporting evidence are hugely important, so make sure those are solid. Best of luck to you!

Reply 3

Kevin23

tem11

My GPA is most likely 3.6 weighted,

However, for many UK universities in terms of current American college students applying to their institutions said that a 3.0 would be satisfactory and enough to be considered for admission. So perhaps I made a mistake in trying to compare the American and British academic standing systems together.

Reply 4

Little Jules

As I said, look at the relevant websites, or email the departments. They will have a standard GPA offer.

Reply 5

tem11

Kevin23

I can certainly sympathize with the fact that the American and British systems are difficult to compare. I studied abroad in the UK and applied to numerous postgrad programs so I'm fairly familiar with the conversion headaches.

A quick look at the war studies FAQ on KCL's website states that a 3.3 GPA is the minimum. University of Kent says they expect Americans to have a first class, but no mention of GPA. Couldn't find anything on GPA for Leeds either, but I only searched for a few minutes.

Keep in mind that these are minimums. For every person applying with a 3.4 GPA you'll have people applying with 3.9. You mention you've only done 1 year of undergrad, so I presume you just finished your freshman year. You still have 3 years to boost your GPA as high as possible and tailor your undergrad work toward the postgrad courses you're most interested in. That's a lot of time to prepare, so make the most of it :smile:

Reply 6

Seasons

Tem11 gave sound advice; there is nothing much to add to it. However, just to make sure we're all on the same page--you are talking about admission to postgrad courses, right? Since you included information about your high school scores, it kind of seems like you're talking about transferring into a British undergraduate course. In that case, you'll get much better help on a forum that is geared toward undergraduates.

If you're indeed asking about postgraduate admissions, come back to this forum in two years. By that point, you'll have a much, much better idea of what you want to do and what your potential will be, and we'll be able to help you a lot more than we can now!

Also, your grades, test scores, and extra-curricular activities from high school won't mean a thing when you make your postgraduate applications. It's all about your academic achievement during undergrad.

Reply 7

Kevin23

Seasons

Actually, I was referring to admissions to undergraduate programmes at British universities. I'm terribly sorry for the confusion I may have caused. :frown:

Reply 8

tem11

That makes more sense, although in the UK transferring during undergrad is very uncommon. Check out the undergrad forum (you're in the postgrad forum now) for more relevant advice.

Reply 9

Kevin23

tem11

That makes more sense, although in the UK transferring during undergrad is very uncommon. Check out the undergrad forum (you're in the postgrad forum now) for more relevant advice.

I guess that be the UCAS part of the forum then?

Reply 10

Otter71

I've done transfer between undergrad on two different UK uni courses. It didn't seem to be about scores but relevance of past study and the new uni making an assessment of the assignments I'd already done etc. So you might want to make contact with the colleges direct and see what they think. I'm not sure however that if US bachelors degrees are four year and UK are typically three that you might not be considered as only eligible for the first year of a course in this country.
Good luck