Americans applying to university in the UK

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So, do you guys think that asking me to take the IELTS, TOEFL, or Pearson test and get a 5 on the AP Lit exam was some sort of mistake seeing as I am a US citizen and speak English fluently (as I have lived here for 15 years)?

Should I email the admissions office?

Yeah. Email them saying something like

"Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to make an enquiry regarding my offer. I have been offered < State offer> for <course>. However, despite being born in Russia I have lived in an English speaking country for the last 15 years and am curious as to why part of my requirements is an English proficiency test.

Best regards,

Cricket123"

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 4021

Tsunami2011

Original post by nosceteipsummm

Hey all! I'm a 23-year-old prospective postgraduate student. I've recently been accepted to 3 MSc programs in the UK:

-Ethnobotany at The University of Kent
-Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants at The University of Edinburgh
-Plant Diversity at The University of Reading

Anyone have any input on which to accept?

Thanks in advance!

Edinburgh is the most prestigious and reputable by a country mile. Kent and Reading are both middling UK universities.

Reply 4022

alexs2602

Original post by Tsunami2011

Edinburgh is the most prestigious and reputable by a country mile. Kent and Reading are both middling UK universities.

This is fairly true for undergrad degrees, however I wouldnt feel safe speaking about their postgrad degrees in these fields.

Reply 4023

nosceteipsummm

Original post by alexs2602

This is fairly true for undergrad degrees, however I wouldnt feel safe speaking about their postgrad degrees in these fields.

I received an e-mail from one of my old professors: their program is one of the best in the world for Plant Taxonomy. In addition, many MSc graduates in this field go on to do PhD research at the University of Edinburgh. With this in mind, I've decided to attend there. Thanks everyone!

Reply 4024

alexs2602

Original post by nosceteipsummm

Sorry, I couldn't help but that's probably the best advice you're going to get on the subject.

Reply 4025

smarshy

Hello all! I'm applying for 2012 entry, so just thought I should introduce myself. :smile:

I'm at an early college, so my conditions are on my AA GPA.
I've got an unconditional from Bristol for archaeological and anthropological sciences, a conditional from nottingham for natural sciences (3.4), and a conditional from Durham for natural sciences (3.3). I'm still waiting on UCL and Southampton (for archaeology) though.
Anyone else in the same boat?

Reply 4026

bauch

Original post by smarshy

Hello all! I'm applying for 2012 entry, so just thought I should introduce myself. :smile:

Same here, I have almost 100 units completed at my local community college working towards my AS degree. I've heard back from Lincoln and UEA, rejected from Queen Mary. Still waiting to hear back from King's and St. Georges for biomedical sciences - by far my top two choices!

Might I add congrats on your offers!

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 4027

alexs2602

Original post by smarshy

Hello all! I'm applying for 2012 entry, so just thought I should introduce myself. :smile:

Those are all excellent universities; any of them would be well worth going to. If you have any questions I'm a domestic student attending Nottingham.

Reply 4028

smarshy

Original post by bauch

Thanks! Good to know I'm not the only one; most people I've seen are either doing APs or are mature students who haven't been in school for a while. Good luck with those two, though. A friend of mine is at King's, and she absolutely loves it.

Reply 4029

smarshy

Original post by alexs2602

Those are all excellent universities; any of them would be well worth going to. If you have any questions I'm a domestic student attending Nottingham.

Thanks! Yeah, I've been really pleased with my offers so far. I'll definitely let you know if I have any questions. I visited Nottingham in the fall...it's gorgeous! I'll probably be firming either UCL (if I get in...fingers crossed) or Durham though.

Reply 4030

Gurmeet.Kapoor

since my school doesn't really offer it but I still want to know...

What EXACTLY is the ACT...and are those easy for u guys..and is it like SAT testing or like normal subject testing?

I really dont know :P

Reply 4031

DCDude

Original post by Gurmeet.Kapoor

The ACT is a standardized test that has been around for a long time, but has only become a significant alternative to the SAT recently. Some people find it easier than the SAT, others find it harder. It is a long test, and you have to be able to work very fast as there are a lot of questions in each section. The writing section is optional but most of the more competitive unis require it. There is also a 'science' section (really more about being able to read graphs and charts) that is different than the math section. The ACT is considered to be less 'tricky' than the SAT, and more knowledge based. If you aren't thrilled with your SAT scores (or projections) you might try the ACT. You can get info at their website (just Google ACT). I know somebody who got a 2200 on the SAT but did poorly on the ACT and somebody who got a 34 on the ACT but did poorly on the SAT. So, it just suits different people.

Reply 4032

mahassociates

Original post by DCDude

I'd also add that traditionally (thought not as much anymore), East-coast schools prefer the SAT and Midwestern schools prefer the ACT.

Reply 4033

Gurmeet.Kapoor

So we CAN take both?

And DCDude, like u said...u know someone who did well on SAT but not on ACT, and vice versa....u mean someone who is currently at a uni in the UK?

:smile:

Reply 4034

Gurmeet.Kapoor

oh and...

wud chances of me going to better Unis increase if I take SAT and ACT AND a good amount of APs and did merely average on them or....?

Reply 4035

avash27

Original post by Gurmeet.Kapoor

So we CAN take both?

If you really want to, yes you can. I took both only because after I got my first SAT scores, I wasn't happy with them and took the ACTs the following month. I ended up taking the SATs again the month after the ACTs, just to see if I could possibly raise my scores a bit. That's what most of my friends did, but I do know a lot of people who only took one or the other. It's really up to you.

Original post by Gurmeet.Kapoor

oh and...

wud chances of me going to better Unis increase if I take SAT and ACT AND a good amount of APs and did merely average on them or....?

Well, it really depends on the unis you're looking at. Some require SATs plus certain AP scores, or ACTs plus certain AP scores, or even sometimes they'll substitute in SAT II scores. You shouldn't take more APs than you could handle. It wouldn't really look good if you take like 5 APs in one cycle and then end up doing really average on all of them. Do APs in subjects you like and are confident in, rather than taking all the options that are available to you.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 4036

teamnoether

Original post by Gurmeet.Kapoor

oh and...

wud chances of me going to better Unis increase if I take SAT and ACT AND a good amount of APs and did merely average on them or....?

I don't think there's a good reason to take both the SAT and the ACT unless you've already taken one and are disappointed with the results. It's true that some people do better on the SAT than the ACT, and vice versa, but in the vast majority of cases people perform about the same on both. (I get paid to help people prepare for the SAT and the ACT, so I've seen a lot of people take both tests.) I would say that the ACT math is easier, but the "science" is a mind *#&@. You just don't have enough time to read everything that's presented in the science section, so you have to quickly glance at the figures, be okay with having absolutely no idea what's happening, and just start answering questions anyway. The science section punishes students who are good at science, and rewards students who are bad at science. Students who are good at science are used to looking through all the information presented, understanding / internalizing it, and then answering questions. Students who are not so good at science tend to only have a vague idea what's happening, and just dive into questions hoping it will all be okay. You can't approach the "science" section like a good science student; you just won't finish. (I know this sounds like personal bitterness, but I've actually never taken the ACT myself. I only say this out of frustration at having had to teach people the science section to many students.)

In general, the ACT questions are easier but you have to answer more of them more quickly. You also need to get more of them right for an equivalent score on the ACT - it's very punishing if you tend to make silly mistakes. I will say that I think the ACT essay is a better test of students' writing skills than the SAT essay, because it's harder to prepare for it. I guess how much that appeals to you probably depends on how comfortable you are writing. :smile:

I wouldn't recommend taking a bunch of APs that you think won't go very well, although it won't really hurt your application. If you do badly, you can withhold scores you don't want schools to see. The trick to submitting a great application to a US school is balancing the competing demands on your time. If you spend too long studying for the SAT / ACT / AP tests (particularly AP tests that don't go very well), you may not be able to spend as much time writing good essays or participating in extracurricular activities. It's a balancing act, and I'd say that if you feel like you've overloaded yourself with tests, you probably have.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 4037

TheAbes

Has anyone here taken the LNAT? I'm pretty interested in taking PPL at KCL but the only thing that's really stopping me is the LNAT. To be totally honest, I just can't be bothered to take another test after the 4 APs, SATs, and SAT IIs I'll be taking this May/June.

What's it like? Is it 'hard', and is there any way you can really prep for it?

Cheers

Reply 4038

berliners

Hey everybody,
I'm an American living in the U.K. I have firmed the University of York- studying Linguistics with French. Any other Americans applying/going to York? :biggrin: