[amorphous]

Hi all

I'm a recently graduated high school senior that may be attending an American university in the fall. My father applied me for UK citizenship a few weeks ago as he is a citizen and it was projected that I would be naturalized by the end of August. I'm not sure that I will be able to apply to universities as a UK citizen though because I've heard you have to have lived in the UK for the 3 prior years. I had long wanted to go to school in the UK, but because of tremendous slacking, I ended up with a very poor gpa (I'll just get it out of the way - a 2.6) and no APs/SAT II subject tests to bolster my record, as I believe those are what you take as a rough equivalent to an A Level(?). Anyway, there is a solid chance I will be attending a middling though artistically strong state school in SUNY system. There is also a chance I won't be, but I'll explain that a little later. What is the probability of being able to transfer into a UK University - namely London schools like Goldsmiths (#1 choice for a while), QM, Kings, or even UCL after one year of college at an American university with little name recognition? I feel it's foolish to produce a GPA based on a school's curriculum and rigor I'm totally unfamiliar with, but for all intents and purposes, with a ~3.5 GPA, how would I fare for admission at the aforementioned universities? Also, I am unconcerned about the fact I will likely have to start anew at a UK university after 1 year of American college. Feel free to add any more universities that fit the mold of my listed ones: strong in arts/humanities, urban, and reasonable within my hypothesized resume.
That is route 1

This is route 2
There is a significant chance that my family's finances will not be in order to afford this American tuition. In the event of that, I fully intend to get out of the US and move to the UK. Are there community colleges that allow for students to go for a year or less then transfer to an official university? I feel that trying to apply on the merits of my American high school transcript would not be a wise decision. I have plenty of family in the UK that could offer me work exp. I feel that this method, while less definite, and certainly more inconvenient, could offer me a very memorable experience. I have always been intrigued by a gap year, and this could be my, albeit slightly makeshift, version of one. Of course, this is not preferable to route 1, simply an acknowledgement of a reality I may have to face.

Thank you for tolerating my waffling and please weigh in if you can!

I almost forgot - My primary interests are Media and Culture, but I'm also considering majors in Politics/IR as well as Music Computing

[Lychee]

Hi,

I can't speak specifically for the Unis you listed but I know US students who have transferred to top 10-20 UK unis after 1 year of College in the US. A lot of UK schools will also accept a 2 year AA degree from a community college for entry into 1st or sometimes 2nd year of a UK programme.

We don't really have a community college system in the UK and your 2nd route is probably going to be more difficult. You could do a foundation programme like this one at Goldsmiths http://www.gold.ac.uk/international/pathways/ifc/ but they will probably use your High School Certificate to judge whether you can get a place so you might want to ring round and check if they would consider you.

Probably the first plan is the best but you will need to work hard and get a good GPA to make up for your High School issues.

Good Luck