Help an American student choose a UK University??

Hi all! I am an American student (in high school), and I have been looking into studying abroad (in the UK) for quite sometime, and although I have found lots of helpful information online about some universities, I lack the benefit of "word of mouth" knowledge/info. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on some good colleges/universities that the UK has to offer? I am looking for a moderately-challenging school (harder than a "party school", but not exactly a Harvard or Oxbridge). I get decent grades; good not great. So far the universities that I have come across (via google) are:
St. Andrews, UCL, Warwick, Lancaster, York, Edinburgh, Southampton, Aberdeen, Essex.
Could you give me info/thoughts on those schools, as well as other suggestions?? I have been focusing on London and Scotland.
Thanks!!!

Reply 1

nulli tertius

21

Original post by student122

Hi all! I am an American student (in high school), and I have been looking into studying abroad (in the UK) for quite sometime, and although I have found lots of helpful information online about some universities, I lack the benefit of "word of mouth" knowledge/info. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on some good colleges/universities that the UK has to offer? I am looking for a moderately-challenging school (harder than a "party school", but not exactly a Harvard or Oxbridge). I get decent grades; good not great. So far the universities that I have come across (via google) are:
St. Andrews, UCL, Warwick, Lancaster, York, Edinburgh, Southampton, Aberdeen, Essex.
Could you give me info/thoughts on those schools, as well as other suggestions?? I have been focusing on London and Scotland.
Thanks!!!

To read what?

Reply 2

miniteen

2

I know that St Andrews is very popular with Americans. A lot of my American friends went there.

You have to be more subject specific though. Unlike the US universities where you apply to the university as a whole, in the UK you apply for a specific subject at the university. You have to think carefully when you apply, as changing will be very difficult afterwards.

EDIT: And I just wanted to add, because there's more of an emphasis on the different subject, in the UK different (top) universities will rank differently depending on the subject you're looking at. So choosing your subject first is crucial.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 3

username941859

18

Original post by student122

Hi all! I am an American student (in high school), and I have been looking into studying abroad (in the UK) for quite sometime, and although I have found lots of helpful information online about some universities, I lack the benefit of "word of mouth" knowledge/info. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on some good colleges/universities that the UK has to offer? I am looking for a moderately-challenging school (harder than a "party school", but not exactly a Harvard or Oxbridge). I get decent grades; good not great. So far the universities that I have come across (via google) are:
St. Andrews, UCL, Warwick, Lancaster, York, Edinburgh, Southampton, Aberdeen, Essex.
Could you give me info/thoughts on those schools, as well as other suggestions?? I have been focusing on London and Scotland.
Thanks!!!

You Americans are mad for us Scots :wink:

Depends on your course obviously.

But London:
UCL
KCL
SOAS
Queen Mary
Royal Holloway

Scotland:
Edinburgh
St Andrews
Glasgow

I'd also suggest York, Durham, Lancaster, Bristol, Exeter, Newcastle, Manchester.

These however are mostly all very academic unis in their own way.

For good, but not amazing unis

Scotland:
Aberdeen
Dundee
Herriot Watt
Strathclyde

Everywhere else:
Oxford Brookes
Liverpool(Sorry if I'm wrong about it's academics to any Liverpoolers)
Hull
Cardiff
Swansea.

Reply 4

Marco1

15

All very good universities (except Essex: you're scraping the barrel there dude!)

I would avoid London, the logistics of daily public transport is tiring.

Also Bristol, Exeter, Leeds, Manchester and Warwick are all very well known and high calibre?