3rd yr exchange program - anyone been??

Anyone been on the 3rd yr student exchange program? I'd love to do this!!
You have to apply in Oct (with references) to be accepted to take 3rd yr in either USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore etc.

USA is soooo expensive, but the beauty of this exchange program is that you pay the UK tuition fee, and get to study in the USA (instead of paying outrageous USA tuition fees).
I'm really keen on Cal Tech. It's very highly rated for science and technology. Trouble is the American course system is sooo different from UK. e.g. in first yr. you have to take 6 subjects even if your major is biology - calculus, physics, statistics, chem (x2), bio, and linear algebra and differential equations. According to the Edinb exchange web site, you have to have all of the above pre-requisite courses to take bio in 3rd yr in Cal tech since their students have this background.
Trouble is in Edinburgh I won't have the pre-requisite courses i.e. no maths, physics, etc. Only a few biology and chem courses. Yet there must have been students who have been on this program before or they wouldn't offer it to UK students.
Does anyone know if they bend the rules on the pre-requisite courses? Do I need to somehow take the above courses in maths, physics etc (maybe over the summer) to apply for the exchange? Looking at their prospectus, first yr physics is quantum mechanics, waves and statistical physics - this has got to be way over the top for a biology/biochem course - no??
Appreciate hearing from anyone who has been on the exchange - specifically to cal tech.

Reply 1

oxymoronic

I've not been (obviously, as we're in the same year) but I've been looking into doing a year abroad too, it looks so interesting. My only fear/concern about it is that during freshers week I went to enquire about it at the subject information day at Pleasance, and the lady said you have to be getting all As and Bs in year 1 and 2. Now, at the time I didn't think that was a problem, but I've been pretty much on a C for linguistics and I hate the stupid subject, but Bs for anthropology and Spanish- around the 63/64 mark, so I'm not really sure where I stand with that.

Maybe for your background they will include things like A levels / different countries equivilant, as we're all supposed to have the same grounding as each other before coming to Edinburgh but the people who did IB have a much broader curriculum than the A level students, even the Scots focus on an extra subject than us. So they will have to take that into account and look what you did prior to arriving in Edinburgh.

University of Edinburgh

Reply 2

arod

Lets hope so... Good luck if you plan to apply. I'm still getting used to the UK marking system. In North America they're a little more generous with the marks lets say....Abit of a shock to work hard and not get a 90%! Welcome to the real world I guess.

I got the info for the exchange and I *think* that they do take other things into consideration e.g. you have to have 2 references... so hopefully they can say something about you, plus there is a section about the candidate's "ambassadorial" qualities... Don't know how I'd fudge that one. :wink:

Since I'm not involved in any clubs/societies etc at uni..
It also states that your DOS has to recommend you, or rather allow you to put your application forward. Damn should have developed a better relationship instead of arguing over course selection.

It seems that there are lots of Edinburgh students who are accepted for the exchange, at univ of California alone there are 24 students - 50 in total all over the USA, about 35 went to Australia, 40 to Canada and some to Asia ~ 15.

2 from Edinburgh are at Cal tech right now, but they're both in engineering.. I wonder if they've ever had anyone apply for the softer sciences at all?

When you went to the info session, did they have Edinb uni students talking about their experiences abroad? Or was it just the admin people telling you what to do/requirments etc.?

It would be good if the exchg office gave us their contact info and/or asked them to post some info somewhere about their exchange experience.

Reply 3

oxymoronic

I don't understand how our DOS' can possibly comment on our suitability to study abroad- they don't even know us, were nothing more than a number! I've met my DOS once in fresher week, then he went on research leave for a year at the start of semester two so we have a new lady, who obviously I've never had anything to do with so how do they comment on us?? :confused:

I went to the study abroad meeting at the open days before we applied, which were led mainly by 4th year students who had just returned from their year abroad- obviously talking about how amazing it was and how much they learnt, then I went to the stand at the academic fair in freshers week. It was in the outside course selection fair at the Pleasance, so I might go again next year just to chat to them before I start making an application. They said they run loads of information sessions at the start of second year, presumably there will be students who have been on one in the past there.