Uk students on exchange in USA

arod

I'm really keen on doing science - biology or biochem on an exchange.
The USA unis offered on the exchange with my UK uni are:
Cal Tech, Univ of California, University of Chicago, Georgetown Uni, University of Illinois, Univ of North Carolina, Univ of Pennsylvania, University of Washington, University of Virgina.

Out of these I would say the most desirable would be:

University of California (but NOT Irvine, Riverside or Merced... Berkeley, San Diego or Santa Barbara would be the best for sciences)
University of Chicago
Georgetown
UNC (I would have applied there if I wanted to go to school here)
UPenn (Ivy!)

Really, you can't go wrong. They would all be awesome.

Reply 23

PS: If they're making you pay the fees of the school you're visiting, you'd be best at a UC or UNC, or really any public over a private.

Although I don't know why they would do that.

Reply 24

arod

OP

5

hi. luckily we pay the fees at the uni we attend here in the UK, and just select which uni in the USA you want to go on exchange to. (assuming you pass the selection criteria of grades etc. So you don't have to pay anything extra. The only thing that varies is the cost of accommodation at the different US unis.

Reply 25

^^

Awesome.

I may consider an exchange semester if available.

Reply 26

Oh ok...these would be my options:

George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia (outside Washington DC) **

University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

University of Kansas at Lawrence, Kansas

University of Mississippi at Oxford, Mississippi

University of Nevada at Las Vegas

Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island **

Rutgers University at New Brunswick, New Jersey **

University of Texas at Austin, Texas

** = I would be inclined by geography to pick one of these.

Any insights?

Reply 27

My understanding is that of those University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the best.

Reply 28

I would be inclined to say, of that list UTA is the best. But Urbana-Champaign is good, too, as is Georgia. Don't go to Kansas or Mississippi. Nevada is a kick-ass school because all the gambling money goes to the university!

Of that list, honestly, I would pick Rutgers. It's fairly well-known and if you're inclined to go there because of geography, go ahead. (Personally, I don't see NJ as a super-desirable destination.) But don't discount Georgia or Portland! (Portland is beautiful.)

Reply 29

It would be a semester...so I'd have time to do the touristy things in NY/DC if I were within fair distance from them. UTA would be miles away from there.

Reply 30

But Austin would be a really good place to be. I don't know if Jersey would...

Also: Couldn't you do your semester somewhere like Georgia and then take a month or so to travel around to NY/ DC/ LA etc?

Reply 31

The credits count towards the MA here...so I almost certainly couldnt without jepodizing my grade. If I had no plans for research study later in life that wouldnt be an issue, but I'd have to ave 60% min. to get a crack at a top UK/US school.

Plus in Jersey, there'd be no shortage of curry houses should I get sudden dietary withdrawal symptoms. :biggrin:

Reply 32

LOL, they have good curry in Portland, too.

I meant a month at the end or beginning of the semester?

Reply 33

I'd love to, but the US is so vast that do to justice it'd take a few months of travel. One region at a time I say, my interests are mostly political etc, so DC would be great...and NY is NY, the capital of the world for so much that it must outrank LA or any other city from a tourist POV.

I figure I could do the whole DC-NY-Boston leg of a trip in one sweep. Real pioneer I am. :biggrin:

Reply 34

Freckles

12

Personally, I would pick Portland, purely based on location.

rutgers is a good school, my cousin went there and loved it :smile:

Reply 35

What's George Mason Uni like?

Reply 36

anyone taken a study abroad options at any of these?

Reply 37

sarbruis

8

No, but I think you should narrow down your list to these:

Illinois
Rutgers
Texas

If you care most about location, I'd go with Portland instantly.

Reply 38