American Student PS Help

I have a question about writing a personal statement for UK uni's. I am an American student planning to apply to several London universities. Should I use American English (as I obviously am an American) or should I run a spell check with British English and submit it that way (eg changing "while" to "whilst")? It becomes less "personal" that way but I am wondering if "correct English" is more appropriate.

Also, I am wondering about interviews. As I live 3,000 miles away from London, it isn't exactly easy for me to pop round the uni for an interview (especially considering that I've just been to London in October visiting schools). Would a uni be willing to conduct an interview over skype as opposed to in person? I know that each uni is different and I would have to contact them individually for their own answers, but I am asking for an answer "in general".

Thanks for all your help!

Reply 1

mehhhw/e

11

I don't know about language, but yes, Universities are likely to either conduct interviews by phone (or skype) if you're an international student

Reply 2

ColonelMoore

7

Why not just write it in American english, and then send it to a Brit and ask if they'll look it over and change anything that needs to be done.

Reply 3

TheSownRose

16

Original post by chibiusa40

I have a question about writing a personal statement for UK uni's. I am an American student planning to apply to several London universities. Should I use American English (as I obviously am an American) or should I run a spell check with British English and submit it that way (eg changing "while" to "whilst")? It becomes less "personal" that way but I am wondering if "correct English" is more appropriate.

Also, I am wondering about interviews. As I live 3,000 miles away from London, it isn't exactly easy for me to pop round the uni for an interview (especially considering that I've just been to London in October visiting schools). Would a uni be willing to conduct an interview over skype as opposed to in person? I know that each uni is different and I would have to contact them individually for their own answers, but I am asking for an answer "in general".

Thanks for all your help!

Write in the way you would normally, unless you would normally write, "Yo man, I really wanna place at ur uni..." In that case, get someone else to check it.

Reply 4

adam0311

12

I wrote mine in British english. I think I had to change only 4 words.

Reply 5

alexs2602

22

Do you think we live in the 1820s? We use while too. American English should be ok, but it can't hurt to forward it to someone British first.

What London unis are you applying to?

Reply 6

adam0311

12

Original post by alexs2602

Do you think we live in the 1820s? We use while too. American English should be ok, but it can't hurt to forward it to someone British first.

What London unis are you applying to?

Yeah, I lol'd at "while to whilst."

Of the 4 words I changed, it was program->programme (twice), defense->defence, and analyze->analyse.

Reply 7

michael clayton

15

Original post by adam0311

Yeah, I lol'd at "while to whilst."

Of the 4 words I changed, it was program->programme (twice), defense->defence, and analyze->analyse.

Hey- I was just wondering why you have chosen to study law in UK as opposed to America. I'm presuming it is a postgraduate course there so it would be quicker and less costly to do it your way. Purely out of interest so thanks in advance.

Reply 8

INTJ

11

Original post by chibiusa40

I have a question about writing a personal statement for UK uni's. I am an American student planning to apply to several London universities. Should I use American English (as I obviously am an American) or should I run a spell check with British English and submit it that way (eg changing "while" to "whilst")? It becomes less "personal" that way but I am wondering if "correct English" is more appropriate.

Also, I am wondering about interviews. As I live 3,000 miles away from London, it isn't exactly easy for me to pop round the uni for an interview (especially considering that I've just been to London in October visiting schools). Would a uni be willing to conduct an interview over skype as opposed to in person? I know that each uni is different and I would have to contact them individually for their own answers, but I am asking for an answer "in general".

Thanks for all your help!

1. Run it over spellcheck, as you suggested, and have it written in UK English.

2. The interview, if you have one, will be done over phone.

Reply 9

Jacktri

2

Original post by adam0311

Yeah, I lol'd at "while to whilst."

Of the 4 words I changed, it was program->programme (twice), defense->defence, and analyze->analyse.

we use program for computer programs and programme for tv programmes in England right?

Reply 10

alexs2602

22

Original post by adam0311

Yeah, I lol'd at "while to whilst."

Of the 4 words I changed, it was program->programme (twice), defense->defence, and analyze->analyse.

In all honesty a lot of people use analyze here too, I prefer analyse though. I've always been unsure about the spelling for program so that might have been excusable. That leaves one word that really needed to be changed: defence

Reply 11

username396452

10

American English is fine. I've been in UK unis more years than I care to remember and have not once been yelled at with my stubborn insistence on using American spelling in PS's, exams, essays, dissertations, etc.

Reply 12

Interrobang

20

I always correct to British spelling when going through PSs and doing reviews. There wouldnt be a lot of difference in PSs, except changing 'z's to 's's mostly. A lot of unis don't tend to interview either, but you could always email the ones you're intending to apply to to ask

Reply 13

adam0311

12

Original post by kbountra

Hey- I was just wondering why you have chosen to study law in UK as opposed to America. I'm presuming it is a postgraduate course there so it would be quicker and less costly to do it your way. Purely out of interest so thanks in advance.

Yeah, the two reasons you listed above are the biggest. I'd like to do EU type legal work anyway. So there is really no advantage to going through a 4 year US undergrad and then a 3 year JD (US law degree). Then on top of that I think it would be a pretty good experience to go to uni in the UK and live somewhere else. The US is nice and I don't plan on being an ex-pat, but I like to move around a bit.

Just to go through a quick cost breakdown if I were to study law in the US, because this is the route I would take if I didn't go to the UK.

NYU Undergrad
Tuition: $42,550
Room and Board: $14,000
Spending Money: $4,000
Flights: $1,000
Total: $61,550 per year (or $246,200 for a full degree)

University of Michigan Law School
Tuition: $44,500
Living expenses: $17,750
Total: $62,250 per year (or $186,750 for the full degree)

undergrad degree+law degree
$246,200+$186,750= $432,950 or £276,380

now compare this to Durham

Durham
Tuition: 11,400 GBP (converted to $18,000)
Room and Board: 4,500 GBP (converted to $7,000)
Spending Money: $7,500 (bc of flights home. no way would I spend that otherwise lol)
Total: $31,500 per year (or $94,500/£60,320 for a full degree)

So basically saving £215,000. Even if I choose to do an LLM afterwards, still saving £195,000.

Original post by Jacktri

we use program for computer programs and programme for tv programmes in England right?

No idea. On LSE's website "programme" was used in context of the LLB. So I just used that version of spelling. Quite frankly, I could have probably gone either way.

Reply 14

lightningfist

Is "while" not English as well?

Reply 15

metjush

9

I wouldn't worry about which English to use. Both versions are correct, there is no reason as to why you should use British English just because you are applying to British unis - no one's gonna reject you because you wrote analyze instead of analyse in your PS... :smile:

Reply 16

alexs2602

22

Original post by adam0311

Yeah, the two reasons you listed above are the biggest. I'd like to do EU type legal work anyway. So there is really no advantage to going through a 4 year US undergrad and then a 3 year JD (US law degree). Then on top of that I think it would be a pretty good experience to go to uni in the UK and live somewhere else. The US is nice and I don't plan on being an ex-pat, but I like to move around a bit.

Just to go through a quick cost breakdown if I were to study law in the US, because this is the route I would take if I didn't go to the UK.

NYU Undergrad
Tuition: $42,550
Room and Board: $14,000
Spending Money: $4,000
Flights: $1,000
Total: $61,550 per year (or $246,200 for a full degree)

University of Michigan Law School
Tuition: $44,500
Living expenses: $17,750
Total: $62,250 per year (or $186,750 for the full degree)

undergrad degree+law degree
$246,200+$186,750= $432,950 or £276,380

now compare this to Durham

Durham
Tuition: 11,400 GBP (converted to $18,000)
Room and Board: 4,500 GBP (converted to $7,000)
Spending Money: $7,500 (bc of flights home. no way would I spend that otherwise lol)
Total: $31,500 per year (or $94,500/£60,320 for a full degree)

So basically saving £215,000. Even if I choose to do an LLM afterwards, still saving £195,000.

No idea. On LSE's website "programme" was used in context of the LLB. So I just used that version of spelling. Quite frankly, I could have probably gone either way.

It's so expensive to learn in America. Why do so many people even bother? I mean seriously, you could buy a house with the money you spend on a degree with that.

It just doesnt make sense to spend all that money. Not even a guarantee it'll be worth it in the end through increased earning potential.

Reply 17

chibiusa40

OP

Thanks for all the info! I just wasn't sure if a British Academic would scoff at my use of z's (recognize - and calling it zee, not zed lol), or's instead of our's (flavour), and er's instead of re's (theatre) - and see them as misspellings/ grammatical incorrectness.

And whether it's the 1820's is yet to be determined. I have an American friend who has lived in England for the past 7 years and now uses whilst, so don't judge me!! To answer someone from a bit farther up, while is a British English word as well but it has different grammatical usage than whilst. You would use "while" as a noun as in "It has been a while" but whilst to describe things happening concurrently, "I will listen to my ipod whilst shopping". Americans just use while for everything. We're wonderfully lazy that way.

As with the Law student above, I am coming to the UK for grad school because It's exponentially cheaper and shorter (and I love London so there's also that!)

US Grad Marketing Masters degree:
$30,000-40,000 tuition per year
$15,000-20,000 housing and living expenses per year
$1000-2000 transportation costs per year (this is only for public transportation -eg subway or bus- or car insurance/gas, not cost of transportation/flight to campus)
---------------
$46-62,000 (x2 years) = $92-124,000.

UK
$16-27,000 tuition
$10,000-15,000 housing and living expenses
$2000 transportation costs (includes both roundtrip flight to UK and yearly Oyster for Zone 1-2)
----------------
$28-44,000 total

So yeah, big difference. If I get my Master in the UK, it will take half as long and cost roughly a third of what it would take to do it here.

(And seriously, your home fees are NOTHING! $6000 a year for tuition is absurdly low, so stop rioting, ok.)

And to the person who asked, I'm applying to:
As First Choices
King's
Queen Mary
London South Bank
Westminster

As Backups
Kingston
Greenwich

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 18

alexs2602

22

Original post by chibiusa40

x

I've lived in Britain for 20 years(my whole life) and I use while a lot more often than whilst.

I don't know the exact air fares but $2000 seems very cheap, are you sure you have the right costs? A yearly travelcard for z1-2 is £770 + a student oyster card

Kings and QM are good choices. So unless you're certain you can get offers I'd apply outside London too. Unless you're a top student London is very limiting, not a great place to apply.