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U.S applicant

I'm really interested in studying at Cambridge, and while it's still early (I'm only in the 10th grade) I would love to know more about what applying as an international student would entail. Looking in on the rigorous admissions process for Oxbridge is intimidating enough to those from the UK, but as an American student the entire process is completely foreign and therefore all the more stressful.
Of course I have already learned as much as I can from the Cambridge websites, but honestly I'm still quite lost.
I would greatly appreciate anyone who can point me in the right direction.
Reply 1
Original post by Morganc333
I'm really interested in studying at Cambridge, and while it's still early (I'm only in the 10th grade) I would love to know more about what applying as an international student would entail. Looking in on the rigorous admissions process for Oxbridge is intimidating enough to those from the UK, but as an American student the entire process is completely foreign and therefore all the more stressful.
Of course I have already learned as much as I can from the Cambridge websites, but honestly I'm still quite lost.
I would greatly appreciate anyone who can point me in the right direction.


There is indeed a lot of info on the Cambridge website. Which bits don't you understand?

Also have you seen the "alternative prospectus"?
http://www.applytocambridge.com/

And the specific page for applicants from USA.
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/usa

Lastly, how will you finance a place at Cambridge? International fees are quite high...



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Reply 2
Thanks for the quick reply! I hadn't seen the "alternative prospectus" and it was very helpful.
Also, yes the international fees are staggering. However, the American collegiate system is also less than affordable. Disregarding financial aid, the straight tuition for attending Cambridge (even as an international student) is actually more affordable than a university of equal or lesser prestige here in the states.
Ironically, it's cheaper for me to leave the country for school than it is for me to leave the state (so long as I'm looking at such highly regarded Uni's.)
Original post by Morganc333
Thanks for the quick reply! I hadn't seen the "alternative prospectus" and it was very helpful.
Also, yes the international fees are staggering. However, the American collegiate system is also less than affordable. Disregarding financial aid, the straight tuition for attending Cambridge (even as an international student) is actually more affordable than a university of equal or lesser prestige here in the states.
Ironically, it's cheaper for me to leave the country for school than it is for me to leave the state (so long as I'm looking at such highly regarded Uni's.)


Are you sure about that? As I understand it, many US colleges operate on a needs-blind basis, with the idea that they should be equally affordable for everyone. For instance, Harvard seems not to charge any fees for students from households with an income of under $65,000. In comparison, Cambridge charges fees of over $20,000 for all international students, there is little aid available, and you also have to pay for living expenses.
Reply 4
Original post by sweeneyrod
Are you sure about that? As I understand it, many US colleges operate on a needs-blind basis, with the idea that they should be equally affordable for everyone. For instance, Harvard seems not to charge any fees for students from households with an income of under $65,000. In comparison, Cambridge charges fees of over $20,000 for all international students, there is little aid available, and you also have to pay for living expenses.


Plus Cambridge has College Fees for internationals approx £7000+ $10000+ depending on college)

http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/sites/www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/undergraduate_tuition_fees_2016-17.pdf

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(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by jneill
There is indeed a lot of info on the Cambridge website. Which bits don't you understand?

Also have you seen the "alternative prospectus"?
http://www.applytocambridge.com/

And the specific page for applicants from USA.
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/usa

Lastly, how will you finance a place at Cambridge? International fees are quite high...



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Gates Cambridge Scholarship ?
Reply 6
Original post by Kadak
Gates Cambridge Scholarship ?


That's postgrad only afaik.
Original post by jneill
That's postgrad only afaik.

Oh my,didn`t know that :getmecoat:.
USA has plenty of good unis,I don`t see why OP cant just do undergraduate in the USA and then just do postgrad at Cambridge.
Here's the way my daughter did it in a nutshell. (She's American, applied from France at EU rates.)

First, she got the grades. That is the minimum you must accomplish to make the first hurdle.

Second, she had a genuine academic passion that she developed on her own. (Her discipline was archaeology, in which she did several internships, which gave her real experience to write about in her admissions essays. She also read extensively on a focused subject, as it happened on the historical Jesus and the Bible as a tool for archaeology. She could discuss theology, history, and archaeological technique in her interviews and believe me, they grilled her on them.)

Third, she was lucky. Somehow, she got noticed as a person they wanted to teach - and her discipline was one of the ones with a relatively easier admissions rate than, say, medicine or natural sciences. She was also a very accomplished singer, which may have helped as they are looking for chorists (she got a singing scholarship).

I would encourage you to try. Cambridge was everything she expected and more, even if it was not all smooth sailing. Finally, she targeted Oxbridge from the age of 12, kept the goal in mind and did research on how to get in, then worked consistently. Her motivation came from within, we did not impose it, though we did occasionally nudge her back on track.

Best of luck.
Original post by sweeneyrod
Are you sure about that? As I understand it, many US colleges operate on a needs-blind basis, with the idea that they should be equally affordable for everyone. For instance, Harvard seems not to charge any fees for students from households with an income of under $65,000. In comparison, Cambridge charges fees of over $20,000 for all international students, there is little aid available, and you also have to pay for living expenses.


Well think about it this way, if your family earns more than 100K, 50-70K per year is still a huge amount compared to 20-40K for going abroad.
Original post by hala.madrid2
Well think about it this way, if your family earns more than 100K, 50-70K per year is still a huge amount compared to 20-40K for going abroad.


According to this link, Harvard charges at most 10% of your household income if it is under $150k. So if it was $100k you would have to pay at most $10k.
While all this is true, the Cambridge system is more suitable for many than the American one. I for instance had a place at Princeton but let it for Cambridge, even though Princeton offered me a great deal of fin aid. I did finally manage to find myself a private sponsor at home but that's besides the point.

For American students there are a few scholarships offered at the undergrad level, though they are very competitive. The Cambridge Trust website is the best place to search. OP one thing that you must give some thought to is the fact that Camb will likely give you a conditional offer while American colleges only give uncertain ones. It may not seem very important to you at this point but one of my biggest fear right now is that I may have let go of a certain place for an uncertain one

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