The Student Room Group

Studying in the USA

I really want to study in the USA, however I know that with the short time I have to work on a good application, I need to start making progress now. In the USA everybody has amazing extra curricular’s however, i’m not sure what there is available in the UK that will make me stand out. I currently have 8 years of gymnastics, football and netball, a sports leadership qualification, DofE Bronze (although most people have this now so it doesn’t really matter anymore), I took part in the Franklin Scholars program, am self-teaching myself Japanese, am hoping to be a prefect/head/deputy head girl and be on prom comity. I have quite a lot of extra curricular, but none that the average British student doesn’t have as my school doesn’t really offer anything else, so what are some good extra curricular activities so i can actually have a chance of being admitted into a decent US college/uni.
I'm assuming you're Year 12 because if you've just started Year 13 there is so much to do in such a short amount of time.

So, first, I'm going to recommend you take a look at the Sutton Trust US Programme and see if you're eligible. Applications for the 2020 programme should open in November sometime.

I'll give you some general tips and advice:

1. Make sure all your grades are the best they can be, e.g. you need really good GCSE grades and good AS/A-level predictions etc. Also, get started looking at the ACT or the SAT -- this is a mandatory exam for (most) unis in the US; you take either the ACT or the SAT, I recommend the ACT.

2. Pick up some extracurriculars that show leadership, passion, and ambition. Your school doesn't have a certain club/society? Set it up. Kids in primary school need help with reading? Set up a reading buddy scheme with people from your year. Do things around your local community, that you are passionate about. You say your school doesn't really offer anything else -- make those opportunities yourself then. Also, maybe try get some awards/achievements/honours?

This is what you need to be doing now to get a huge head-start. When it opens, apply to the Sutton Trust US Programme if you're eligible, it's an amazing programme and they've helped hundreds of low-income, state-school students get into university in America with full financial aid.

Also take a look at this website, it's very helpful: http://www.fulbright.org.uk/going-to-the-usa/undergraduate/educationusa-advice
Reply 2
Original post by theholychilli
I'm assuming you're Year 12 because if you've just started Year 13 there is so much to do in such a short amount of time.

So, first, I'm going to recommend you take a look at the Sutton Trust US Programme and see if you're eligible. Applications for the 2020 programme should open in November sometime.

I'll give you some general tips and advice:

1. Make sure all your grades are the best they can be, e.g. you need really good GCSE grades and good AS/A-level predictions etc. Also, get started looking at the ACT or the SAT -- this is a mandatory exam for (most) unis in the US; you take either the ACT or the SAT, I recommend the ACT.

2. Pick up some extracurriculars that show leadership, passion, and ambition. Your school doesn't have a certain club/society? Set it up. Kids in primary school need help with reading? Set up a reading buddy scheme with people from your year. Do things around your local community, that you are passionate about. You say your school doesn't really offer anything else -- make those opportunities yourself then. Also, maybe try get some awards/achievements/honours?

This is what you need to be doing now to get a huge head-start. When it opens, apply to the Sutton Trust US Programme if you're eligible, it's an amazing programme and they've helped hundreds of low-income, state-school students get into university in America with full financial aid.

Also take a look at this website, it's very helpful: http://www.fulbright.org.uk/going-to-the-usa/undergraduate/educationusa-advice

Hey, thanks

I've looked into the Sutton Trust US programme and I'm going to apply when applications are open. To be honest my GCSEs were just average, I'm naturally quite intelligent so found it hard to revise and in the end, ended up being ill over most my exams to the point where I wasn't going to sit them and got near to no revision done. I got 8s in Maths and English lit, 8-7 in combined science, 7s in Business, Geography and French, a 6 in PE, but all our grades are being appealed and a 4 in English language which I'm awaiting a remark for as more than half my cohort failed which is very unusual for my school, and I will resit in June anyways. For A-levels I'm taking geography, maths, biology and psychology and have finally found a revision strategy that works for me so am hoping to do very well.

I've done:
- School sports leadership qualification
- The Franklin Scholars programme
- Primary school volunteering/maths tutoring
- Paired reading with year 7s
- DofeE bronze and I'm going to do silver this year and Gold next year
- I volunteer in younger year classes in some of my free periods also.
- Play(ed) netball and football both for 8 years
- I'm going to ask my biology teacher if we can enter the intermediate biology olympiad
- I want to take part in the young enterprise challenge later this year
- I hope to become a prefect or part of my school parliament
- I'm currently teaching myself Japanese and want to take JLPT's once my fluency is good enough.

I know you don't need tonnes of extra-curriculars under your belt, it's more your commitment to them, but to me, none of mine stand out as things that other UK students are not likely to have - I have lots of volunteering but nothing particularly special; in my opinion?
I would also like to study in America. But I am worried because my GCSE grades were not the best. 2 3's, 2 6's, 1 5's and 2 4's :-(. I feel like the sutton trust is not going to deem my application eligible because of my GCSE Grades : -\(
Reply 4
Original post by Anonymous
I would also like to study in America. But I am worried because my GCSE grades were not the best. 2 3's, 2 6's, 1 5's and 2 4's :-(. I feel like the sutton trust is not going to deem my application eligible because of my GCSE Grades : -\(

It's not that your not eligible, it's just that your grades might be a detriment, as US admissions do look at GCSE grades. Don't let that stop you from applying though!
Reply 5
Original post by Anonymous
Hey, thanks

I've looked into the Sutton Trust US programme and I'm going to apply when applications are open. To be honest my GCSEs were just average, I'm naturally quite intelligent so found it hard to revise and in the end, ended up being ill over most my exams to the point where I wasn't going to sit them and got near to no revision done. I got 8s in Maths and English lit, 8-7 in combined science, 7s in Business, Geography and French, a 6 in PE, but all our grades are being appealed and a 4 in English language which I'm awaiting a remark for as more than half my cohort failed which is very unusual for my school, and I will resit in June anyways. For A-levels I'm taking geography, maths, biology and psychology and have finally found a revision strategy that works for me so am hoping to do very well.

I've done:
- School sports leadership qualification
- The Franklin Scholars programme
- Primary school volunteering/maths tutoring
- Paired reading with year 7s
- DofeE bronze and I'm going to do silver this year and Gold next year
- I volunteer in younger year classes in some of my free periods also.
- Play(ed) netball and football both for 8 years
- I'm going to ask my biology teacher if we can enter the intermediate biology olympiad
- I want to take part in the young enterprise challenge later this year
- I hope to become a prefect or part of my school parliament
- I'm currently teaching myself Japanese and want to take JLPT's once my fluency is good enough.

I know you don't need tonnes of extra-curriculars under your belt, it's more your commitment to them, but to me, none of mine stand out as things that other UK students are not likely to have - I have lots of volunteering but nothing particularly special; in my opinion?

Hello, I'm currently on the Sutton Trust US programme as part of Cohort 8. Your grades appear to be fine, as far as I know, but they aren't SUPER competitive, but again, they're fine and aren't a problem. Your ECs are also fine, but I wouldn't call the biology olympiad, a sports qualification or a scholars programme ECs. Those sound like achievements, more than they do activities. The best advice I can give you is be yourself, and actually WANT (though this is clear through this post), to apply to the US, as the Fulbright staff have been doing this for 8 years, are experts, and can tell right away if you just want a free trip to the US. That isn't to say, that once you've been, that you can't decide that you don't want it anymore.
Reply 6
Original post by M_M_K
Hello, I'm currently on the Sutton Trust US programme as part of Cohort 8. Your grades appear to be fine, as far as I know, but they aren't SUPER competitive, but again, they're fine and aren't a problem. Your ECs are also fine, but I wouldn't call the biology olympiad, a sports qualification or a scholars programme ECs. Those sound like achievements, more than they do activities. The best advice I can give you is be yourself, and actually WANT (though this is clear through this post), to apply to the US, as the Fulbright staff have been doing this for 8 years, are experts, and can tell right away if you just want a free trip to the US. That isn't to say, that once you've been, that you can't decide that you don't want it anymore.

Oh I literally do want it soooo bad, I honestly can't see myself studying in the UK aha. The sports leadership qualification I completed over a year, the same with the Franklin Scholars volunteering programme. I'm going to apply anyways as there's no harm in trying. :smile:
i was thinking of applying, my school sent the application for it 2 weeks ago, but i got there and. theres. so. much. to. fill. in. i get it so only people who are actually determined apply for it, but i dont really know what i want at this stage, i was considering applying to oxford/cambridge as well and i feel itd just be too much to do everything. even if i dont end up going to the us for uni, i'd still maybe consider taking a year out to travel there, i would really love to go, just dont know whether i can make those big life decisions yet
Reply 8
Original post by NetNeutrality
i was thinking of applying, my school sent the application for it 2 weeks ago, but i got there and. theres. so. much. to. fill. in. i get it so only people who are actually determined apply for it, but i dont really know what i want at this stage, i was considering applying to oxford/cambridge as well and i feel itd just be too much to do everything. even if i dont end up going to the us for uni, i'd still maybe consider taking a year out to travel there, i would really love to go, just dont know whether i can make those big life decisions yet

I'm applying to UK unis (including Oxford), alongside my US applications. It sometimes does feel a little bit overwhelming, but if you're determined enough, you should be able to get through it.
Original post by M_M_K
I'm applying to UK unis (including Oxford), alongside my US applications. It sometimes does feel a little bit overwhelming, but if you're determined enough, you should be able to get through it.

what i find difficult is they want the exact opposite thing like US wants you to do a bit of everything but UK wants you to specialise in your subject and idek what im doing lol. what subject are you applying for at oxford?
Reply 10
Original post by NetNeutrality
what i find difficult is they want the exact opposite thing like US wants you to do a bit of everything but UK wants you to specialise in your subject and idek what im doing lol. what subject are you applying for at oxford?

I've applied for Maths at Oxford.
Original post by M_M_K
I've applied for Maths at Oxford.

oh wow man thats hardcore, best of luck to you. which are you more hoping for out of US and oxford?

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