The Student Room Group
Reply 1
dont expect to be spoon fed, you need to do the research, and quickly
Reply 2
Hi! Ok so personally, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're admitted into one of the top ones and have the money for it. I'm not sure where you're from, but there are many cheaper options in Europe. You would also have to go to school for 4 years to get a bachelor's, not 3. What qualifications do you have? The thing is, although the pricetag isn't the actual cost, I'm not sure if the generosity of the financial aid is different for people not of the US. Basically, it's very expensive, takes more time, and if you're going for anything but the best, won't give you an experience worth it. That said, if you are well-off, financially, I guess it doesn't really make so much of a difference.

I know that was kind of rambling, I can probably help better with any specific questions, if you have them?
Reply 3
Hi, well I’m currently doing my A Levels in the UK. I guess I just wanted to know how difficult it actually is, as there isn’t really any universities in the UK that jump out at me (I haven’t properly looked yet but I just put this question out there so I have enough time to look at all my options). But that you for your reply. Where are you from?
Reply 4
Original post by Lauren8001
Hi, well I’m currently doing my A Levels in the UK. I guess I just wanted to know how difficult it actually is, as there isn’t really any universities in the UK that jump out at me (I haven’t properly looked yet but I just put this question out there so I have enough time to look at all my options). But that you for your reply. Where are you from?


I'm from the U.S. The difficulty varies widely from school to school, and different styles of teaching are employed as well. For example, The Evergreen State College doesn't do majors, just "fields of study" and is focused on how to make every subject into an interdisciplinary learning experience whereas at somewhere like Penn, you'll get a more traditional style of 5 separate classes. Are you on your last year of high school? I'm not totally sure what A levels are lmao
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by alkie
I'm from the U.S. The difficulty varies widely from school to school, and different styles of teaching are employed as well. For example, The Evergreen State College doesn't do majors, just "fields of study" and is focussed on how to make every subject into an interdisciplinary learning experience whereas at somewhere like Penn, you'll get a more traditional style of 5 separate classes. Are you on your last year of high school? I'm not totally sure what A levels are lmao


Oh right, here you pick a course to study and you can do different degrees in that subject, depending on how far you want to go- I’m not sure how different that is to what it’s like in the US. And I’m in my second to last year of school and haha, I’m not really sure what the equivalent is in the US but all we do GCSEs when we are 16 and then decide what we want to do after that - I chose A Levels (which are what typically lead on to university) and we finish those when we are 18. What about you?
Reply 6
Original post by Lauren8001
Oh right, here you pick a course to study and you can do different degrees in that subject, depending on how far you want to go- I’m not sure how different that is to what it’s like in the US. And I’m in my second to last year of school and haha, I’m not really sure what the equivalent is in the US but all we do GCSEs when we are 16 and then decide what we want to do after that - I chose A Levels (which are what typically lead on to university) and we finish those when we are 18. What about you?


In college/uni, the traditional (and most common) way of getting your bachelor's consists of many general education classes, especially your first year or two. You don't need to declare a major until at least sophomore year because there are so many requirements that everyone has to do anyway.

Before college/uni, we all just go to high school from about 14-18 years old. We take general education core classes, like English, a math, a science, and sometimes a language (that was only required the first 2 years of high school at my school) or gym/health, and then you can have some electives, like psychology or philosophy. Unlike in the UK, we have no standardized tests for normal classes, only grades. You can take Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes and they will have a final standardized test. In our junior and senior years (second to last and last), we take the SAT and/or the ACT, which are general standardized tests that most colleges require.

I have a vague idea of what GCSEs and A-levels are from British tv and youtubers but what're the options instead of A-levels? I didn't realize it was a choice?
Reply 7
Original post by alkie
In college/uni, the traditional (and most common) way of getting your bachelor's consists of many general education classes, especially your first year or two. You don't need to declare a major until at least sophomore year because there are so many requirements that everyone has to do anyway.

Before college/uni, we all just go to high school from about 14-18 years old. We take general education core classes, like English, a math, a science, and sometimes a language (that was only required the first 2 years of high school at my school) or gym/health, and then you can have some electives, like psychology or philosophy. Unlike in the UK, we have no standardized tests for normal classes, only grades. You can take Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes and they will have a final standardized test. In our junior and senior years (second to last and last), we take the SAT and/or the ACT, which are general standardized tests that most colleges require.

I have a vague idea of what GCSEs and A-levels are from British tv and youtubers but what're the options instead of A-levels? I didn't realize it was a choice?


In the UK it has recently changed to that you have to be in some form of education until you are 18 (it used to be 16) so when we are 16 ,apart from A Levels, you can go to college where you can get a higher qualification in the specific course you chose (but it’s not as high as getting a university degree, it’s more the equivalent of an A level). Or you can do an apprenticeship, which is kind of like you are trained in a specific trade, for example, mechanics, and I think you get paid for your work and it often leads to a job. My cousin did this and earns a lot of money as it get him a job with the people who were teaching him.
And same with me, I know most about the American school system from American tv shows, but I wasn’t sure how much of a fair representation they are haha.
Reply 8
Original post by Lauren8001
Hi, it’s been a dream of mine to go to university in America, but I don’t really have any idea about the practicalities of it. So would love to hear any advice/ experience anyone has!


College (not community college) and university are more or less used interchangeably in the US for places to achieve a bachelor's degree or even more. A bachelor's degree in economics from Dartmouth College is the equivalent to a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Chicago.

A typical US university runs on the quarter or semester system, although the latter is more common. In the semester system, a student usually takes four to five class per semester and there are two semesters a year. So a typical student will take around 32-40 classes over a four year period and usually around 18 of those classes are requirements for your major.

Education tends to be more specialized in the UK as opposed to the US. In the US, unless you are at a specialized school like MIT or an art school, one is usually required to take around five classes across an array of fields in addition to the classes you take for your major plus any electives you may select. So a physics major may be required to take an English class, a foreign language, a history class, an art class, a math class, and a science class (which could count towards their major) in addition to 18 classes for the major plus any electives they may want to take such as art history, Chinese film, etc. It's better to take the required classes that every student has to take, regardless of their major, in the first year. The nice thing about the US educational system is students can switch majors, sometimes as late as their third year, if they decide they develop a new interest. For example, my friend was an English major but discovered a love of business through an elective class and ended up becoming a business major. To graduate, most students have to complete a big final paper (50 pages) or a project in their major.

I would recommend googling a US college and then looking at the graduation requirements. That will give you a better idea of what to expect. It also depends on what subject you are interested in. If you want to work in the film industry, a degree from USC (University of Southern California) will open a lot of doors. If you want the equivalent to Oxbridge, one needs to look at the Ivy League, Stanford, or the University of Chicago. Liberal arts colleges tend to have much smaller classes (Dartmouth, Williams, Bard, Middlebury). Schools in major cities, like Tulane in New Orleans, can be a good choice because one often has a wealth of internship opportunities in the big cities connected to the university.

Tuition is very expensive (part of the reason I am on this site is that I am helping my sister decide if she wants to attend university in the UK as it may be cheaper for her as we have dual citizenship). However, there are also many generous scholarships, especially if you are outstanding in a particular sport.

Lastly, 95% of students live with a room mate their freshman year and often their sophomore year too. It can be hell or it can be a way to meet your new best friend for life. Every British person I know thinks it sounds awful, but it really isn't that bad as everyone is in the same boat.
Hi, I'll be attending Vanderbilt University in Fall 2018 and know many people who have been accepted or are at US universities. For those saying its not worth going to a non-prestigous school, don't listen to them! It's not all about prestige. It's about experience. And some universities you may not have heard of, might be really well-known in the US and still offer an amazing experience. In terms of financial aid, many universities give extremely generous financial aid and aim to meet 100% of your demonstrated need.

Don't think you have to go to the 'best of the best' college to get a good education in the US. That's simply not true.
Reply 10
Have you looked into applying to the Sutton Trust US Programme? It’s to give year 12s a sense of what studying in the US is like. I’m a member of cohort 6 of the programme and am currently in the process of applying to university in the US. The programme is completely free - they cover accommodation and food for multiple residentials, they take you on an all expenses paid for trip to the US to look at universities (I went to Yale for a week this summer and visited Princeton, Columbia, Harvard, Smith College and Connecticut College), they pay for you to sit your ACT, they provide yoh with an individual mentor to help you with your application and so much more. The programme have completely changed my life and I would encourage anyone to apply! Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions!
Reply 11
Hello!

I am also on Cohort 6 of the Sutton Trust US Programme and would definitely recommend it too!

The staff are so so so dedicated and supportive which is so helpful when going through something as stressful as US College Applications. The people you'll meet are incredible and you'll make life long friends as well as hopefully be accepted into the university of your dreams.
Reply 12
Thank you for this, it really helped!

Original post by Lark1
College (not community college) and university are more or less used interchangeably in the US for places to achieve a bachelor's degree or even more. A bachelor's degree in economics from Dartmouth College is the equivalent to a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Chicago.

A typical US university runs on the quarter or semester system, although the latter is more common. In the semester system, a student usually takes four to five class per semester and there are two semesters a year. So a typical student will take around 32-40 classes over a four year period and usually around 18 of those classes are requirements for your major.

Education tends to be more specialized in the UK as opposed to the US. In the US, unless you are at a specialized school like MIT or an art school, one is usually required to take around five classes across an array of fields in addition to the classes you take for your major plus any electives you may select. So a physics major may be required to take an English class, a foreign language, a history class, an art class, a math class, and a science class (which could count towards their major) in addition to 18 classes for the major plus any electives they may want to take such as art history, Chinese film, etc. It's better to take the required classes that every student has to take, regardless of their major, in the first year. The nice thing about the US educational system is students can switch majors, sometimes as late as their third year, if they decide they develop a new interest. For example, my friend was an English major but discovered a love of business through an elective class and ended up becoming a business major. To graduate, most students have to complete a big final paper (50 pages) or a project in their major.

I would recommend googling a US college and then looking at the graduation requirements. That will give you a better idea of what to expect. It also depends on what subject you are interested in. If you want to work in the film industry, a degree from USC (University of Southern California) will open a lot of doors. If you want the equivalent to Oxbridge, one needs to look at the Ivy League, Stanford, or the University of Chicago. Liberal arts colleges tend to have much smaller classes (Dartmouth, Williams, Bard, Middlebury). Schools in major cities, like Tulane in New Orleans, can be a good choice because one often has a wealth of internship opportunities in the big cities connected to the university.

Tuition is very expensive (part of the reason I am on this site is that I am helping my sister decide if she wants to attend university in the UK as it may be cheaper for her as we have dual citizenship). However, there are also many generous scholarships, especially if you are outstanding in a particular sport.

Lastly, 95% of students live with a room mate their freshman year and often their sophomore year too. It can be hell or it can be a way to meet your new best friend for life. Every British person I know thinks it sounds awful, but it really isn't that bad as everyone is in the same boat.
Reply 13
Original post by theholychilli
Hi, I'll be attending Vanderbilt University in Fall 2018 and know many people who have been accepted or are at US universities. For those saying its not worth going to a non-prestigous school, don't listen to them! It's not all about prestige. It's about experience. And some universities you may not have heard of, might be really well-known in the US and still offer an amazing experience. In terms of financial aid, many universities give extremely generous financial aid and aim to meet 100% of your demonstrated need.

Don't think you have to go to the 'best of the best' college to get a good education in the US. That's simply not true.


Right, thank you! Good luck for the fall!
Reply 14
Original post by tmoran
Have you looked into applying to the Sutton Trust US Programme? It’s to give year 12s a sense of what studying in the US is like. I’m a member of cohort 6 of the programme and am currently in the process of applying to university in the US. The programme is completely free - they cover accommodation and food for multiple residentials, they take you on an all expenses paid for trip to the US to look at universities (I went to Yale for a week this summer and visited Princeton, Columbia, Harvard, Smith College and Connecticut College), they pay for you to sit your ACT, they provide yoh with an individual mentor to help you with your application and so much more. The programme have completely changed my life and I would encourage anyone to apply! Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions!


No I haven’t, but I will do now. Thank you!
Reply 15
Original post by dev18
Hello!

I am also on Cohort 6 of the Sutton Trust US Programme and would definitely recommend it too!

The staff are so so so dedicated and supportive which is so helpful when going through something as stressful as US College Applications. The people you'll meet are incredible and you'll make life long friends as well as hopefully be accepted into the university of your dreams.


Great! Thank you.
It is really far away.. but you can speak english there too. It’s whether your education ie qualifications have met their entry requirements in order to do their course.

Plus, you’ll be paying flight fees as well as living out there in a different country on your own. If your able to cope and you want to go there, then nothing really can stop you. 👍🏽
Original post by Lauren8001
Hi, it’s been a dream of mine to go to university in America, but I don’t really have any idea about the practicalities of it. So would love to hear any advice/ experience anyone has!
Original post by MKaur18
It is really far away.. but you can speak english there too. It’s whether your education ie qualifications have met their entry requirements in order to do their course.

Plus, you’ll be paying flight fees as well as living out there in a different country on your own. If your able to cope and you want to go there, then nothing really can stop you. 👍🏽


Some universities include transportation/air travel in their financial aid packages
Original post by theholychilli
Some universities include transportation/air travel in their financial aid packages


Yes, this is entirely possible! I got into a US uni with financial aid and the money covers my travel fees (which really isn't the cheapest). If Top US Unis really want you to come, which will mostly be the case if they accept you, they will make it financially possible for you to attend. The top US are crazily rich (Vanderbilt, Amherst, Stanford..) and want to recruit the best and brightest from around the world so will stop at almost nothing in making sure you come to their campus and add value. What do you get? Only a world-class education in the midst of the brightest in the world, at amongst the best universities in the world.

If you have anymore questions, just shoot!! We'll be happy to answer them.

hi dev :smile:

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