US/UK entry requirements

Hello! I’m an American student applying to UK universities, and I’d love a better perspective on my chances of getting accepted because while I believe my grades are good enough, I don’t want to be overconfident and get rejected from everywhere. On UCAS I’m applying to:
- University of Glasgow (International Relations with Quantitative Methods, AAB-BBB)
- Cardiff University (International Relations, ABB-BBB)
- Queen’s University of Belfast (French and International Relations, ABB)
- University of London Institute of Paris (International Politics and French, ABB)
- Stirling University (International Politics and French, BBB)

Thus far I have taken AP World History, AP US History, AP French, and AP English Language (5, 5, 5, 5) which are the highest scores possible. Most UK unis seem to see my grades as equal to AAA. I also plan to take 3 or 4 more AP exams this spring.

All this to say, while I believe my grades are strong, I really have no concept for how UK unis make their selections. My extracurriculars are weak, which I know is less of a big deal in the UK than in the US, but do you think there’s any chance I could get rejected from any of these unis? Do you think I would receive unconditional or conditional offers?

I’m sorry if I’m rambling or not making sense, but if you have any insight at all that might help I would greatly appreciate it. I’m worried that applying to 3 Russell groups when I can only apply to 5 total is risky. Should I replace any of my choices with unis that have really low/easy entry requirements?

Thanks, and again please let me know if you have any insight at all :smile:

)))

Reply 1

emilyalexandria

9

Original post by nla710

Hello! I’m an American student applying to UK universities, and I’d love a better perspective on my chances of getting accepted because while I believe my grades are good enough, I don’t want to be overconfident and get rejected from everywhere. On UCAS I’m applying to:
- University of Glasgow (International Relations with Quantitative Methods, AAB-BBB)
- Cardiff University (International Relations, ABB-BBB)
- Queen’s University of Belfast (French and International Relations, ABB)
- University of London Institute of Paris (International Politics and French, ABB)
- Stirling University (International Politics and French, BBB)

Thus far I have taken AP World History, AP US History, AP French, and AP English Language (5, 5, 5, 5) which are the highest scores possible. Most UK unis seem to see my grades as equal to AAA. I also plan to take 3 or 4 more AP exams this spring.

All this to say, while I believe my grades are strong, I really have no concept for how UK unis make their selections. My extracurriculars are weak, which I know is less of a big deal in the UK than in the US, but do you think there’s any chance I could get rejected from any of these unis? Do you think I would receive unconditional or conditional offers?

I’m sorry if I’m rambling or not making sense, but if you have any insight at all that might help I would greatly appreciate it. I’m worried that applying to 3 Russell groups when I can only apply to 5 total is risky. Should I replace any of my choices with unis that have really low/easy entry requirements?

Thanks, and again please let me know if you have any insight at all :smile:

)))

You're right that UK universities care less about extracurriculars. They're not a priority at all in admissions, and they shouldn't affect your chances of getting accepted. Your personal statement needs to demonstrate that you're really passionate about the course you're applying to, and that you're capable of studying it independently. You can do that effectively even if you only talk about readings you've done.

Secondly, I think you're misunderstanding the meaning of a Russell Group university. It's common, even in the UK, for people to treat it like a kind of UK Ivy League. That's just not true. A university in the Russell Group is not inherently superior to one that isn't.

Regarding conditional/unconditional offers, it will probably depend on whether the grades you're applying with are predicted, or if you've already achieved them. If you're applying before you've taken all of your AP exams, it's likely that they will be added as a condition of your offer. It's good to have a safety choice or two, same as in the US, in case you perform badly in those exams and still want to study in the UK.

Reply 2

nla710

OP

3

Ok thank you so much! :smile:

Also, I was wondering if it would ever be possible to get a conditional offer with higher qualifications than the entry requirements. Like is it possible that one of those unis could offer me A*AA when the entry requirement is ABB and I already have AAA at the time of applying?

And thank you for replying so fast, I really didn’t expect that and your response was super helpful!

Reply 3

emilyalexandria

9

Original post by nla710

Ok thank you so much! :smile:

Also, I was wondering if it would ever be possible to get a conditional offer with higher qualifications than the entry requirements. Like is it possible that one of those unis could offer me A*AA when the entry requirement is ABB and I already have AAA at the time of applying?

And thank you for replying so fast, I really didn’t expect that and your response was super helpful!

No worries! It's definitely possible to get an offer higher than the entry requirements, although it's less common now. You won't get an offer with higher grades than you currently have, though. If you're applying with predicted grades of AAA, they either give you an offer with AAA or below, or they reject you. It's generally assumed in the UK that predicted grades will be inflated, so it's very unlikely you'll receive an offer higher than your prediction. If you've already achieved AAA in final exams, they won't give you an offer conditional on you retaking those exams and doing better.

Reply 4

nla710

OP

3

Great, thank you again!! This is so helpful for me, definitely considering that my high school counselors are of no use when it comes to international applications. :frown:

One last question, idk if it’s too specific so if you don’t know that’s totally fine, but is it okay to apply to 5 UK unis on UCAS plus others on different application systems? For example, I was thinking of applying to Aberystwyth University through the Common App (US version of UCAS basically), but I saw on some other thread that applying to more than 5 UK unis no matter the application system is a big no-no. Do you know if this is true? Would I get penalized for applying to my 5 UK unis on UCAS plus like Aberystwyth or something on the Common app? I hope I’m not being bothersome I just have a lot of questions haha

(edited 7 months ago)

Reply 5

emilyalexandria

9

Original post by nla710

Great, thank you again!! This is so helpful for me, definitely considering that my high school counselors are of no use when it comes to international applications. :frown:

One last question, idk if it’s too specific so if you don’t know that’s totally fine, but is it okay to apply to 5 UK unis on UCAS plus others on different application systems? For example, I was thinking of applying to Aberystwyth University through the Common App (US version of UCAS basically), but I saw on some other thread that applying to more than 5 UK unis no matter the application system is a big no-no. Do you know if this is true? Would I get penalized for applying to my 5 UK unis on UCAS plus like Aberystwyth or something on the Common app? I hope I’m not being bothersome I just have a lot of questions haha

I'm not sure, actually. I was under the impression that the five university limit was just a UCAS thing. Most universities in the UK only accept applications through UCAS, so it doesn't come up very much. I would recommend emailing the specific universities you were planning on applying to outside of UCAS just in case, they're usually quite helpful.

Reply 6

nla710

OP

3

Ok will do, thank you again for your help :smile:

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