Thinking of studying abroad?

A guide to InternationalUniversity applications

and requirements

Introduction to International Study after Eltham CollegeEach year, a small number of our students consider the option to study overseas. Research into the courses available ensures that the right decision is made when choosing a college or university abroad.

The choice for school leavers making the jump from secondary education to higher education now covers more breadth and scope for development than at any other time in history. There are courses to suit almost any career path and UK universities are facing stiff, but welcome competition from establishments in Europe, the USA and Canada.

American universities in particular welcome the breadth of achievement that is offered throughout your time in our Sixth Form, as it closely matches their own collegiate style that is encouraged in an even greater capacity than in past years. This approach is also adhered to in many European universities, and a potential student’s co-curricular and sporting achievements carry far more weight than the purely academic qualities that many UK universities look for.

It is an important decision to make, and this guide will take you through the first steps of what is necessary and the preparationthat should be taken if you are seriously considering a path to an Internationalised CV.

Reasons to study in the USASixth Form students edging closer to making the step to university, now have a breadth of choice that is far wider than at any point in the history of Higher Education. It is always sensible, and in reality an assumption, that an individual should go to a British university, but there are an increasing number of students making the decision to take the leap over to an international university.

There are a number of great reasons to study in the US or abroad, and many ways in which an international education and the experience gained, can propel you into a very strong position to start your chosen career. Students who have gone through the process of choosing an international university, list the following points as their top reasons for studying abroad:

Range - There are over 4,500 US universities offering undergraduate degrees. With such a wide range of universities and degrees on offer, there is bound to be one that is a great fit for you!

Life - US universities are known for their vibrant campus life. Cheer your university's football (American that is) team to victory or play intramural sports yourself. Join a club - there are hundreds to choose from. Become a leader in student government, or write for the university newspaper. Act or sing in the campus arts programme or volunteer in the community. There are so many ways to get involved in American college life.

Major - Undergraduate degrees in the US are quite flexible. You can apply to US universities as "undecided" about your major (field of study). Under the "liberal arts philosophy", you will take classes from a variety of subjects during the first one to two years before specialising in your major field. Students who already know what they want to study can complete a "double major"; degrees in two academic fields often completed within the normal four years of study. Students may also earn a minor qualification for completing three to five classes in one field.

Funding - Many students are able to fund their studies through scholarships from US universities and external funding bodies. In fact, about 21% of international students report US universities as their primary source of funding for 2014-15 (Open Doors 2015). Scholarships are often offered to students based on merit, co-curricular achievement, financial need, talent and/or personal characteristics, such as country of origin, field, gender or ethnicity. If you look hard enough, there is a scholarship out there for you!

Internationalised CV - Studying and working abroad can make you stand out in the job market when you return to the UK. According to a Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) survey of 230 UK companies, one in three employers valued job applicants with international study experience, while 65% of employers favoured applicants with overseas work experience. International students in the US have the opportunity to gain work experience during their studies and to work in the US for up to one year after graduation on the Optional Practical Training scheme. Students in the sciences and engineering stay on for up to two years.

Travel - The US spans six time zones and has a great diversity in geography and culture. Long university summer holidays and programmes organised by the international students office, such as holiday trips and host family schemes, offer students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the US and immerse themselves in another culture.

Of course, there are many more reasons why studying abroad can be a valid choice over remaining in the UK to continue your education, and this booklet will help you to begin the process of research and informed decision making that is necessary in order for you to choose the right university abroad.

Funding and Scholarships for study in the USAUniversities in the US are required to publish an all-in annual cost for undergraduate study. The costs can vary greatly between them, with some of the state colleges charging around £10,000 per annum, right through to the more prestigious private collegeswhich charge anything up to £47,000 per academic year. The universities generally have accurate calculators built into their websites to give you detailed costings on tuition, board, books and food throughout the year. In this way, you are able to weighup the potential pros and cons of going to any particular establishment in a far more transparent way than many other universities around the globe.

There are four main areas of funding your chosen course, three of which are discussed on this page. Scholarships are discussedon an individual basis to see if you will be eligible, and may take the form of academic, sports and needs based scholarships.

Grants - A grant is an amount of financial funding that a university or private institution provides towards the total cost of your yearly education. It can cover a variety of different needs, including and not limited to your tuition fees, cost of living expensesand other expenses related to your course. They are usually provided on the basis of need or merit, but can be a combinationof these factors.

Loans - There are a few international universities that offer loans to students from the UK and you may have the option to arrange a loan in the UK for your international studies, although this is uncommon. If you have a US citizen who is willing to act as a co-signer for you, you may be able to access several US banks that will provide funding through a loan. Unfortunately, thiswould mean that you wouldn’t walk away from university debt free.

Jobs - International students are positively encouraged to seek employment, which is sometimes contrary to the message thatis sent out by UK establishments. Your international visa allows you to seek work on-campus, once you have applied for and received your Social Security card (an onerous process in itself, but one which you will receive constructive help from thecampus’ employment office) and allows you to take a job in many areas of the ‘mini town’ that most colleges feel like.

Key Points

Grants meet some or all of your tuition and living costs.Loans can help, but leave you with a debt to repay once you graduate.Usually a large number of jobs areavailable.

US Public and State Universities

US Liberal Arts and Specialist Colleges

Public universities in the US are run and supported by individual states and generally cater for, and are open to, all members of the public within that state. Although standards can vary widely, most are of a very high standard and some, such as UCLA or UVA are fiercely competitive, particularly if you are applying as an international student.

They can benefit from substantially reduced fees and are, in some cases, far more competitive if you are going along the pathtowards a sport scholarship, where some of the facilities in this regard rival international sporting associations in other countries.

Many of the US universities follow a liberal arts curriculum, which is actually very similar to the breadth of education offered ata school like Eltham College.

The Liberal Arts programmes of study are designed to allow a student to follow a broad and basic higher level education, which allows them to meet certain criteria in a range of academic disciplines. This ensures that at the end of your four year programme,you will emerge as a very well-rounded individual, with employability in a large number of fields. Certainly, you will still ‘major’ in a more specific academic area, but your foundations might be that little bit more useful in the real world given the broadereducation that you will have undertaken.

Some of the top Liberal Arts colleges include Williams, Amherst and Swathmore, with even establishments such as MIT offeringwell-respected Liberal Arts degrees.

MIT Cheetah V.2Biomimetic Robotics MechE

Key Points

Public and State universities canoffer a top US education.Some State universities offer unbeatable sports scholarships.Liberal Arts degrees give you a well-rounded education.

US Private Universities and The Ivy LeagueIn the US, many universities and colleges are private, mostly operating as educational and research non-profit organisations, while there are also for-profit universities. About 20% of American college students attend private colleges. Additionally, many liberal arts colleges are private, and there are also some public liberal arts colleges.

Due to them being supported by tuition fees and private donations, they typically have much smaller class sizes, including asmaller student body which allows a close-knit campus community. They are also more expensive to attend, but as a result oftheir funding, private universities often offer better campus facilities and set aside additional funding for international students, especially in the case of ‘need-based’ scholarships.

Some of the leading private universities in the US and their websites:

Key Points

75% of US universities are privateinstitutions.Smaller than State universities but usually harder to get into as a result.More likely to provide financial support to international students.

stanford.edu harvard.edu princeton.edu duke.edu

rice.edu caltech.edu yale.edu web.mit.edu

Particulars of the Common ApplicationThe US system uses two main methods for admission to their universities.

In many cases you apply directly to the university, but for most of the colleges that you will be interested in as an international student, you will be using the Common Application system, which has over 500 universities on board and is similar to the UK’s UCAS system.

You will need to register onto the Common Application system in the Summer Term of the Lower Sixth, and at that point add your school counsellor and the teachers that you wish to write your references. The system will ask you to add the universities that you wish to apply to at the same time, advising you how many references you need to include, (usually two teacher references) and whether the admission process requires you to write an essay.

It is a very useful way of ensuring that deadlines are met, as the system sends out regular emails to remind you of important dates.

There are a large number of videos on the application process on their website:

Key Points

Register an account early and choose your universities.Not all universities subscribe to theCommon Application system.You must INVITE your School Counsellor and subject teachers.

commonapp.org

The TestsAlmost all of the universities that you will be applying to require you to take either the SAT or ACT admission tests as part of their application process.

Far from the situation in the US, where High School students are schooled in the both forms of these standardised tests for a number of years prior to sitting them, students at Eltham College are used to the essay heavy content and working out of our GCSEs and A Level courses. Indeed, many students in the UK dismiss the SAT and ACT tests as being a ridiculoustick box and bubble filling exercise, with little benefit in demonstrating a deeper understanding of a particular subject.

They are however compulsory and so you must take them. The US universities, despite their official lines, do not expect you to do as well in these tests as your American counterparts, butthat is no excuse to become complacent as you will still need SAT individual paper scores ofat least 650 out of a possible 800 and ACT scores of at least 32 out of a possible 36 to be considered for the top establishments. For the elite institutions such as MIT, CalTech, Stanfordor Harvard, you really do need to aim for close to perfection in a similar way that you would ifapplying to Oxbridge.

The key to all of this is practice! You simply do not have the luxury of turning up to a test centreand taking the test in the hope of gaining perfect scores. We suggest taking practice papersduring Year 11 and sitting actual papers at test centres during the Lower Sixth. Both the ACT and SAT websites have a very good database of past papers and practice papers, which we recommend that you sit under exam conditions.

Registration and payment must be done in advance for both tests and dates fill up very quickly,at least two months prior to your chosen test date, we would recommend you sign up to sit them. Choose a test centre close to home and try not to take the tests at the same time as your mock exams or AS Levels; it is another headache which you can avoid on this occasion!

The good news is that you can take both tests repeatedly, although evidence suggests that grades do not improve greatly after the third time of sitting them. You also have the benefit thatthe universities will only be sent your highest scores, so a bad sitting will not give an impressionthat you’re not capable in any particular area.

Many universities will also require you to take the SAT Subject Tests and as suggested, ensurethat you practise the papers prior to sitting them.

collegeboard.org act.org

Essays, References and InterviewsThe application process itself differs slightly depending on the institution that you’re applying to. Some universities, such as Dartmouth, ask you to write a personal essay whilst with others this isn’t necessary. Most universities require you to include three references, two from your subject teachers and one from your School Counsellor.At Eltham College, your School Counsellor is the Head of Universities. They form a vital part of the application process and, depending on the institution, can be pivotal on whether your application is successful or not. It is therefore essential that you discuss your application and the institution that you are applying to with the School Counsellor and your subject teachers.

Unlike UK Universities, you generally need subject references from both the Sciences and Humanities, particularly if you are thinking of applying for an Engineering discipline. It is therefore important that you consider your subject choices for A Level and even GCSE if you are thinking of applying to a US University. If you are considering a Liberal Arts course especially, it is good practice to show that your school studies have also been equally broad in terms of their subject scope.

Key Points

Investigate whether any of your universities require an essay.You will need two subject and onecounsellor reference.Consider a broad subject base with Sciences and Humanties covered.

European and Canadian ApplicationsThere are a number of top universities in Europe and Canada, with many of them having courses taught entirely in English and many others having courses taught partly in English. A willingness to learn or being able to speak the native language can be an advantage, and many universities have world leading language training.

To study in Europe or Canada, you will need to apply directly to the university that you are interested in as there is no centralised application system like UCAS, or the Common Application in the US. In Canada, A Levels are recognised so you will not be required to take an ACT/SAT style test, although some of the colleges still require some form of aptitude testing. In theEU, you will normally need to take some form of institution specific admission test prior to fully submitting your application.

As an EU student, you are also normally entitled to the same grants and funding that are available to the native students which can be very useful. You may be entitled to rent and accommodation rebates which can prove helpful when considering whether EU study is viable. If you have a valid EHIC card, you will also not be required to have separate Heath Insurance whilst studying in the EU.

Course fees vary widely but can be minimal. Some public universities in the EU offer undergraduate course tuition rates as lowas £144 per annum, whilst private institutions range from £2,200 to £12,000, prices that are comparable to the UK and in many instances, much lower. Similarly, in Canada, course fees for international students are approximately £9,300 per annum and similar funding and access to academic and sporting scholarships are available as with applying to US colleges.

ETH Zurich Campus

Deadlines and Key DatesGCSE Choices and Year 11

Lower SixthAutumn Term Spring Term Summer Term Summer Holiday

Own Research Research specificuniversities based on a broad criteria.

Research specificuniversities based on a broad criteria.

Begin selecting Colleges and reviewing admissions processes.

Select Colleges, research Early Decision(ED) target.

University visits – Summer Schools

Testing SAT/ACT preparation. Practising test format and strategy.

SAT/ACT preparation, SAT II preparation.

Take SAT II test in Humanities subjects and languages.

SAT and ACT sign-updeadlines.

SAT and ACT sign-updeadlines.

SAT and ACT sign-updeadlines.

Take SAT II test in Humanities subjects and languages.

Sit SATs/ACTs. Sit SATs/ACTs/SAT IIs in conjunction with AS Levels.

Sit PSAT/PACT; Begin SAT/ACT course.

SAT II preparation.

Application CommonApplication/university admission registration.

Essay preliminary preparation.

Essay preparation. First Draft of Personal Statement.

Parent Letter. Teacher references.

Extra-curricular activities: Start own extra-curricularactivity.

Summer internships and jobs/work experience.

Michaelmas/Lent Term Summer Term Summer Holiday

Own Research Research the EU/US university system with parents.

Research the EU/US university system with parents.

Research specific universities based on a broad criteria.

Testing Sit PSAT/PACT, the practice SAT and ACT usually in October.

Take SAT II test in Humanities subjects and languages.

SAT and ACT sign-up deadlines for L6th.

Application Extra-curricular activities. Start own extra-curricularactivity.

Summer internships and jobs/work experience.

Deadlines and Key DatesUpper Sixth

Michaelmas Term Lent Term Summer Term Summer Holiday

Own Research Finalise Colleges for Early Decision(ED) and Regular Decision(RD) target.

Research Colleges to help decide upon acceptance for RD.

University visits to finalise application decisions/On acceptance

Testing Final SAT/ACT preparation. Practising test strategy.

SAT/ACT preparation, SAT II preparation.

Take SAT II test in Humanities subjects and languages.

SAT and ACT sign-updeadlines.

Sit SATs/ACTs/SAT IIsand to improve scores if necessary.

Test dates in October, November and December.

Application Early applications due, usually 1st to 5th November. Regular Decision due 1st

January.

Finalise essay.

Finalise Teacher/School Counsellor references

Regular Decision response received.

Harvard University Campus

Further Information SourcesThere are a number of available sources of information which will be very useful in your search for the correct internationaluniversity. We have listed the most popular below:

The Fulbright Commission organised USA College Day is run every September and is attended by a very large number ofUS Colleges. If you go to one event, make it this one. The Student World Fair, usually held in March each year, caters for universities from around the world.

The following book is highly recommended if you intend to study in the US:

For some great perspectives on studying and living abroad, visit these sites:

The Fulbright Commission fulbright.org.uk

Education USA educationusa.state.gov

Uni in the USA uniintheusa.com

SAT Testing collegeboard.org

ACT Testing act.org

Common Application commonapp.org

lifeintheusa.com

internationalstudent.com

commonapp.org

usastudyguide.com

uscampus.com

studyineurope.eu

For international university rankings:

QS university rankings topuniversities.com

Uni in the USA goodschoolsguide.co.uk

International university fairs and books:

Notes

ELTHAM COLLEGEGrove Park Road, Mottingham,

London, SE9 4QF

www.elthamcollege.london

IU@eltham-college.org.uk