US vs. UK Admissions: What you need to know!

Winter is Coming… And with that, so is the Jan 1st deadline for Regular Decision applications to the US. However, this is right around the time that students start to consider the possibility of applying to the UK. Why now? Well for some, their Early Decision strategy didn’t work out. For others, they didn’t think about applying abroad and the overwhelming amount of work needed to apply to the US is a huge deterrent. For others, it’s just the fact that they still have some deadlines available to them.

While we generally don’t espouse a hurried decision to apply abroad, we recognize that for many students, applying to college is an opportunity to gain new experiences and the UK is an option they may want to consider. So while we covered Canada vs. the US way back in July, we are still providing information for “just in time” applications as allowed for the UK.

Note, we are not differentiating on the education systems here. There is plenty to be said on that! However, we are talking about the admissions process in particular.

But what do you need to know?

The Application: CommonApp vs. UCAS

While some US universities still have their own applications (MIT for example), they largely all have a presence on Common Application where the burden is lifted off the students by allowing them to apply to multiple colleges through the main application and then providing specific responses to supplements for each college. Effectively, this means each application is unique and really there is a lot of flexibility in presenting even different CommonApp essays, supplements etc. to each university you apply to.

For the UK however, students use the UCAS form or the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. Now this sounds like a similar thing to the CommonApp. It is, with a few key differences.

–        Every college in the UK uses the applications

–        The application limits you to 5 total colleges and no more

–        It is not modified or personalized to the colleges

This last point is very important. Students need to declare their major up front and so, have to apply to a specific major within each college. While each application has a supplement for the US the UK has only one Statement of Purpose, focused on your academic and career goals and preparation for the same and so you cannot express interest in a particular university but instead must focus on your preparation for college and your major in general. Moreover, you cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge, but only one college of the two.*

*It is to be noted that the deadline to Oxford and Cambridge has passed however it is important to know this for applicants applying next year.

Academic vs. Holistic Review

Folks talk a lot about the Holistic Review process of the US applications which takes into account test scores and grades but also a number of other things including the extracurriculars, essays, personal experiences etc. UK, the focus is largely academics. Rather like India! (Or you can say India’s education system is like the UK’s).

While the statement of purpose allows you to elaborate on extracurriculars, since the focus is on academics, that is the only way that extracurriculars should be included – to support your desire for a major. UK universities look for academic achievements in the SOP and also for academics to make decisions relying on your grades from school to offer admission.

Testing Requirements

SAT, ACT, PSAT, TOEFL – there is a LONG list of standardized test scores in the US. Students need to take the SAT or ACT which covers a variety of subjects in Math and English and some even need to take Subject Tests to show prowess in Physics etc.

In the UK however, there is no equivalent of the SAT and ACT. They will take university specific exams for some colleges and programs – Thinking Skills Assessment for Cambridge or MAT for Math majors. Other tests are considered but not mandatory. It comes down to academics.

However, it is important to highlight that TOEFL is required for the US and IELTS for the UK to test your proficiency in English if you are an international student.

Similarities

Not everything is about the differences, there are similarities as well!

–        Emphasis on grades – while the US is “holistic” in its approach, grades are king in both admissions processes

–        Recommendations – both processes need recommendations from school though the requirements are different (more for the US, less for the UK)

–        Deadlines – similar deadlines in that UCAS opens in September and CommonApp in August. Both are due in January though US colleges are largely Jan 1st and UK colleges Jan 15th

Whether you plan to apply to the UK or finish up the applications you’ve been working on for the US, at this stage remember 1) Stay Organized 2) Finish your Research 3) College is what you Make of it.

There are people who will be thrilled by their choices and those who will be disappointed. We are as a population, some of the most educated people in the world and competition is increasing more and more. But your admissions journey is your own and yours alone. While it’s important to aim high, don’t be distracted by big names or what your neighbor or friend may be doing. Focus on what makes you happy. Leverage your counselors to choose the best fit for YOU as a person.

As long as you apply to a range of colleges, you’ll make it to an amazing place where you will get a great education. Colleges is what you make of it, not the be all and end all.