What is Applying to UK Universities like?
DISCLAIMER: Med/law schools are exceptions.
Colleges in UK are only three years. Compared to the colleges in the United States, you get to save one year of time and tuition! However, UK students do not have the freedom to change their majors after their enrollment. You jump straight to professsional lectures and excruciating essays and harsh criticisms rather than a year of interesting classes and fun time with friends and time to enjoy the beautiful campus. So if you still are not certain about which discipline you want to pursue (not major, discipline), I recommend you to NOT apply to UK schools.
For those of you who know what you want to do in college, congratulations. In UK, you can also get Master’s degree in just a year. Compared to your peers in the states who have to do four years of undergraduate and two years of graduate, you are two years ahead! Though I have seen more people applying to graduate schools in the United States rather than staying in the UK, if UK fits you, then you have great advantage that can differentiate you in the job market.
For those of you who know generally which direction you want to go to (“I want to major in somewhere business/engineering/language/etc.), you should look carefully at the majors that the colleges offer. Choose interdisciplinary majors that cover multiple subjects. Even those who were sure about their majors often find out that they actually do not, so we shouldn’t risk that at all, especially in an education system like the UK. Go through the major catalogues of every university you want to apply to, and list some majors in descending preference.
DISCLAIMER: Med/law schools are exceptions.
Colleges in UK are only three years. Compared to the colleges in the United States, you get to save one year of time and tuition! However, UK students do not have the freedom to change their majors after their enrollment. You jump straight to professsional lectures and excruciating essays and harsh criticisms rather than a year of interesting classes and fun time with friends and time to enjoy the beautiful campus. So if you still are not certain about which discipline you want to pursue (not major, discipline), I recommend you to NOT apply to UK schools.
For those of you who know what you want to do in college, congratulations. In UK, you can also get Master’s degree in just a year. Compared to your peers in the states who have to do four years of undergraduate and two years of graduate, you are two years ahead! Though I have seen more people applying to graduate schools in the United States rather than staying in the UK, if UK fits you, then you have great advantage that can differentiate you in the job market.
For those of you who know generally which direction you want to go to (“I want to major in somewhere business/engineering/language/etc.), you should look carefully at the majors that the colleges offer. Choose interdisciplinary majors that cover multiple subjects. Even those who were sure about their majors often find out that they actually do not, so we shouldn’t risk that at all, especially in an education system like the UK. Go through the major catalogues of every university you want to apply to, and list some majors in descending preference.
Look for a common theme between those majors. You use one UCAS essay to apply to all those five schools, so it’s important that the essay makes sense to ALL majors you are applying to. If you look at the picture, it is reasonable that I focused on statistics on my UCAS essay. If you really apply to one specific school/major, you could prioritize that major and make other majors match, but make sure that essay has to sound coherent from other schools too!
In my opinion, UK colleges focus way more on the personal statement than US colleges do. Some applicants get rejection letter that specifically states that their personal statement was the reason of rejection (ouch). My essay demonstrated LOTS OF passion for my majors which showed that I am a good fit for the UK education system (if you are thinking that you are not passionate, you fake it till you make it my friend).
Basics:
Important advice
The Personal Statement:
This is a 4000 character essay (approximately 600-650 words depending on your use of vocabulary)
“Tell the reader why you're applying – include your ambitions, as well as what interests you about the subject, the course provider, and higher education. Think about what makes you suitable – this could be relevant experience, skills, or achievements you've gained from education, work, or other activities.” ~ UCAS
There is a lot of room for creativity in the Personal Statement (granted not as much as the American Common-app essay) but typically Personal Statements will include:
How exactly you structure and write this is up to your creativity however there are a few dos and don’ts
DO read extracurricular books related to your major of interest before writing the Personal Statement. Being able to reference and talk in detailed about an extracurricular book is a great way to make your personal statement more unique and stand out. It can also help build your interest and knowledge of the subject.
DON’T namedrop various books, activities and experiences without giving detail and relating them to your major and why you’re interested in the major. Namedropping is a very obvious turn-off for admission officers. Simply reading the introduction of a book and putting it in your personal statement without knowing anything about it is a very bad idea!
DO have a central theme to your Personal Statement. Make sure your Personal Statement flows as an essay and not a disorientated piece of writing explaining various different things you have done in high school. It is a good idea to introduce a central theme that is a bit more specific than just the major of interest (e.g. perhaps a certain area of interest within the major, or its applicability in real-world scenarios, etc.) and link all your examples throughout the Personal Statement to this central theme.
DON’T try to say too much. Its only around 600 words so don’t try to say each and every one of your high school experiences! Pick 2-3 and explain in detail. Quality over quantity!
DON’T be afraid to show that there are things you don’t yet know of the subject, if you knew everything you wouldn’t need to go to University! Demonstrating interest is as important as demonstrating knowledge.
University-specific advice:
*** The most important thing is to do your RESEARCH into each specific university***
1. Oxbridge:
If your IB predicted grade is 42 or above AND you meet the subject specific requirements AND you have a strong set of GCSE’s, congratulations! You could be an Oxbridge caliber student😊
2. The top London schools:
Traditionally, there are three London Universities that are consistently ranked and reputed right behind Oxbridge. These are (in no particular order), The Imperial College of London, University College London (UCL) and The London School of Economics and Politics (LSE). King’s College London is also worth mentioning, as it closely trails these 3 universities in terms of ranking and reputation (in fact it is ranked higher than LSE overall, but we’ll get into that later).
While these universities are consistently ranked very highly in UK and globally, their application is the standard UCAS application and typically do not require additional materials. (Certain majors may require additional coursework and interviews). As a result of this, the most deciding factor for these universities are the PERSONAL STATEMENT. These universities attract top students with high predicted grades each year and the best way to distinguish yourself from the crowd is through your Personal Statement.
I would, personally recommend you to have at least a predicted score of 40 to apply to Imperial, UCL and LSE (while also meeting subject specific requirements). Ideally a 42-43 score would be considered more competitive. (But there have been cases where people with 44s and 45s have been rejected from these schools). GCSE grades are important here too. King’s college London is more lenient and a predicted score of 38-40 is typically considered competitive.
More details of the London school:
In my opinion, UK colleges focus way more on the personal statement than US colleges do. Some applicants get rejection letter that specifically states that their personal statement was the reason of rejection (ouch). My essay demonstrated LOTS OF passion for my majors which showed that I am a good fit for the UK education system (if you are thinking that you are not passionate, you fake it till you make it my friend).
Basics:
- You can apply for a maximum of 5 universities in the United Kingdom
- Your entire application is done through UCAS
- Essentially your application consists of your grades (transcript, exams and predicted grades), your personal statement (4000 character essay) and a reference letter which will be uploaded by your university counsellor/referee.
- Unlike universities in the USA, UK universities primarily look at your academic capabilities and it is essential that you are able to fully demonstrate this throughout your application.
Important advice
- Start EARLY. Try to start planning and researching in your first year of IB. Aim to have the first draft of your Personal Statement finished in the summer before your final year of IB. If you manage your time well there is no reason to be short on time for the UCAS application.
- RESEARCH thoroughly! Although the UCAS application is one that is relatively straightforward, there are various nuances that must be considered for different universities (Oxbridge in particular)
- Try to apply for only 1 major across your 5 schools. You’re only allowed one personal statement that needs to be heavily focused on your major. Writing a Personal Statement for different majors is incredibly difficult and will very likely reduce your chances of admission for ALL five schools. If you must apply for different majors, choose ones that are similar and have something in common. For example, applying for straight Economics and things like Economics with Statistics and Economics and Management is doable. Applying for Economics and Religious Studies however will land you 5 rejections (maybe less than 5 since religious studies has ridiculously high admission rate).
- Read more recent news, which would be of great help for the interview.
The Personal Statement:
This is a 4000 character essay (approximately 600-650 words depending on your use of vocabulary)
“Tell the reader why you're applying – include your ambitions, as well as what interests you about the subject, the course provider, and higher education. Think about what makes you suitable – this could be relevant experience, skills, or achievements you've gained from education, work, or other activities.” ~ UCAS
There is a lot of room for creativity in the Personal Statement (granted not as much as the American Common-app essay) but typically Personal Statements will include:
- a brief introduction of yourself
- Your academic experience
- Extracurricular readings that are related to your major
- Extracurricular experiences
How exactly you structure and write this is up to your creativity however there are a few dos and don’ts
DO read extracurricular books related to your major of interest before writing the Personal Statement. Being able to reference and talk in detailed about an extracurricular book is a great way to make your personal statement more unique and stand out. It can also help build your interest and knowledge of the subject.
DON’T namedrop various books, activities and experiences without giving detail and relating them to your major and why you’re interested in the major. Namedropping is a very obvious turn-off for admission officers. Simply reading the introduction of a book and putting it in your personal statement without knowing anything about it is a very bad idea!
DO have a central theme to your Personal Statement. Make sure your Personal Statement flows as an essay and not a disorientated piece of writing explaining various different things you have done in high school. It is a good idea to introduce a central theme that is a bit more specific than just the major of interest (e.g. perhaps a certain area of interest within the major, or its applicability in real-world scenarios, etc.) and link all your examples throughout the Personal Statement to this central theme.
DON’T try to say too much. Its only around 600 words so don’t try to say each and every one of your high school experiences! Pick 2-3 and explain in detail. Quality over quantity!
DON’T be afraid to show that there are things you don’t yet know of the subject, if you knew everything you wouldn’t need to go to University! Demonstrating interest is as important as demonstrating knowledge.
University-specific advice:
*** The most important thing is to do your RESEARCH into each specific university***
1. Oxbridge:
If your IB predicted grade is 42 or above AND you meet the subject specific requirements AND you have a strong set of GCSE’s, congratulations! You could be an Oxbridge caliber student😊
- You can only apply to one of either Oxford or Cambridge; so, choose carefully
- To apply for Oxbridge you are subject to the earliest October 15 UCAS deadline. This could be an advantage or a disadvantage.
- Oxbridge have extra entrance exams for most majors and these exams are often weighted equally as high as your high school exam grades if not higher. Prepare well.
- Cambridge shortlists about 70% (estimate) of their applicants for interview whereas Oxford interviews only 33%. If you excel at interviews, perhaps Cambridge is the better option!
- Research into specific Oxbridge colleges. This is incredibly important as different colleges have their own, separate admissions for both universities. Students of Oxbridge will do most of their learning in said colleges. These colleges vary in a variety of factors so it is important to research carefully! It is worth noting that certain colleges are considerably more difficult to get admitted in compared to others. So, DON’T, for example, apply to Christ Church Oxford just because Harry Potter was filmed there. Research college specific admissions statistics!
2. The top London schools:
Traditionally, there are three London Universities that are consistently ranked and reputed right behind Oxbridge. These are (in no particular order), The Imperial College of London, University College London (UCL) and The London School of Economics and Politics (LSE). King’s College London is also worth mentioning, as it closely trails these 3 universities in terms of ranking and reputation (in fact it is ranked higher than LSE overall, but we’ll get into that later).
While these universities are consistently ranked very highly in UK and globally, their application is the standard UCAS application and typically do not require additional materials. (Certain majors may require additional coursework and interviews). As a result of this, the most deciding factor for these universities are the PERSONAL STATEMENT. These universities attract top students with high predicted grades each year and the best way to distinguish yourself from the crowd is through your Personal Statement.
I would, personally recommend you to have at least a predicted score of 40 to apply to Imperial, UCL and LSE (while also meeting subject specific requirements). Ideally a 42-43 score would be considered more competitive. (But there have been cases where people with 44s and 45s have been rejected from these schools). GCSE grades are important here too. King’s college London is more lenient and a predicted score of 38-40 is typically considered competitive.
More details of the London school:
- Imperial College London:
- Consistently ranked top 10 in the world by QS. Currently ranked 9th.
- Offers a wide range of majors but is particularly well known for the natural sciences and engineering.
- Ranked higher by employers than academics.
- University College London:
- Consistently ranked top 10 in the world by QS. Currently ranked 8th.
- Offers perhaps the widest range of majors among the London schools and is generally perceived to be a more well-rounded college. However, UCL globally renowned for Architecture, Art, Pharmacy, Education and Social Sciences. Most notably UCL’s Architecture and Institute of Education have consistently been ranked 1st in the world.
- Ranked higher by academics than employers
- London School of Economics and Politics
- Overall LSE is typically ranked around 40 in the world by QS, this is largely because LSE is much smaller than Imperial and UCL and offers a narrower range of courses.
- However, LSE is consistently top 10 in the world for the various social sciences degrees it offers, economics in particular. Hence in terms of global reputation it is undoubtedly on par with UCL and Imperial.