Undegrad abroad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it's 3 years you want then go the AP route in HS. Mine got enough AP credits to finish in 3 years ( but doesn't plan to).

How many AP credits would be needed? Are they readily accepted by any college?

Mine had 10 AP classes with 4s and 5s on the tests. All but one was accepted for credit (got a 4 on one that required a 5 for credit). The standards vary quite a bit by school. Some of the ivies give no credit.

Also, some schools have started to give credit for the AP/IB classes, but they don't necessarily allow those credits to go toward graduation. In other words, credit is given in order to opt out of general requirement courses and into higher level courses, but the student still needs to study for 8 semesters/4 years. Essentially, schools have realized they want the student and their tuition for 4 years….again, each school is different. You need to check out each one's requirements and policies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One big problem with going abroad is that your alumni network ends up being in the wrong country if you want to come back and live here. A friend of mine went to school in Canada and regrets it for that reason.

Agree this doesn't seem to be a great strategy for internships and other meaningful career connections.

[Anonymous]

I think that the value of the Canadian degree depends on part on what the student wants to do. If they want to come back and go to grad school in the US, US universities will recognize the value of degrees from McGill, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto and Queens. A member of my family has gone from a Canadian university to MIT (for grad school) so it does happen.

Our teens are starting to look at schools out west and I'm not sure that there is much difference between UBC and, say, University of Washington, which would be much more expensive.

[Anonymous]

For 8/22 8:41... DD was highly focused on what she wanted to study -- in the UK you specialize immediately -- and also is very independent so tutorial system is a good fit. Plus she's done in three years rather than four, so gets out in the world doing what she wants to, faster. Plus saves us tuition money too. Even w/o FA, it's cheaper than an ivy with the FA she was offered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that the value of the Canadian degree depends on part on what the student wants to do. If they want to come back and go to grad school in the US, US universities will recognize the value of degrees from McGill, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto and Queens. A member of my family has gone from a Canadian university to MIT (for grad school) so it does happen.

Our teens are starting to look at schools out west and I'm not sure that there is much difference between UBC and, say, University of Washington, which would be much more expensive.

the demographics are different between uBC and UW. UBC is more Asian than Cal and UCLA. UW is in a better location IMO (though Vancouver is a nicer city, UW is actually IN seattle).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One big problem with going abroad is that your alumni network ends up being in the wrong country if you want to come back and live here. A friend of mine went to school in Canada and regrets it for that reason.

Agree this doesn't seem to be a great strategy for internships and other meaningful career connections.

I find this very hard to believe in today's world. Kids have dual citizenship with an EU country, and I think anywhere they'll go for uni will be great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oxford and Cambridge are in England so instruction is in English. Difficult to get in to if you are not an EU resident. Many US students attend St Andrews though.

However, most people apply and get their Honors degrees from St. Andrews which is a 4 year program. Only a small number of people get a designated degree from St. Andrews (and U of Edinburgh) which is the 3 year program. Also, there are people from the US who apply and are accepted into Oxford and Cambridge, but it is highly selective and extremely hard to get into (even if you are an EU resident). It requires high predicted grades, you only have a chance if you are offered an in-person interview after the application is submitted (which must happen there) and then the interview itself can be grueling. After the interview is when you find out if you have been extended an offer and it's usually conditional upon completion of exams. Not an easy process.

Also, many European universities (especially the Northern European ones) have tracks where the instruction is in English. You simply have to find them. Another thing to remember is that you will need to apply into a specific course of study for the 3-year programs. They are not liberal art programs where the major must be decided after 1 or 2 years. You will go directly into that course of study whether it is medicine or history. This may mean that you must know exactly what you want to study at an early age, especially since many programs will have specific requirements for courses that are taken in high school.

Another reason many US students are choosing to go for school in other countries is the cost of tuition is much less as compared to US universities, especially the Canadian universities which are great and may not be as far away as European schools and sometimes may be closer in distance from home than a US school across the country.

Oxford application is multipart but not so difficult as a U.S. app because
1 no grades submitted only test scores
2 no dopey essay topics- just what do you want to study and why
3 interview is easy. Nice profs in your favorite subject chat with you and ask a few questions
4 applicant stays in dorm for 3 days during interview and gets a real feel for the place
5 if you are a U.S. student who has AP scores from 11 grade in the subject you can get an unconditional acceptance in early jan
It's a great experience just to apply

[Anonymous]

DD is only a sophomore in high school but has her heart set on a UK or Irish university. Her first choice is University of Edinburgh.

We'll see how the next year plays out but I doubt she'll change her mind as she has been talking about this since she was in fourth grade. Some kids just want to take "the path less chosen".

[Anonymous]

Admission to Oxford/Cambridge is hard, but the admissions odds are no worse than the Ivies. Considering you get a BA in 3 years, it'll cost about $100k less. And they are much better choices than a merit scholarship at a second or third tier US school. Fellow American students are like to be Rhodes or Marshall scholars. Much more useful for jobs in the Commonwealth than the smaller Ivies.

[Anonymous]

15:58, my kid is headed to Edinburgh in the fall. S/he's thrilled, as are we. Got an unconditional offer in mid-October so it's been a virtually stress-free senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:58, my kid is headed to Edinburgh in the fall. S/he's thrilled, as are we. Got an unconditional offer in mid-October so it's been a virtually stress-free senior year.

Brilliant! Congratulations! Hopefully DD will meet your DD there in two years!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at the Times and Shanghai universities rankings http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2014/reputation-ranking
and it seems a lot of these universities (Oxford, Cambridge, etc...) offer 3 year bachelor degrees vs US 4 year bachelor degrees.

What gives? Do they have English taught programs, or does one have to learn Swedish or German to attend?

Most courses in Oxford and Cambridge are in Swedish, but they are increasingly switching to German or English to make them more widely understood.

This could not possibly be true. Oxford and Cambridge are in the UK, the homeland of the English language.

[Anonymous]

It is true. Swedish has long been the language of instruction at top British universities. Little known fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oxford and Cambridge are in England so instruction is in English. Difficult to get in to if you are not an EU resident. Many US students attend St Andrews though.

However, most people apply and get their Honors degrees from St. Andrews which is a 4 year program. Only a small number of people get a designated degree from St. Andrews (and U of Edinburgh) which is the 3 year program. Also, there are people from the US who apply and are accepted into Oxford and Cambridge, but it is highly selective and extremely hard to get into (even if you are an EU resident). It requires high predicted grades, you only have a chance if you are offered an in-person interview after the application is submitted (which must happen there) and then the interview itself can be grueling. After the interview is when you find out if you have been extended an offer and it's usually conditional upon completion of exams. Not an easy process.

Also, many European universities (especially the Northern European ones) have tracks where the instruction is in English. You simply have to find them. Another thing to remember is that you will need to apply into a specific course of study for the 3-year programs. They are not liberal art programs where the major must be decided after 1 or 2 years. You will go directly into that course of study whether it is medicine or history. This may mean that you must know exactly what you want to study at an early age, especially since many programs will have specific requirements for courses that are taken in high school.

Another reason many US students are choosing to go for school in other countries is the cost of tuition is much less as compared to US universities, especially the Canadian universities which are great and may not be as far away as European schools and sometimes may be closer in distance from home than a US school across the country.

Oxford application is multipart but not so difficult as a U.S. app because
1 no grades submitted only test scores
2 no dopey essay topics- just what do you want to study and why
3 interview is easy. Nice profs in your favorite subject chat with you and ask a few questions
4 applicant stays in dorm for 3 days during interview and gets a real feel for the place
5 if you are a U.S. student who has AP scores from 11 grade in the subject you can get an unconditional acceptance in early jan
It's a great experience just to apply

I know several kids who have gone through the application and interview process for Oxford and Cambridge and they would disagree with you that the interview is easy....yes, it is professors in your subject area who are doing the interviews, but the purpose is to "trip" you up and see what you can handle - information given to me by Brits who have attended and/or have family members who are applying and also from the stories I've heard about the kids' interviews. Strong candidates shouldn't have any problem handling the interview, but you shouldn't tell people to go into it thinking it's going to be a "chat" - most candidates will be crossed off the list if they go into it expecting an easy experience. Also, keep in mind that the UK schools really want that international tuition money so getting an offer as an American (or other nationality outside of the UK) is considered much easier...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is true. Swedish has long been the language of instruction at top British universities. Little known fact.

Really not true. Why would they keep this a secret? Cambridge does have some satellite schools in other parts of Europe that probably use the language of the home country. There are some immersion courses that cover a few different languages but the primary programs are taught in English. I have family in Cambridge so I know this. I can't speak for Oxford, I've never been there, but I find it hard to believe that an English school that old is not teaching in English.