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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I did grad school there so I can’t speak to the undergrad admissions but can talk about the differences.

As others have said, British education is much more self directed. That works for some but it can be difficult for Americans, especially 19 year olds.

It is also much more essay based (though this may be different for STEM, I’m not sure) so that can be an adjustment as well. Generally exams all take place at the end of the school year - I used to describe it to American friends as the Harry Potter school system. That makes it a bit all or nothing which works for some but not others. Again, you need self-discipline and self-direction.

There are three terms per year, which means you get more frequent breaks than a semester system but it can eat into the summer which makes American internships difficult.

Also, you need to research colleges. Your son will apply to and be admitted to a college, these all vary in terms of primary academic focus and social life but are not necessarily subject based like in the US.

Final thing I would say is that British universities tend to offer much less in terms of facilities, career services, etc. The focus is on academics, much less the bells and whistles (though there are definitely some good parties).[/quote]

PP. One additional thing since you asked. These schools are definitely renowned in the US, but hiring managers often have less experience with them and US companies are less likely to recruit there for US-based jobs. It can be a leg up for UK-based jobs, although that depends on the immigration policies of the day.[/quote]

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