Anonymous
Post 06/23/2025 15:37     Subject: Consensus world view of TOP 5/6 UK University Rankings (Prestige/Research)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only UK students coming here are the ones that:
1) Receive an amazing Merit Scholarship at whatever university they chose since Uni in the UK is really cheap compared to the us and it is only 3 years vs 4 (unless you are in Scotland).
2) HYPSM - And for these, if you dont have a scholarship, you need to come from wealth, otherwise you might as well just attend Oxbridge for 9,350 pounds per year. A Bargain…


This. I’m in Manchester. My son received a partial scholarship to Harvard last year. But it wasn’t enough. He will be just fine with a Cambridge education instead for a fraction of the cost of a 50% scholarship to Harvard. There is always graduate school.


If you dont mind me asking, what were his stats? Would love to know what kind of stats UK kids need to get in to Ivy leagues.


His stats were: A*A*A* and he took the TMUA test. 1580 on the SAT (1 sitting).
Anonymous
Post 06/23/2025 14:56     Subject: Consensus world view of TOP 5/6 UK University Rankings (Prestige/Research)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only UK students coming here are the ones that:
1) Receive an amazing Merit Scholarship at whatever university they chose since Uni in the UK is really cheap compared to the us and it is only 3 years vs 4 (unless you are in Scotland).
2) HYPSM - And for these, if you dont have a scholarship, you need to come from wealth, otherwise you might as well just attend Oxbridge for 9,350 pounds per year. A Bargain…


This. I’m in Manchester. My son received a partial scholarship to Harvard last year. But it wasn’t enough. He will be just fine with a Cambridge education instead for a fraction of the cost of a 50% scholarship to Harvard. There is always graduate school.


If you dont mind me asking, what were his stats? Would love to know what kind of stats UK kids need to get in to Ivy leagues.


Not that parent but for Cambridge you need 3 A grades or A star at A level. The equivalent here is 5 x AP's at grade 5 in relevant subjects over 2 yrs. Plus scoring high in their own exams, plus writing an excellent personal statment plus dazzling them in an interview.


DP: those are stats for Cambridge. Stats for Harvard would be different. There are no A-level results and no APs to look at. So it's interesting to think about what Ivy admissions officers look for . . . . . GCSEs? Phenomenal extra credit/ personal perserverence stories?


Probably the exams students take after their first year of A levels (AS-level) and then also their predicted grades for A levels. They would also sit the SAT/ACT.
Anonymous
Post 06/23/2025 14:15     Subject: Consensus world view of TOP 5/6 UK University Rankings (Prestige/Research)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only UK students coming here are the ones that:
1) Receive an amazing Merit Scholarship at whatever university they chose since Uni in the UK is really cheap compared to the us and it is only 3 years vs 4 (unless you are in Scotland).
2) HYPSM - And for these, if you dont have a scholarship, you need to come from wealth, otherwise you might as well just attend Oxbridge for 9,350 pounds per year. A Bargain…


This. I’m in Manchester. My son received a partial scholarship to Harvard last year. But it wasn’t enough. He will be just fine with a Cambridge education instead for a fraction of the cost of a 50% scholarship to Harvard. There is always graduate school.


If you dont mind me asking, what were his stats? Would love to know what kind of stats UK kids need to get in to Ivy leagues.


Not that parent but for Cambridge you need 3 A grades or A star at A level. The equivalent here is 5 x AP's at grade 5 in relevant subjects over 2 yrs. Plus scoring high in their own exams, plus writing an excellent personal statment plus dazzling them in an interview.


DP: those are stats for Cambridge. Stats for Harvard would be different. There are no A-level results and no APs to look at. So it's interesting to think about what Ivy admissions officers look for . . . . . GCSEs? Phenomenal extra credit/ personal perserverence stories?
Anonymous
Post 06/23/2025 14:15     Subject: Consensus world view of TOP 5/6 UK University Rankings (Prestige/Research)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only UK students coming here are the ones that:
1) Receive an amazing Merit Scholarship at whatever university they chose since Uni in the UK is really cheap compared to the us and it is only 3 years vs 4 (unless you are in Scotland).
2) HYPSM - And for these, if you dont have a scholarship, you need to come from wealth, otherwise you might as well just attend Oxbridge for 9,350 pounds per year. A Bargain…


This. I’m in Manchester. My son received a partial scholarship to Harvard last year. But it wasn’t enough. He will be just fine with a Cambridge education instead for a fraction of the cost of a 50% scholarship to Harvard. There is always graduate school.


Are you really in Manchester and did you really post at 3 in the morning, uk time?
Anonymous
Post 06/23/2025 14:10     Subject: Consensus world view of TOP 5/6 UK University Rankings (Prestige/Research)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only UK students coming here are the ones that:
1) Receive an amazing Merit Scholarship at whatever university they chose since Uni in the UK is really cheap compared to the us and it is only 3 years vs 4 (unless you are in Scotland).
2) HYPSM - And for these, if you dont have a scholarship, you need to come from wealth, otherwise you might as well just attend Oxbridge for 9,350 pounds per year. A Bargain…


This. I’m in Manchester. My son received a partial scholarship to Harvard last year. But it wasn’t enough. He will be just fine with a Cambridge education instead for a fraction of the cost of a 50% scholarship to Harvard. There is always graduate school.


If you dont mind me asking, what were his stats? Would love to know what kind of stats UK kids need to get in to Ivy leagues.


Not that parent but for Cambridge you need 3 A grades or A star at A level. The equivalent here is 5 x AP's at grade 5 in relevant subjects over 2 yrs. Plus scoring high in their own exams, plus writing an excellent personal statment plus dazzling them in an interview.
Anonymous
Post 06/23/2025 12:58     Subject: Consensus world view of TOP 5/6 UK University Rankings (Prestige/Research)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only UK students coming here are the ones that:
1) Receive an amazing Merit Scholarship at whatever university they chose since Uni in the UK is really cheap compared to the us and it is only 3 years vs 4 (unless you are in Scotland).
2) HYPSM - And for these, if you dont have a scholarship, you need to come from wealth, otherwise you might as well just attend Oxbridge for 9,350 pounds per year. A Bargain…


This. I’m in Manchester. My son received a partial scholarship to Harvard last year. But it wasn’t enough. He will be just fine with a Cambridge education instead for a fraction of the cost of a 50% scholarship to Harvard. There is always graduate school.


If you dont mind me asking, what were his stats? Would love to know what kind of stats UK kids need to get in to Ivy leagues.
Anonymous
Post 06/22/2025 20:08     Subject: Consensus world view of TOP 5/6 UK University Rankings (Prestige/Research)

Anonymous wrote:The only UK students coming here are the ones that:
1) Receive an amazing Merit Scholarship at whatever university they chose since Uni in the UK is really cheap compared to the us and it is only 3 years vs 4 (unless you are in Scotland).
2) HYPSM - And for these, if you dont have a scholarship, you need to come from wealth, otherwise you might as well just attend Oxbridge for 9,350 pounds per year. A Bargain…


This. I’m in Manchester. My son received a partial scholarship to Harvard last year. But it wasn’t enough. He will be just fine with a Cambridge education instead for a fraction of the cost of a 50% scholarship to Harvard. There is always graduate school.
Anonymous
Post 06/20/2025 18:03     Subject: Consensus world view of TOP 5/6 UK University Rankings (Prestige/Research)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What’s the pull for UK students to come stateside vs. attending the Top 5/6 UK unis? Employment, brand?

Is the line generally drawn at HYPSM?

Is it a fairly common aspiration to want to attend a US uni, or is it more equivalent to the growing, but niche, US interest in UK schools?


Yes, Ivy League is usually where the line is drawn and only when there's failure to get into Oxford and Cambridge.
My sibling's class had a 95% acceptance rate to Oxbridge. The remainders went to places like Courtauld, MIT and UVA (only 1 to UVA and that was seen as the lowest ranking place attended by anyone that year).


What UK secondary school has a 95% Oxbridge admit rate? Was this is 1950? Even the top UK secondary schools are not a quarter of that these days . . . .


St. Paul's school for girls. #1 in the country. Now and pretty much always.


St. Paul's girls is a GREAT school. But they report that "Of our pupils who choose to study in the UK, over a quarter go on to Oxford and Cambridge, and 97% go on to Russell Group universities" -- so I very much doubt they have a 95% acceptance rate to Oxbridge.

https://www.stpaulsschool.org.uk/academic/academic-13-16/careers-and-universities/university-destinations/


They did the year my sister graduated. She is in her 20s so it wasn't long ago.


I’m the Paulina PP. I just don’t believe you, please show the leavers list from that year. To the PP above with the link, that is from the boys school. The girls school list from this year is here: https://spgs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/University-Destinations-2024.pdf


what a ridiculous request. what is this thread about?


You’re totally right, sorry! I don’t actually care about any of this, I just got caught up in the PP’s nonsense, and it caught my eye because it’s my old school and the numbers she said are absurd. But absolutely agree - this is all completely irrelevant! One tiny interesting point may be the list of universities that the students are attending this year - I think it supports the general consensus on this thread.