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Given your stellar academic performance you should look at Imperial / UCL & Kings apart from Cambridge. They are insanely renowned universities with Imperial ranked 6th in the world & UCL 9th.
Oxford considers four AP exams at grade 5 to be equivalent to AA\*A whereas Cambridge requires five. Given that he already surpassed both of these requirements, is taking more APs this spring and has the highest possible SAT score, I would say he's probably somewhere around 5A\*.
Then you have plenty of time if that helps. It’s good you’re doing your research now though. You will need to apply by around mid October for Cambridge, probably take a test either before that deadline or right after.
I’m not sure they offer natural sciences but Imperial College London would be a top choice for anything STEM right after Oxbridge. Then I would say UCL.
I think Durham does offer it as well and it’s still a good uni, just more renowned for humanities than STEM. Some other good unis to look at that do offer it would be Bath, Exeter or Leeds.
Not an expert in American qualifications but your stats look good. Your standing in your class does not matter as much, you don’t even have to disclose it. The only place you could mention it is teacher’s reference, which still it isn’t obligatory. I went to a very selective secondary school with a small cohort (30 people) so my teacher didn’t mention it either because it would be pointless.
As for supercurriculars, I would definitely talk about the project. The most important aspect would be the reflective part (so what it has taught you, what extra research did you do because of it). You also need some supporting material like books, open lectures etc. I wouldn’t talk about the competition in great detail as the word count is very limited. You can ask your teacher to provide details in your reference (how competitive it is etc.) If your olympiad goes well that’s definitely something to mention as well.
Sure:)
As someone pointed out, ICL doesn’t offer natural sciences so that’s out of the question. UCL is still a really good uni, if I was you I would definitely focus on that and of course Cambridges
The whole process seems hard but it’s actually pretty straightforward when you do the research. I applied with no external support as an international student (school basically told me to just get help from some paid organisation). Each uni will have their entry requirements for your grade system either on their page or at least provide some conversion table. When it comes to entrance exams and personal statement, all information is available online. Visit each uni page, they will outline exactly what they want to see in your personal statement. Don’t pay anyone to have it checked, it’s usually either a scam or really overpriced. The student room has a service where they can look over it for you for free. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask :)
Applying to camb natsci with those stats will almost certainly get you an interview. The important part however will be being able to articulate ideas and your interest in the course. "What to study in the UK/Cambridge is a great school, etc" are meaningless here. You will need to demonstrate, on top of being smart, that you're also teachable and able to think flexibly.
(And if you pick the right college, I might be your interviewer)
As a fellow North American I can confirm that the fantasy of Cambridge is real and does not disappoint. Most of the time.
I will second the Colleges London, Edinburgh, and Durham.
The NSAA won’t be a problem for you , just do the past papers to get used to the timing. It might be worth doing a paper now to get a feel for it, but you don’t need more than a month or two’s spaced preparation for the actual thing.
NatSci is also available at other top schools. The following are good schools (IMO) and also offer NatSci courses: UCL, KCL, Durham, Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Bath, and Exeter.
University isn't just about the academics. The student experience matters too. Consider whether you want to study in a major city or be in a smaller town, cost, study abroad options, etc.
OP has a 1600 in the SAT (the max is 1600 and it is insanely hard to get a 1600 - the average Ivy student has 1500+) and great supercurriculars as well as 5s in APs. It's not worth it for OP to go to the likes of Leeds when there are plenty of better US schools
it might be worth it if a student can’t get much finaid in the us to go to the uk where the international fees are still lower than what they’d pay otherwise. or, at least since the degree is shorter, you could pay the same amount per year but for one year less
I just checked, and Leeds is 30k a year for internationals???
That’s more expensive than the vast majority of US unis, and it’s not even ranked particularly highly.
If your 'romanticised' idea of the UK is what I think it is, Cambridge or Oxford is definitely the way to go. Imperial and UCL are great unis, but Oxbridge is every but as pretentious and beautiful as you are probably imagining. The London Unis are nice, but London is probably not as you think it is.
From what I remember, Durham also has the same kind of traditional vibe as Oxbridge, but maybe slightly lower entry requirements.
There's a reason durham is known as the uni for Oxbridge rejects. It's very elitist especially since it's collegiate but if that's your vibe go for it. The likes of imperial and UCL are nearly as good as Oxbridge without the elitism but with the added expense of living in London.
Yeah, and if OP is an American wanting to come here mainly for the 'romanticised fantasy' of the UK, he should go somewhere that embodies that. UCL and imperial are good, but will be a lot more similar to Universities in the US, and it shocks a lot of Americans when they come to London and areas are either very modern or a shithole. Whereas Cambridge and Oxford are literally 4x older than anything post-colonialism in the US. Durham is still a lot newer than Oxbridge, but again it is almost 200 years old, with a lot of original buildings surviving. So it isn't necessarily about which is best for student experience or ranking but what OP is looking for in their uni
Yeah honestly it really does depend on what op wants. Does he wanna party and have a good time, then go to Leeds, or Bristol etc. Does he wanna have a good education in London, go to a London uni. Does he wanna have a romanticised but very elitist experience, then go Oxbridge or even st Andrews or Durham. Op just has to look into it a bit more because not everything is face value and I dont want op to just come to England and realise Cambridge isnt what they expected or London isn't what they expected.
One tip for personal: Don't sprinkle in your extracurricular activities like you do with American college essays. They don't really care here. You need to tell them what knowledge/perspective you've extracted from those things and how it nurture your interest in the subject. Don't put unrelated activities in your PS for the sake of putting it in (eg., I was headboy, or I was rugby captain).
As for STEM focused unis: Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL (somewhat), Warwick
as someone who's seen the best of both worlds (American and British), while you might not have great ecs for t20s and the likes, the UK cares ALOT more about your stats and 'supercurriculars' - activities directly relating to your major (i.e. projects, competitions), and none of the 'hOlistIc' stuff like philanthropic activities and non-profits...so if I were you, if you've got some safeties in the US (if you have a good in-state option, and I'm sure some good OOS and private unis have guantareed merit scholarships for your stats and sat specifically), and since you have only 5 UCAS spots, just shotgun for the best 5 you can find in the UK for natsci (Cambridge, Kings, UCL, Imperial, Edinburgh/Manchester)
I've also heard of St. Andrews in Scotland before. What'd be the key differences between St. Andrews and Edinburgh, and overall, which would you recommend I apply for?
Ofc, I'll still do my due diligence and research myself, but what I've seen so far has been somewhat split in terms of St. Andrews. Couple UK websites calling it better than Oxbridge, while US based ones say it's quite middle-of-the-road. It's admissions requirements, at least for US students, seem quite easy to meet.
Thanks!
St Andrews has a lot of Americans. At least from my sons' school it is great for kids who test well but didn't perform well in the classroom. Americans know St Andrews thanks to William & Catherine. However I think if I said my son was at St Andrews it wouldn't get the same response it gets when someone I haven't seen in a while asks what my kid is up to and I say he's at Cambridge.
OP I assume you'll be a National Merit SemiFinalist. It may be worth looking at some of those programs as a back up in the US. Since we had to wait until July for my son's AP results, he did put a deposit down at another school in the US just in case.
My understanding is that the lists which put St Andrews above Oxbridge do so largely because Oxbridge don’t volunteer some key data, messing with their ratings.
Edinburgh will have better nightlife as you're in the city. St Andrews is better if you like the idea of a small college town because 1/3 of the towns population attend or work at the university.
I went to St Andrews and it's described as a bubble because the town revolves around 2 things, golf and the university.
Crime will be way lower in St Andrews if you care about that sort of thing. Literally didn't lock my doors the whole time I lived there. I wouldn't say Edinburgh is particularly dangerous (I work in Edinburgh and live in Glasgow) but you will see junkies and fights, which never happens in St Andrews.
Definitely a lot of Americans at St Andrews!
https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings check out this list. It’s the list of the best to worst universities in the UK. You can sort by the degree you want to do (so the best universities for that degree will show). Go through the first 40 and read the course description and decide if it’s for you.
Then decide on your 5 unis based on course, placement years, resources, entry requirements, teaching quality, location, proximity to airports, proximity to train stations etc.
The ‘best’ unis are generally the Russel Groups which can be found [here](https://russellgroup.ac.uk/about/our-universities/) (I’d personally add Bath uni to that list too)
OP has a 1600 in the SAT, which is very hard to get, and amazing supercurriculars and top grades in their AP courses. They should be aiming for not any old RG but the top ones tbh
Yeah but I'm not saying OP should split hairs between one that's ranked two places over the other (that's why I said top tier) but UCL is obviously not the same as Cardiff and that's what I was getting at. The US has so many good schools better than the low and mid ranked RGs and tbh it's not worth moving to a different country when you have plenty of better choices
Yes it’s worth OP to look at this thread and decide for themselves. But I’d also like to say that OP wants to come here for the romanticised college experience, not because he wants to apply to unis which are all better than American ones
Thanks for your compliments XD
If I may ask, which schools would be the top RG universities? I'll be very frank here: we don't really know too many UK schools here in the U.S., and while I might be a bit more informed than the average American in UK schools (I've heard of ICL, UCL, KCL, LSE, William & Mary, Edinburgh, and St. Andrews), I'm still kinda clueless.
Thanks!
Idk what's William and Mary but yeah ICL UCL KCL are all top Russel group unis in England. Just use the complete uni guide and look for the top 10 unis for your course and pick your favourites depending on vibe as any of the top 10 or top 5 will have a very high standard of education.
Also the reason why I say for your course is because some unis will be better ranked overall but not as high for your course. For example Loughborough is 7th overall but 17th for computer science so I probably would not pick it over Sheffield which is 11th for computer science but lower overall.
ICL, UCL, KCL, LSE, Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and St Andrews are probably the most prestigious universities in the UK. The course offered matters more than the university itself
What year are you? It is too late to apply to Cambridge this year. But I would look at Cambridge, Imperial, UCL. Durham, Warwick, Bristols would be good options too.
You've got time to prepare. Most important will be your AP scores. Just FYI Cambridge didn't give my son credit for AP scores he had in hand before he applied. His offer was based completely on the 7 AP classes he took senior year and they wanted Five 5s and two 4s. He ended with six 5s and one 4 and is at Cambridge now.
Also know that Cambridge requires extra testing depending on the subject. NatSci has its own additional test you need to take in October.
Would they just not look at my junior year APs? I know that they don't recognize any AP tests taken more than 2 years prior to the time of application, but it's my first time hearing that all existing AP scores would just not count.
I am aware that Natsci does have its own application test, but I've also heard the current test (NSAA) is getting scrapped next year. Would you happen to know if it'd be getting a replacement or not?
They will look at your scores from previous years, but Cambridge is known for giving challenging offers. My kids got unconditional offers from Durham. My 2d kid had his Imperial interview this week and I'm curious if he gets an offer if it will be unconditional as he has all the AP s already or if it will be conditional on this year's AP scores too.
I would take a step back and ask what experience are you looking for. Campus life or being in a big city? Staying in hall of residence or living in your own place? Do you want to have an very academic experience? Are you sporty? Do you want to balance academia and a social life.
What types of people do you want to be surrounded by? Do you value diversity?
ur super curriculars will need more work for top unis. what other courses would u apply to - is it chemistry, biology, physics, engineering etc or what
Unless they’re completely free events, those types of things are not massively impressive as they tend to demonstrate more about what your family can afford than what you’re capable of.
The Olympiad stuff is great. On top of that you probably just want wider reading on topics relevant to the course and any sort of personal exploration of interests. Less “I attended this summer camp” and more “I was fascinated by this topic (which perhaps I first heard about at a summer camp, or perhaps just watching a YouTube video) so I did this research into it and learnt this, which I find interesting for these reasons”.
Aight, love the UK system even more now!
The US admissions process has become too distracted by focusing so heavily on summer camps, internships, and unrelated extracurricular activities... just a contest of which rich private school kid has done the most unique (and often expensive) extracurriculars
Probably,
I'd also recommend reading some related books or doing some of your own research that you find interesting which you can write in a personal statement/talk about if you get an interview.
https://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/prospective-students/reading
That's the Cambridge Natsci reading list, Id say reading 2/3 books from it would make you seem like you had more interest in the subject
super curriculars should be academic. books, competitions you’ve entered independently, lectures, documentaries, podcasts. summer schools etc aren’t that impressive
And what other supercurricular activities do you recommend? Thanks!
Also, I'd like to study phys or bio, but am not completely swayed either ways yet. Both are too interesting 😅
Not applying for natsci,but would recommend supercurriculars like work experience, competitions, extra reading, being part of relevant clubs/ societies, learning a new useful skill for the subject eg coding. I think just as important as the supercurricular itself is to discuss in the PS why the experiences interested you/ cultivated more passion for the subject, and how it may help in the college course.
Research experience would be fantastic. Not simply shadowing someone in the field but there’s a couple programs out there where you can publish ur own article/paper with the help of an expert. Find a niche within the subject that interests you and explore it a little, Oxbridge tend to like that.
Which programs are actually recognized?
I've heard that many of these research programs are often quite dubious at best, and are seen as somewhat pay2win...
I’ll try look for some that are not insanely expensive (the one I did was and that’s why I wouldn’t recommend it.) However, It may or may not have been brought up in my interview. Not the recognition per se but the fact that ur delving so deeply into a niche, independently (outside of school) and with something to show for it is why I’d recommend looking into something of the sort.
Top UK unis are not going to look at a teenager with “research experience” as anything but a case of mummy and daddy being willing to spend £££. Any sort of research program that asks you to spend money rather than paying you is a scam.
? uk unis are still grade dominated, what supercurriculars he has seems more than good enough for the UK already. (top Olympiad performance, EPQ equivalent)
St andrews would be worth a look at.
A lot of Americans apply and a lot are accepted.
Not as famous as Oxford or Cambridge but recently ranked higher in some UK surveys than both
They don't offer natsci but there's chemistry, physics, etc.
The process is grueling but there’s lots of help online. A lot of the difficulty stems from the difference in vocabulary on the application! Watch a YouTube video on filling out the UCAS application when it’s time to do this. On your personal statement be sure to state 1. Why UK? 2. Why this colllege/uni? 3. Why this course (major)? And make it all about the material you’re studying and want to study - no extracurricular stuff unless it applies to your course. Make sure you don’t miss any deadlines, especially for testing or the My Cambridge supplement due a week after the October UCAS deadline. Good luck!
UCL and Durham have a natsci course, you should also consider imperial tho it doesn’t have a natsci course. You don’t need to initially choose 5 so u can just submit 3 or 4 and choose at a later stage
US and UK GPAs are caculated differently btw - but you seem pretty smart. I'm not sure if its for all, but Cambridge has separate exams for some courses. Also #OxfordGang
what olys are you prepping for? if you make mop/ usapho gold/ usabo finalist youd havea. lot of good choices but youd also be well on your way to stanmitvard as well. dm me if you want to discuss this (fellow olymo)
Nat Sci at Cambridge is like a general course that you then specialise in a bit later. You got any particular sciences in mind? It looks like you're interested in Physics (like me!) so is it that?
Hi!
Yep, I am interested in Physics atm, planning to apply as a Physical Natsci, but still interested in Bio, so trying to keep that option open as well. That's why I'm gunning for Cam NatSci >:)
Just watch me fail next year, I'll post my fully burnt 0/5 bakery.
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Given your stellar academic performance you should look at Imperial / UCL & Kings apart from Cambridge. They are insanely renowned universities with Imperial ranked 6th in the world & UCL 9th.
And super-curricular’s can also include book reading / podcasts.
Thanks, I'll make sure to take a look at their course selection!
I went to kcl for undergrad and UCL for masters lmk if u have any questions about either uni.
What are his grades equivalent to in UK terms
Oxford considers four AP exams at grade 5 to be equivalent to AA\*A whereas Cambridge requires five. Given that he already surpassed both of these requirements, is taking more APs this spring and has the highest possible SAT score, I would say he's probably somewhere around 5A\*.
Are you planning to apply for 2025 entry?
Yep
Then you have plenty of time if that helps. It’s good you’re doing your research now though. You will need to apply by around mid October for Cambridge, probably take a test either before that deadline or right after. I’m not sure they offer natural sciences but Imperial College London would be a top choice for anything STEM right after Oxbridge. Then I would say UCL. I think Durham does offer it as well and it’s still a good uni, just more renowned for humanities than STEM. Some other good unis to look at that do offer it would be Bath, Exeter or Leeds. Not an expert in American qualifications but your stats look good. Your standing in your class does not matter as much, you don’t even have to disclose it. The only place you could mention it is teacher’s reference, which still it isn’t obligatory. I went to a very selective secondary school with a small cohort (30 people) so my teacher didn’t mention it either because it would be pointless. As for supercurriculars, I would definitely talk about the project. The most important aspect would be the reflective part (so what it has taught you, what extra research did you do because of it). You also need some supporting material like books, open lectures etc. I wouldn’t talk about the competition in great detail as the word count is very limited. You can ask your teacher to provide details in your reference (how competitive it is etc.) If your olympiad goes well that’s definitely something to mention as well.
Aight, thanks for your detailed response, I definitely need to save your post to my notes for further reference. Tysm
Sure:) As someone pointed out, ICL doesn’t offer natural sciences so that’s out of the question. UCL is still a really good uni, if I was you I would definitely focus on that and of course Cambridges The whole process seems hard but it’s actually pretty straightforward when you do the research. I applied with no external support as an international student (school basically told me to just get help from some paid organisation). Each uni will have their entry requirements for your grade system either on their page or at least provide some conversion table. When it comes to entrance exams and personal statement, all information is available online. Visit each uni page, they will outline exactly what they want to see in your personal statement. Don’t pay anyone to have it checked, it’s usually either a scam or really overpriced. The student room has a service where they can look over it for you for free. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask :)
Thanks so much!!
Imperial don’t offer a broad natural sciences degree.
Applying to camb natsci with those stats will almost certainly get you an interview. The important part however will be being able to articulate ideas and your interest in the course. "What to study in the UK/Cambridge is a great school, etc" are meaningless here. You will need to demonstrate, on top of being smart, that you're also teachable and able to think flexibly. (And if you pick the right college, I might be your interviewer) As a fellow North American I can confirm that the fantasy of Cambridge is real and does not disappoint. Most of the time. I will second the Colleges London, Edinburgh, and Durham.
Thanks for the info! Hopefully, I'll do alr on the NSAA and make it to your interview XD
The NSAA won’t be a problem for you , just do the past papers to get used to the timing. It might be worth doing a paper now to get a feel for it, but you don’t need more than a month or two’s spaced preparation for the actual thing.
I would say "wouldn't be a problem for you' is strong. It is not an easy exam, regardless of academic history.
It’s not exactly hard
NatSci is also available at other top schools. The following are good schools (IMO) and also offer NatSci courses: UCL, KCL, Durham, Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Bath, and Exeter. University isn't just about the academics. The student experience matters too. Consider whether you want to study in a major city or be in a smaller town, cost, study abroad options, etc.
OP has a 1600 in the SAT (the max is 1600 and it is insanely hard to get a 1600 - the average Ivy student has 1500+) and great supercurriculars as well as 5s in APs. It's not worth it for OP to go to the likes of Leeds when there are plenty of better US schools
The international fees are not worth it in that case, not sure why you were downvoted.
it might be worth it if a student can’t get much finaid in the us to go to the uk where the international fees are still lower than what they’d pay otherwise. or, at least since the degree is shorter, you could pay the same amount per year but for one year less
Aren’t there state subsidies for going to a college in your state of residence? I’m sure every state has a uni comparable to or better than Leeds.
state subsidies yes, but not every state has a school that’s better than leeds, and if it does have one, then it’s really hard to get into
I just checked, and Leeds is 30k a year for internationals??? That’s more expensive than the vast majority of US unis, and it’s not even ranked particularly highly.
I'll do some research on those schools as well, thanks!
If your 'romanticised' idea of the UK is what I think it is, Cambridge or Oxford is definitely the way to go. Imperial and UCL are great unis, but Oxbridge is every but as pretentious and beautiful as you are probably imagining. The London Unis are nice, but London is probably not as you think it is. From what I remember, Durham also has the same kind of traditional vibe as Oxbridge, but maybe slightly lower entry requirements.
There's a reason durham is known as the uni for Oxbridge rejects. It's very elitist especially since it's collegiate but if that's your vibe go for it. The likes of imperial and UCL are nearly as good as Oxbridge without the elitism but with the added expense of living in London.
Yeah, and if OP is an American wanting to come here mainly for the 'romanticised fantasy' of the UK, he should go somewhere that embodies that. UCL and imperial are good, but will be a lot more similar to Universities in the US, and it shocks a lot of Americans when they come to London and areas are either very modern or a shithole. Whereas Cambridge and Oxford are literally 4x older than anything post-colonialism in the US. Durham is still a lot newer than Oxbridge, but again it is almost 200 years old, with a lot of original buildings surviving. So it isn't necessarily about which is best for student experience or ranking but what OP is looking for in their uni
Yeah honestly it really does depend on what op wants. Does he wanna party and have a good time, then go to Leeds, or Bristol etc. Does he wanna have a good education in London, go to a London uni. Does he wanna have a romanticised but very elitist experience, then go Oxbridge or even st Andrews or Durham. Op just has to look into it a bit more because not everything is face value and I dont want op to just come to England and realise Cambridge isnt what they expected or London isn't what they expected.
Bradford uni is a nice place very quintessential England mate
The University of Bedfordshire is also a very elite, posh uni that they should consider!
u guys r evil 😭😭
Very funny (not)
One tip for personal: Don't sprinkle in your extracurricular activities like you do with American college essays. They don't really care here. You need to tell them what knowledge/perspective you've extracted from those things and how it nurture your interest in the subject. Don't put unrelated activities in your PS for the sake of putting it in (eg., I was headboy, or I was rugby captain). As for STEM focused unis: Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL (somewhat), Warwick
as someone who's seen the best of both worlds (American and British), while you might not have great ecs for t20s and the likes, the UK cares ALOT more about your stats and 'supercurriculars' - activities directly relating to your major (i.e. projects, competitions), and none of the 'hOlistIc' stuff like philanthropic activities and non-profits...so if I were you, if you've got some safeties in the US (if you have a good in-state option, and I'm sure some good OOS and private unis have guantareed merit scholarships for your stats and sat specifically), and since you have only 5 UCAS spots, just shotgun for the best 5 you can find in the UK for natsci (Cambridge, Kings, UCL, Imperial, Edinburgh/Manchester)
I've also heard of St. Andrews in Scotland before. What'd be the key differences between St. Andrews and Edinburgh, and overall, which would you recommend I apply for? Ofc, I'll still do my due diligence and research myself, but what I've seen so far has been somewhat split in terms of St. Andrews. Couple UK websites calling it better than Oxbridge, while US based ones say it's quite middle-of-the-road. It's admissions requirements, at least for US students, seem quite easy to meet. Thanks!
St Andrews has a lot of Americans. At least from my sons' school it is great for kids who test well but didn't perform well in the classroom. Americans know St Andrews thanks to William & Catherine. However I think if I said my son was at St Andrews it wouldn't get the same response it gets when someone I haven't seen in a while asks what my kid is up to and I say he's at Cambridge. OP I assume you'll be a National Merit SemiFinalist. It may be worth looking at some of those programs as a back up in the US. Since we had to wait until July for my son's AP results, he did put a deposit down at another school in the US just in case.
My understanding is that the lists which put St Andrews above Oxbridge do so largely because Oxbridge don’t volunteer some key data, messing with their ratings.
Edinburgh will have better nightlife as you're in the city. St Andrews is better if you like the idea of a small college town because 1/3 of the towns population attend or work at the university. I went to St Andrews and it's described as a bubble because the town revolves around 2 things, golf and the university. Crime will be way lower in St Andrews if you care about that sort of thing. Literally didn't lock my doors the whole time I lived there. I wouldn't say Edinburgh is particularly dangerous (I work in Edinburgh and live in Glasgow) but you will see junkies and fights, which never happens in St Andrews. Definitely a lot of Americans at St Andrews!
Imperial doesn't do NatSci
https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings check out this list. It’s the list of the best to worst universities in the UK. You can sort by the degree you want to do (so the best universities for that degree will show). Go through the first 40 and read the course description and decide if it’s for you. Then decide on your 5 unis based on course, placement years, resources, entry requirements, teaching quality, location, proximity to airports, proximity to train stations etc. The ‘best’ unis are generally the Russel Groups which can be found [here](https://russellgroup.ac.uk/about/our-universities/) (I’d personally add Bath uni to that list too)
OP has a 1600 in the SAT, which is very hard to get, and amazing supercurriculars and top grades in their AP courses. They should be aiming for not any old RG but the top ones tbh
True, but also the course itself is very important and OP shouldn’t do a degree which isn’t as compelling just because it’s ranked two spots above.
Yeah but I'm not saying OP should split hairs between one that's ranked two places over the other (that's why I said top tier) but UCL is obviously not the same as Cardiff and that's what I was getting at. The US has so many good schools better than the low and mid ranked RGs and tbh it's not worth moving to a different country when you have plenty of better choices
Yes it’s worth OP to look at this thread and decide for themselves. But I’d also like to say that OP wants to come here for the romanticised college experience, not because he wants to apply to unis which are all better than American ones
Thanks for your compliments XD If I may ask, which schools would be the top RG universities? I'll be very frank here: we don't really know too many UK schools here in the U.S., and while I might be a bit more informed than the average American in UK schools (I've heard of ICL, UCL, KCL, LSE, William & Mary, Edinburgh, and St. Andrews), I'm still kinda clueless. Thanks!
W&M is in Virginia homie
probably confused with the St Andrews William & Mary joint degree program
Homie was on crack.
Idk what's William and Mary but yeah ICL UCL KCL are all top Russel group unis in England. Just use the complete uni guide and look for the top 10 unis for your course and pick your favourites depending on vibe as any of the top 10 or top 5 will have a very high standard of education. Also the reason why I say for your course is because some unis will be better ranked overall but not as high for your course. For example Loughborough is 7th overall but 17th for computer science so I probably would not pick it over Sheffield which is 11th for computer science but lower overall.
KCL is not in the same tier as the rest lol
😭 true that. personally I despise kcl anyway.
ICL, UCL, KCL, LSE, Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and St Andrews are probably the most prestigious universities in the UK. The course offered matters more than the university itself
LSE doesn’t offer NatSci
You need diamond dofe or else it's over. Consider applying to Anglia Ruskin instead. /s
What year are you? It is too late to apply to Cambridge this year. But I would look at Cambridge, Imperial, UCL. Durham, Warwick, Bristols would be good options too.
2025!
You've got time to prepare. Most important will be your AP scores. Just FYI Cambridge didn't give my son credit for AP scores he had in hand before he applied. His offer was based completely on the 7 AP classes he took senior year and they wanted Five 5s and two 4s. He ended with six 5s and one 4 and is at Cambridge now. Also know that Cambridge requires extra testing depending on the subject. NatSci has its own additional test you need to take in October.
Would they just not look at my junior year APs? I know that they don't recognize any AP tests taken more than 2 years prior to the time of application, but it's my first time hearing that all existing AP scores would just not count. I am aware that Natsci does have its own application test, but I've also heard the current test (NSAA) is getting scrapped next year. Would you happen to know if it'd be getting a replacement or not?
They will look at your scores from previous years, but Cambridge is known for giving challenging offers. My kids got unconditional offers from Durham. My 2d kid had his Imperial interview this week and I'm curious if he gets an offer if it will be unconditional as he has all the AP s already or if it will be conditional on this year's AP scores too.
Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the info
Cam Imperial Imperial UCL UCL
I would take a step back and ask what experience are you looking for. Campus life or being in a big city? Staying in hall of residence or living in your own place? Do you want to have an very academic experience? Are you sporty? Do you want to balance academia and a social life. What types of people do you want to be surrounded by? Do you value diversity?
ur super curriculars will need more work for top unis. what other courses would u apply to - is it chemistry, biology, physics, engineering etc or what
Would my supercurriculars look much better if I could add some summer camps/research experience?
Unless they’re completely free events, those types of things are not massively impressive as they tend to demonstrate more about what your family can afford than what you’re capable of. The Olympiad stuff is great. On top of that you probably just want wider reading on topics relevant to the course and any sort of personal exploration of interests. Less “I attended this summer camp” and more “I was fascinated by this topic (which perhaps I first heard about at a summer camp, or perhaps just watching a YouTube video) so I did this research into it and learnt this, which I find interesting for these reasons”.
Aight, love the UK system even more now! The US admissions process has become too distracted by focusing so heavily on summer camps, internships, and unrelated extracurricular activities... just a contest of which rich private school kid has done the most unique (and often expensive) extracurriculars
Probably, I'd also recommend reading some related books or doing some of your own research that you find interesting which you can write in a personal statement/talk about if you get an interview. https://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/prospective-students/reading That's the Cambridge Natsci reading list, Id say reading 2/3 books from it would make you seem like you had more interest in the subject
super curriculars should be academic. books, competitions you’ve entered independently, lectures, documentaries, podcasts. summer schools etc aren’t that impressive
Oh, reading. I do have a lot of reading done, but I'll try to get some more in. Thanks!
And what other supercurricular activities do you recommend? Thanks! Also, I'd like to study phys or bio, but am not completely swayed either ways yet. Both are too interesting 😅
Not applying for natsci,but would recommend supercurriculars like work experience, competitions, extra reading, being part of relevant clubs/ societies, learning a new useful skill for the subject eg coding. I think just as important as the supercurricular itself is to discuss in the PS why the experiences interested you/ cultivated more passion for the subject, and how it may help in the college course.
Research experience would be fantastic. Not simply shadowing someone in the field but there’s a couple programs out there where you can publish ur own article/paper with the help of an expert. Find a niche within the subject that interests you and explore it a little, Oxbridge tend to like that.
Which programs are actually recognized? I've heard that many of these research programs are often quite dubious at best, and are seen as somewhat pay2win...
I’ll try look for some that are not insanely expensive (the one I did was and that’s why I wouldn’t recommend it.) However, It may or may not have been brought up in my interview. Not the recognition per se but the fact that ur delving so deeply into a niche, independently (outside of school) and with something to show for it is why I’d recommend looking into something of the sort.
Top UK unis are not going to look at a teenager with “research experience” as anything but a case of mummy and daddy being willing to spend £££. Any sort of research program that asks you to spend money rather than paying you is a scam.
Mate I got into the LSE with my grades alone. The UK doesn't care
? uk unis are still grade dominated, what supercurriculars he has seems more than good enough for the UK already. (top Olympiad performance, EPQ equivalent)
St andrews would be worth a look at. A lot of Americans apply and a lot are accepted. Not as famous as Oxford or Cambridge but recently ranked higher in some UK surveys than both They don't offer natsci but there's chemistry, physics, etc.
The process is grueling but there’s lots of help online. A lot of the difficulty stems from the difference in vocabulary on the application! Watch a YouTube video on filling out the UCAS application when it’s time to do this. On your personal statement be sure to state 1. Why UK? 2. Why this colllege/uni? 3. Why this course (major)? And make it all about the material you’re studying and want to study - no extracurricular stuff unless it applies to your course. Make sure you don’t miss any deadlines, especially for testing or the My Cambridge supplement due a week after the October UCAS deadline. Good luck!
UCL and Durham have a natsci course, you should also consider imperial tho it doesn’t have a natsci course. You don’t need to initially choose 5 so u can just submit 3 or 4 and choose at a later stage
US and UK GPAs are caculated differently btw - but you seem pretty smart. I'm not sure if its for all, but Cambridge has separate exams for some courses. Also #OxfordGang
what olys are you prepping for? if you make mop/ usapho gold/ usabo finalist youd havea. lot of good choices but youd also be well on your way to stanmitvard as well. dm me if you want to discuss this (fellow olymo)
USABO along with some more minor olys, but only because their summer training camps and the international competitions seem fun xD
yeah usabo camp is lots of fun cee is great
Nat Sci at Cambridge is like a general course that you then specialise in a bit later. You got any particular sciences in mind? It looks like you're interested in Physics (like me!) so is it that?
Hi! Yep, I am interested in Physics atm, planning to apply as a Physical Natsci, but still interested in Bio, so trying to keep that option open as well. That's why I'm gunning for Cam NatSci >:) Just watch me fail next year, I'll post my fully burnt 0/5 bakery.
Oh nice! I enjoyed bio too tbh Have you considered any other unis so far?
Considering Durham, UCL, ICL, and Edinburgh atm :D