The US has the most competitive universities in the world. It also does not have standards of what I university is, so there are very weak universities and colleges in terms of admissions requirements. By contrast, in Germany, you have to be at a high level academically to go to a university, but the universities are large and none are particularly difficult to get into. Britain has Oxford, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics. Those may be better in some ways (Oxford and Cambridge use a tutorial system), but they are large and not really as competitive to get into as say MIT, especially when comparing admission in US universities and global competition.
Average cost of University in US for International Students
The other issue is cost. US schools are very expensive by international standards. In most countries, the government subsidizes universities. If you or your family has lots of money, that is not a problem. There are scholarships available for low income students. There is also financial aid and student loans for US students, but not so much for international students. US state universities have lower tuition from students from those states, which would not apply to international students. They also are not really top level competitive, especially when discussing the average cost of university in us and affordability.
SAT ACT Requirements and How to Get Into US Colleges
US graduate schools in subjects, as opposed to professional schools, generally give free tuition with a stipend and a teaching assistant.
To get into a top US school, you generally need high SAT or ACT scores. Either exam will do. These are sort of aptitude tests and usually seem strange to foreigners. You need to prepare for them though. If you have money for US tuition, you should usually use a US tutor, especially when preparing for SAT ACT requirements US colleges.
You don’t need AP exams and it is usually not a good idea to self study and take them. US admissions will look at your national exam scores and generally know how to evaluate them.
Ivy League Admissions and A-Level Requirements
If you are applying to top Ivies or MIT / Caltech, and you don’t have a “hook” (which is almost everyone), you probably need extremely high scores on your national exams, as well as SATs or ACTs in range and reasonable extracuriculars, which is key for Ivy League admissions.
From England, you probably need better than what Oxbridge is looking for, probably all As. Having 4 As would count more than locally, because they are looking at accomplishments. Unlike in England, it is somewhat better if they are in unrelated subjects, which shows you are well rounded. In the US they don’t care whether you are prepared to study a particular subject. Your O-levels or GSCEs or whatever they are called are also important. You want a lot of them with perfect scores.
There was some girl in England who had 4 A*s on A-levels and got turned down by Oxford for medicine, but was accepted at another English medical program. The British tabloids made a thing about it that it was because she was from a poor neighborhood, etc. Her A-levels were ins Biology, Chemistry, English, and French, so from Oxford’s point of view, she didn’t have 3 relevant A-levels. They probably would have preferred Math, Physics, or Psychology. She went to Harvard on a full need scholarship. However, that was not a medical program. She then went to a medical program at Cambridge for foreign students who already had undergraduate degrees. In Britain, you apply from high school to a 6-year or whatever medical program. In the US, you go to undergraduate for 4 years and then law or medical school. There are also probably very few spots at Harvard for foreign scholarship students. They are theoretically “need-blind” for US students, but not for foreign students.
Why US College Admissions Are Competitive
Admissions has become more difficult for top US schools, mainly because with the AP courses top students can get strong high school preparation even at mediocre high schools, which increases competition in US college admissions.
Therefore, schools tend to look for extracurriculars to differentiate between students. This may be difficult for foreign students because in other countries the emphasis is more on academics. Doing well in math or other academic competitions is a major accomplishment respected by top US schools.
It is much easier to get into US schools if you are a recruited athlete. In many cases, you can also get free tuition. Ivies are not allowed to give athletic scholarships, but other competitive schools, such as Stanford, do. By law, they have to offer as many scholarships to women as to men. You have to be really good at the sport and should generally contact the coach who will help you. Foreigners might be good at sports such as soccer, tennis, and track. Athletics will also help some as an extracurricular, if you are not good enough to be recruited.
Hooks and Quotas in US Universities
It is much easier to get into a US school with “hooks”. At some schools, the majority of students have hooks. Hooks include recruited athletes as mentioned. Also, underrepresented minorities and geographical areas, which do not apply to foreigners. The most common hook is that the family contributed a lot of money. Often parents and grandparents went there and contributed. If you are really rich, your parents can talk to admissions about how much is needed or there are admissions counseling services which will handle buying you in. Otherwise, if you have a parent who is a political leader or otherwise highly connected, that is a hook. Going to good private (called public schools) in Britain, it will likely be assumed you are from a certain background, which will help. In general, an aristocratic background is a major hook. Obviously, all of those apply to a tiny percentage of the population. Most foreign applicants do not have hooks, which makes admissions very difficult.
US schools generally go by quotas for various things. They usually have quotas by countries and for foreign students as a whole. At schools like Harvard, most places for foreign students go to applicants with money or connections.
US vs UK University System and Choosing a Major
It is not a matter of meeting the “requirements”, as is Britain and some other places. Advanced course work may help, but is not a requirement.
It is important in US admissions what they think of you as a person. You don’t want to come off like a jerk in your essays and recommendations. You don’t want to appear like someone who is just checking all the boxes to make things look good.
Your study at US universities is generally less specialized as elsewhere. You apply to the university in general, not to a particular department. At some schools, you have to specifically apply a School of Engineering, etc. if you want to study engineering. These are usually for fields which would be oversubscribed otherwise, which highlights differences in the US vs UK university system.
You often have a major and can take classes outside that major and may not need to decide on the major the first year. Even in engineering, you may be required to take a few humanities classes. You will also take some math and science the first year. It will not be assumed or required that you have all the prerequisites in other fields in high school.
There are “colleges”, which are not universities, in the US. They tend to be even more oriented towards studying multiple subjects than US universities. The most competitive of those tend to take the majority of students on hooks, mostly donors. They tend to take mostly students with British names, and don’t take many from not good high schools, and a high percentage from private schools. These are not as big names in the US, not as well known. However, they are considered good for “connections”.
MIT and Caltech are the opposite, taking students more on academics. They are maybe the most competitive undergraduate universities in the world. They have an intense environment that many students may find difficult.
