Episode 51: Differences between U.S. and U.K. Applications

Date of Publication/发布日期

October 29, 2021

Author/发布者

Curtis Westbay

Language/语言

English

Files & media

Volume

Volume 2 2021-2022

One of the major differences between UK and US college applications is the centralization.
In the UK, all college applications are sent through a single platform called UCAS; in the US, while many colleges allow applications through the Common Application platform, many do not. Other platforms include the Coalition Application, the University of California system, Apply Texas, and school-specific application portals (like MIT).
When applying to US colleges, students can apply to as many schools as they want, and colleges aren't notified of applications outside of their institution. In the UK, students can apply to a maximum of five schools.

In the UK, schools tend to be focused on a student's academic credentials.
In the US, the first data point that will be considered is a student's unweighted GPA.
The UK application is simpler, requiring only one essay (called the Personal Statement) and a list of qualifications. UCAS only accepts one recommendation.
Some US schools will take several more recommendations (2-3, typically). In contrast to the UK system, test scores have decreased in importance in the US application during the pandemic, and many schools have gone test-optional or test-blind (e.g. UC schools).

In the UK, students typically enroll in a 3-year Bachelor degree program— it's imperative that they know what they want to study and that they are prepared to succeed in academic coursework right away.
In the US, many students don't even declare their major until after 2 or 3 semesters. The US 4-year Bachelor degree affords students greater flexibility in choosing their major and the opportunity to change their mind about major.
Activities are more important to US colleges, where clubs and campus involvement is a key consideration. A student must show that they are an asset not only in the classroom, but also in the community for US applications.

Some US applications (e.g. UC) require multiple essays. These essays tend to be more about a student's life than about their study.
The US personal statement is often not academic at all— just a window into a student's beliefs, struggles, successes, and experiences. This style of writing is called narrative writing, and it shows a student's personality.
On the other hand, a great UCAS personal statement is almost purely academic. Students show their interests, their achievements, their goals, and their English fluency in the UCAS personal statement.

In UCAS, there is no Early Decision arrangement. Early Decision is unique to American colleges, and an Early Decision application is an agreement to attend a school and withdraw all other applications, if accepted. Early Decision offers usually arrive in mid-December.
On the other hand, UK colleges offer unique kinds of admission— conditional admission. Under this admission agreement, students may have to reach a certain test score (e.g. ToEFL) or maintain certain grades in senior year coursework for the offer to remain valid.
While US colleges may revoke an offer of admission if, for example, a student's grades are drastically worse in G12 than before, UK colleges make clear, straightforward conditions in conditional offers (e.g. student must earn a score of 4 or better on AP Statistics to meet the conditions of the offer).