University in America......!! (I am English!)?

Question

I am 15! I really want to go to university in America when I am older, not England! So what do I have to do! Also is university cheaper, the same or more expenisve in America than England? (I would probably want to go to university in California, Florida or New York!)

Thank you in advance

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Answer 1

Although the dollar is currently very weak, nobody knows what will happen to it in another three years.  Even with the weak dollar, American universities are WAY more expensive than British ones.  Even if you have no funding at all, tuition at a British university is only about £3000 per year.  It's more than that per term at most American ones (even taking into account the weak dollar).  Plus you need expensive flights to get there, and accommodation which is higher too.  And you need to pay vast amounts for health insurance in America - whereas students in the UK get free health care.  

Moreover, most American degree courses are four years rather than three, and in the first year or two you can't specialise - you have to study a wide range of subjects, including maths and English, even if you want to read history or French as your main subject.   And many of them have strict rules - dress codes or whatever - which you would never find in a British university.  

I honestly can't think of a single benefit to studying in the USA when you are British!

Answer 2

Kukana gave you some good information and some not so good information.

US degrees do take 4 years and they generally require about a year and half of general coursework.  What this coursework consists of varies greatly by school.  If you really only want to study one subject and want to graduate quickly, this is a big negative.  But if you are unsure of what you want to study, it is a big benefit.  In the US university students do not have to declare a degree concentration until the end of their second year and if you decide to change your concentration you rarely have to start over again (unlike the UK).  It is also allowed to take classes just for fun as part of your degree (called electives) that are completely unrelated to your main field of study.

I have no idea what Kukana is talking about when it comes to stricter rules.  I have never even heard of a US University with a dress code and I am a US college grad with friends who attended dozens of universities.  The drinking age is 21 and universities enforce that in their facilities, that is the only rule difference that comes to mind.

Private US universities are far more expensive than British universities (approx $100,000 US for the whole degree) and as a foreign national education at a state sponsored university would likely cost you $30-40,000 US (for local residents the cost would be more like $10,000, higher but comparable to what you would pay in the UK).   And to be reasonable, Americans wishing to study in the UK have a similar price hike.  

However, health insurance is not a major cost at most US universities.  Often it is $100-300 per semester.

Still, unless your family is wealthy and willing to pay, a US education probably isn’t worth the money for you.

Answer 3

It depends on where you want to go. Some colleges are much more expensive than others. All you need to do is apply on the website when you get ready. There's probably some tests you have to take here before you can get in, I'm not sure if you take them there.

Answer 4

Be sure to take your SAT exams or at least check with the admissions requirements for the schools that interest you. Most schools will probably want SAT scores.

School here will be more expensive and fees for international students are higher than the fees for American students. Although undergraduate study here is for 4 years, some students are at an institution for a little longer so be prepared to possibly pay tuition and fees for 4+ years. There are actually American students who go to school in England because it's cheaper. Fees will vary from school to school and your living expenses will also vary depending on where you choose to go as a large city will have higher living expenses or you might find yourself spending lots of money on public transportation if there aren't a lot of things to do nearby.

If you'd like to go to university here, I'd personally suggest spending your first two years in a community college (2-year institution that has open enrollment and offers a variety of programs to the public) to get your general education and lower division (courses for your major) requirements done as cc's have some of the same courses as universities but are much cheaper. You could save yourself thousands if you go to a community college and transfer to a 4-year university later. That's what I'm doing right now and I am paying much less for college courses that I would need to take in a 4-year university anyway. Plus, I've my school (it's in a large city) allows me to meet a lot of different kinds of students. Most community colleges don't have on-campus housing though, so if you do that you might need to find a place and a way to pay the rent.

The weak US dollar might help you out a bit, but university will be pricey here. You'll also need to get used to a slightly different system here as I hear university in the UK expects students to work on their own more outside the classroom but here the students' progress is monitored a bit more with assignments and the like. US universities generally have a lot of different clubs and activities on campus, but how active the campus life is will still vary from school to school.

Answer 5

It's MUCH more expensive in America. Tuition fees are heavily subsidised in England for English people. In the US? You're looking at many thousands of dollars per term.

You need to take a good long look at what you want to study, and why you want to go to the US instead of staying here. Be very sure that it's not just "because it looks cool and trendy on TV" - the grass isn't always greener over the hill, and it's an awful long way to come home if you are lonely and miserable.

Answer 6

If you choose a "state" school, in the heartland of the country, you will find a much lower price for a good college education than if you choose a school in New York or California or whatnot..

With the dollar at historic lows, right now is probably your best chance to do this--your currency will buy a lot more dollars now than it used to.

Here's a link to a University you might look in to.  It has the highest number of "National Merit Scholars" (Really brainy students) than any other public University here.  It also has as many "endowed chairs" (High-powered professors) as an Ivy League school.  It has an excellent medical school and a world-famous climate and meteorological school.

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