Applying To British Universities
The whole process, from deciding to study at university, choosing Britain as the country to study in and applying to British universities, is a decisive moment in the careers of many pupils. One recommendation is to consider this long process in terms of activities which take place at different times.
The very first decision a pupil should make is whether or not to proceed to university after finishing school. As with most decisions about the future, there is not enough past experience to support making a sensible decision. Traditional, but also useful, sources of information are parents (sometimes), school counsellors, an older, more experienced person and books. The recent popularity of the Internet has made it an additional resource.
Provided that the pupil has settled on continuing with his or her education, he or she will now need to determine what course to pursue. A helpful way of focussing is to think about the answers to a set of basic questions:
* What are my interests?
* Do I have what it takes?
* What is the value to me (to society, to the world) of studying that subject?
Because the government has granted universities greater financial latitude and responsibility, they have begun to charge students tuition to cover their costs. In view of the significant increases in financial burden to students, a fourth question arises:
* Have I (or my parents) the funds to cover my education?
Large parts of the world speak English and a great deal of research at the university level is done in English. Universities in Britain enjoy respect for their research facilities. These are two powerful arguments in favour of taking the first steps towards applying to British universities.
Because there are preparatory resources available, one would do well to find and acquaint oneself with them. Aspects of the application process, for instance, are specific to British universities.
Although I personally think other factors are far more important, you may want to consider a factor like university (or university league tables). You may want to think about whether you want to study at Oxford or Cambridge (or Oxbridge, as they are jointly called).
There are also preparatory resources about the LNAT (National Admissions Test for Law), the UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) or BMAT (BioMedical Admissions Test), all of which are specific to universities in Britain.
Most universities require applicants from foreign countries to take the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) tests. The British Council overseas is the first place to check for information about these tests .
Because undergraduate university application is a centralised online process handled by UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), that is the first place any prospective student should look at to start the process of applying to British universities.
The very first decision a pupil should make is whether or not to proceed to university after finishing school. As with most decisions about the future, there is not enough past experience to support making a sensible decision. Traditional, but also useful, sources of information are parents (sometimes), school counsellors, an older, more experienced person and books. The recent popularity of the Internet has made it an additional resource.
Provided that the pupil has settled on continuing with his or her education, he or she will now need to determine what course to pursue. A helpful way of focussing is to think about the answers to a set of basic questions:
* What are my interests?
* Do I have what it takes?
* What is the value to me (to society, to the world) of studying that subject?
Because the government has granted universities greater financial latitude and responsibility, they have begun to charge students tuition to cover their costs. In view of the significant increases in financial burden to students, a fourth question arises:
* Have I (or my parents) the funds to cover my education?
Large parts of the world speak English and a great deal of research at the university level is done in English. Universities in Britain enjoy respect for their research facilities. These are two powerful arguments in favour of taking the first steps towards applying to British universities.
Because there are preparatory resources available, one would do well to find and acquaint oneself with them. Aspects of the application process, for instance, are specific to British universities.
Although I personally think other factors are far more important, you may want to consider a factor like university (or university league tables). You may want to think about whether you want to study at Oxford or Cambridge (or Oxbridge, as they are jointly called).
There are also preparatory resources about the LNAT (National Admissions Test for Law), the UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) or BMAT (BioMedical Admissions Test), all of which are specific to universities in Britain.
Most universities require applicants from foreign countries to take the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) tests. The British Council overseas is the first place to check for information about these tests .
Because undergraduate university application is a centralised online process handled by UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), that is the first place any prospective student should look at to start the process of applying to British universities.
