Situated in the very heart of the city of Montréal, McGill is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Canada and is considered to be among the best universities in Quebec.

Established in 1821 by a royal charter granted by King George V, McGill is one of the two member universities of the Association of American Universities situated outside of the United States and the only Canadian university which is a member of the Global University Leaders Forum.

In 2018, McGill University is ranked the 42nd best university in the world in the Times Higher Education rankings and holds 32nd place in the QS World University Rankings.

McGill University

Founded at the will of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, the Imperial Institute was established in 1888 and joined the University of London in 1907 before leaving it 100 years later.

With 41,000 students from 150 countries, 1700 professors and 250,000 graduates across the world, McGill offers degree programs in more than 300 fields of study.

The University comprises five principal faculties: Arts, Science, Medicine, Engineering and Management.

The application

When do you have to start preparing for McGill University?

The deadline for applying to McGill is fixed at January 15th of your final year.

All the documents must be sent to the University of McGill before March 15th.

What is the profile of the students of McGill?

The minimum required to be admitted to McGill is an ‘Assez Bien’ grade. In all cases, the most selective programs require at least a “Bien” grade on the Baccalaureate :

• Management: Series S: average generally and in mathematics of 14.5/20 and 15.5/20 in ES Series.
• Arts: 14.5/20 in series L, ES, or S
• Arts and Sciences : 15/20 with 14 in math and in science in Series S

The minimum required for the majority of the engineering programs (Bioengineering, mechanical, chemical, civil engineering) is an average of 16/20 with 16 in mathematics and in science.

The University of Manchester is a Russell Group university located in the North of England, in the riveting city of Manchester. It is a relatively new addition to the wealth of fantastic universities in Britain, having been formed by the merger of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and the Victoria University of Manchester in 2004. Despite that, its roots hark back to 1824, with the formation of the Mechanics’ Institute. What’s more, the University is a source of great pride for many Mancunians (as residents of Manchester are called), as Manchester is the world’s first industrial city, making the University one of the best in the UK for engineering and sciences. 

With over 40,000 students, of which 27,000 are undergraduates, it is the largest single site university in the UK, and the second-largest in the UK overall. In addition, in the 2018-2019 QS World University Rankings, the University of Manchester ranked 6th. 

The University boasts many famous alumni, such as Ernest Rutherford, who, whilst on the university’s academic staff 1909, first split the atom. In fact, amongst the University’s former staff and students, there are 25 Nobel Prize winners!

Although the University is widely referred to as a campus university, this is not strictly correct. With its red-brick academic buildings and facilities interspersed around the town of more than 500,000, the University of Manchester is a vital part of the city. It is worth noting that most of the university is spread across two parts, that are colloquially referred to as the ‘North Campus’ and the ‘South Campus’.

Academic matters

The University of Manchester is home to the largest number of full-time students in the UK. It is extremely international, with thousands of students hailing from 154 countries around the world.

It is a research-intensive university, with the 6th largest research income of any English university. A post-graduation employability ranking published by Emerging in 2015 put Manchester in the impressive place of 5th nationally. 

The University has an impressive scientific legacy, which is demonstrated by the fact that both the contraceptive pill and the first working computer were created by academics at the University. However, science is not its only forte. The Sunday Times stated, in 2006, “Manchester has a formidable reputation spanning most disciplines, but most notably in the life sciences, engineering, humanities, economics, sociology and the social sciences.” Teaching is primarily lecture-based, but students will also have smaller, more personalised seminars. The amount of contact hours a student will have is entirely dependent on the course, as some have far more than others. For instance, English Literature students will have far fewer contact hours than students of Medicine. 

How do I apply?

Queen Mary University of London requires strong academic results and rigorous preparation is needed.

What are the different stages of the application?

There are several steps:

1. Application
2. Conditional offer
3. Acceptance

The details of these steps are covered below.

How to begin an application:

Candidates apply via the British online platform UCAS, and upload a letter of motivation (Personal Statement), their predicted exam marks, and a letter of recommendation from one of their teachers. Students may only submit one Personal Statement for all the universities they apply for (maximum of 5 choices). The Personal Statement, no more than 4,000 characters, should explain why students want to study their chosen course, what aspects particularly interest them, what steps they have already taken to engage with the subject (reading, conferences, internships etc), and, if possible, what aspects they are looking forward to studying.

Further information specific to the University of Manchester can be found on Manchester’s website.

Conditional offer and acceptance:

If students succeed in all these stages, in January they will receive a ‘conditional offer’ of admission. This means that they will be accepted if they attain the required marks (most often a high grade in your end of high school studies, and in a standardized English exam: 7.5 in the IELTS for example).

What is the deadline for applying?

Deadlines:

The deadline for applications to the University of Manchester is 15th January of a students’ final year of secondary school or sixth-form college (Year 12).

What is the profile of the students at the University of Manchester?

When do you have to start preparing for the University of Manchester?

It is strongly recommended that students begin preparing from the end of Year 11 or beginning of Year 12. If possible, start any reading and thinking about what to write about in a Personal Statement as early as possible. Some candidates, particularly those with a weaker level of English, need to consider preparing even earlier. See this link for useful information for international candidates.

It is recommended that students try to find aspects of their chosen course that genuinely interest them and to think deeply about why they wish to study this subject – after all, students are applying to study this subject full time for at least 3 years.

Is it possible to visit the campus?

To check the Open Days dates see this page.

The University of Concordia comprises 4 principal faculties (Arts and Science, Engineering and IT, Fine Arts and the John Molton School of Business) and numerous schools, centers and research institutes.

The university offers more than 300 undergraduate programs and 100 programs at Master’s level.

The University of Concordia

The John Molson school of Business at the University is among the best management schools in Canada and benefits from a good international reputation.

Concordia also boasts more than 200,000 graduates around the world.

Studying at Concordia constitutes an interesting alternative to >McGill University for students who wish to study in Quebec in English and in which the average sits around 11 to 14/20.

How do I apply?

The selection process at the University of Concordia is divided into multiple steps that we will describe below:

How can I submit my application to Concordia?

You must submit your application on the Concordia website which must comprise the following elements:

• Your score in an English test (IELTS, TOEFL)
• Your official school report from 11th and 12th grade.
• Your predicted results from the Bac.

When do you have to start preparing for the University of Concordia?

The deadline for applying to Concordia is fixed at January 15th of your final year.

All the documents must be sent to the University of Concordia before March 15th.

What is the profile of the students at the University of Concordia?

Concordia is a selective university. The admission decision is based on your 3 class reports of your penultimate year and your first report of your final year, your predicted results and your final Bac results (in the case that you already have them).

The minimum requirement to be admitted to Concordia is,  according to the programs, between 11 and 15/20 on the French Bac (see this website for equivalent in your country).

In all cases, the most selective programs require at least a ‘Bien’ grade at the Baccalaureate.

Moreover, you must also demonstrate a very good command of the English language (a minimum of 7 in the IELTS or 90 in the TOEFL).

Columbia University in a few words

In 2017, its student population was 32,429 (8,868 students in undergraduate programs and 23,561 in postgraduate programs), with 42% of the student population identifying themselves as a minority and 28% born outside of the United States.

Since its creation, Columbia University has educated American and world leaders, beginning with Alexander Hamilton – class of 1777-, later to become the primary economic advisor to George Washington, the first American President. The University is well-acquainted with success as just this year, In addition, Professor Joachim Frank shared the Nobel Prize in chemistry. The University itself awards the famed Pulitzer Prize each year in twenty-one categories for excellence in newspaper journalism, literary achievements and musical composition. This year, the University also graduated a diverse group of 16,000 students from more than 100 different countries.

Campus

Despite its location in busy Manhattan, the 32 acre (13 hectare) campus of Columbia University is gated, and therefore provides the best of both worlds within the Morningside Heights neighborhood on the border of Upper West Side and Harlem.

Among the most-loved places to spend time on campus, the “Low Steps”, the nickname for the staircase leading up to Low Memorial Library, probably take the prize. The building is also one of many buildings National Historic Landmark sites at Columbia. Built in 1895 by then University President Seth Low as Columbia’s central library, it would later be replaced by the Butler Library, the university’s largest single library with over 2 million volumes. Philosophy Hall also bears the historical honor as the site of the invention of FM radio with WKCR, the radio station run by Columbia students.

Almost two dozen undergraduate dormitories (purpose-built or converted) are located on campus or in Morningside Heights. As a consequence, undergraduate students are guaranteed on-campus housing during their studies.

How do I apply?

According to Columbia, about 10% of the Class of 2017 were educated abroad, representing over 30 countries. As the University says, “We also value the fact that international applicants, regardless of citizenship, have much to offer from their backgrounds and experiences as global citizens” (https://barnard.edu/admissions/internationalstudents). In addition to the requirements listed below for Columbia University, applicants may also chose to participate in an optional interview with an alumnus/a of the University.

To apply to Columbia, you will need to use the Common Application, a centralized platform through which you can apply to most American colleges and universities. You will need to fill in information about your family – including the occupation of your parents -, provide your transcript or high school grades, submit 2 teacher recommendation letters, submit one “school report”, draft a résumé or CV, send official test scores (SAT, SAT Subject Test scores, ACT and English language test scores – note that the essay portion of the ACT/SAT is not required), declare a major or intended area of study, describe your extracurricular activities and as with most highly selective colleges complete the essay questions on the Common App as well as answer additional essay questions specific to Columbia.

You must submit all your materials before the appropriate deadline. If you are sure that Columbia is your first choice, then you may want to apply for Early Decision, which may increase your chances for admission. Early Decision materials must be submitted by November 1st. The University stipulates that you must complete ACT/SAT/an English language test by November. Materials for Regular Decision must be submitted by January 1st. In this case, students may opt to take the ACT/SAT/an English language test (TOEFL, IELTS, DET) as late at February. SAT subject tests are not required by Columbia, however it is probably a good idea to take the tests that correspond to your interests and strengths. Finally, the University will accept your highest scores from each section of the ACT/SAT separately. This is known as “superscoring”.

When do you have to start preparing for Columbia University

What is the profile of students at Columbia University

“The admissions process at Columbia is a “holistic” one, taking many factors into careful consideration. Columbia does not rely on standardized testing and grades alone and instead looks at all parts of every application to help inform its judgment. Admissions reads personal statements to try to understand each candidate and what motivates him or her. Admissions reads teacher recommendations carefully to understand a candidate’s contributions in the classroom and what that candidate might offer his or her Columbia classmates.”

It is worth noting that applying to Barnard College, is also open to female students. Out of 7,716 applicants, 15% – 603 students – were admitted to the class of 2011. That’s 10% more than at Columbia University overall.

The University of Cambridge is one of the most prestigious UK universities and is located in the charming town of Cambridge in England.

Second in the ranking of best universities in the world in 2018 (THE’s World University Ranking 2018), Cambridge has thousands of illustrious graduates. Cambridge alumni notably includes: Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton, Emma Thompson, Arianna Huffington, Alan Turing and Stephen Hawking. Moreover, 96 of their former students and professors have received the Nobel prize and 10 have received the Fields Medal.

Today, the University of Cambridge is home to more than 21 000 students who are part of 31 colleges and one hundred academic departments.

The University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge shares numerous traditions with the University of Oxford, which explains why they are often grouped together with the term ‘Oxbridge’.

The University of Cambridge is home to more than 21 000 students who are part of 31 colleges and one hundred academic departments.

Second in the ranking of best universities in the world in 2018 (THE’s World University Ranking 2018), Cambridge has thousands of illustrious graduates. Cambridge alumni notably includes Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton, Emma Thompson, Arianna Huffington, Alan Turing and Stephen Hawking. Moreover, 96 of their former students and professors have received the Nobel prize and 10 have received the Fields Medal.

Alongside the University of Oxford, Cambridge is one of the most selective universities in England, even the world, with only 1 candidate in 5 admitted.

Living and studying in Cambridge

Cambridge students are housed within one of the 31 colleges, each with their own personality. For a good overview of the Cambridge colleges, their location in the city and student life there, see the university prospectus.

The Cambridge colleges are spread around Cambridge, a city with a bustling centre and plenty of green spaces, museums, and a stunning mixture of architecture. The colleges in themselves are havens for students in the city, offering a space to live, share meals with fellow students, relax, and of course study.

Study spaces are numerous, and include: departmental buildings and libraries, the University library, smaller College libraries, and other spaces such as shared or private study rooms, College JCRs (Junior Common Rooms), which also double as a place to socialise with other students of the College.

While Cambridge students work hard, they also like to ‘play hard’, and there are plenty of opportunities to make the most of the student experience at Cambridge. From traditional formal halls and May Balls, to the 959 (!) student societies on offer. Societies are a chance to get involved in something new, pursue an existing hobby.

Around Cambridge, you could also shake off your essay stress at a student bar, watch a show at the ADC theatre (whose stage once saw the likes of ex-students Rachel Weisz, Ian McKellen and Hugh Laurie) or see talks by big-name speakers at the cambridge union.

In terms of getting around the city, many people get around Cambridge (to lectures, for instance) on foot or by bike, although the city is also well served by buses. Travelling outside of Cambridge is also convenient: taking a train from Cambridge’s train station will allow you to get to London in under an hour, whether for a day-trip or for a weekend.

How do I apply?

Note: If you decide to apply to Cambridge for Undergraduate level in order to obtain a Bachelor of Arts (BA), you will not be able to apply to Oxford as well. You will therefore have to choose between either applying to Oxford or to Cambridge.

What are the different stages of the application?

There are several steps:

1. Application
2. Test
3. Interview
4. Conditional offer
5. Acceptance

The details of these steps are covered below.

Beginning your application

Once you have decided on your ideal course of study, you will have to begin filling in the candidate file on the UCAS platform, which allows you to apply to up to 5 different courses/universities in the UK.

The UCAS application consists of a written Personal statement (of up to 4,000 characters) as well as a letter of recommendation from one of your teachers. After submitting your UCAS application, you will also be invited to fill out a Cambridge-specific Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ), in which you will confirm certain details from your academic transcript.

You will also be asked to choose one of Cambridge’s colleges in your application, specifying choosing the one you wish to apply to. It is also possible to make an ‘open application’ (in which you do not indicate one college in particular, but will be assigned one automatically).

Interview and admissions tests

If your application is successful in the first stage (following submission of the UCAS application and Personal Statement), you will then be invited to an interview at the start of December in Cambridge. In this interview, the objective is to test your academic capacities and your motivation for your subject in front of a few members (‘fellows’) of the College you applied to. Given that Cambridge is highly selective, these interviews are very demanding and require a large amount of preparation.

If your application is successful in the first stage (following submission of the UCAS application and Personal Statement), you will then be invited to an interview at the start of December in Cambridge. In this interview, the objective is to test your academic capacities and your motivation for your subject in front of a few members (‘fellows’) of the College you applied to. Given that Cambridge is highly selective, these interviews are very demanding and require a large amount of preparation.

The conditional offer of admission

Finally, if you succeed in the interview stage, you will then receive a ‘conditional offer’ of admission. Offers should be received by 15th January.

Our Oxbridge Admissions Pack can help you through the entire Cambridge or Oxford admissions process.

When do you have to start preparing for the University of Cambridge?

The deadline for applying to the University of Cambridge is fixed at October 15th of your final year.

In all cases, take into account the huge scale of preparation required for admission to Cambridge, it is strongly recommended to start preparing yourself from the start of your penultimate year in order to maximize your chances of success.

A good way to prepare for studying in Cambridge is to have a good look at the information for your course so as to know what to expect. Once you are confident in your choice of subject and your determination to study at Cambridge, you should begin researching your course further by reading around your subject.

It would also be a good idea to go to an open day. Open days run throughout the year, but most occur in the months leading up to October. For specific dates, you should look out for subject-specific open days, college-specific open days, and university-wide open days.

In 2019, Cambridge will be holding uni-wide open days on 7 & 8 July 2022. For these open days, booking is necessary: Sign up to the Student Newsletter to be notified when bookings open and for other opportunities, advice and resources.

What is the profile of the students at the University of Cambridge ?

Admission to the University of Cambridge is reserved for the best students and requires both excellent school results and lots of rigorous preparation.

Given the extreme selectivity, we recommend that you only apply to this University if you can show excellent academic results and can be sure of obtaining the highest grades in your final year of pre-university studies (i.e. a ‘Très Bien’ grade in the French Bac). The University of Cambridge is also particularly reputed for their science programs and expectation will be even higher for these.

Moreover, given the selection process contains interviews, you must also master the English language.

If you are confident that you fit the profile of a Cambridge student, the next step is to reflect on whether the workload and supervision system is right for you.

Finally, you should do all that you can to start preparing for studies at Cambridge, in order to create a stand-out application and so that you can adapt well to new the living and studying conditions on arrival.

Financing your studies

Fees:

Following UK Government’s amendment of the regulations relating to fee status due to Brexit, EU, EEA and Swiss students will now be classified as international/overseas students.

Tuition fees for international students vary depending on the course studied. Most international students also have to pay College fees in addition to tuition fees. See this page for details.

Located 10 miles (about 16 km) across the bay from San Francisco in the Bay Area of Northern California, The University of California, also known as Berkeley or Cal, is America’s #1 public university (U.S. News & World Report) and #27 in the world overall (QS World University Rankings). The sprawling, 500 hectare (1200 acre) campus of Berkeley is home to over 30,500 undergraduate and more than 11,300 graduate students.

The history of UC Berkeley dates back to 1868 when it became the first of what would be a network of 10 University of California universities. Led by its first president Henry Durant, a minister who had initially come to California with his wife to open a school, the University quickly found itself the lucky recipient of benefactors such as American feminist, philanthropist, and suffragist, Phoebe Hearst.

Perhaps a relationship can be established between the tone that was set by Berkeley’s first president, the values of its early benefactor and the University’s continued social engagement and political activism. Indeed, students and faculty of UC Berkeley were particularly noted for the Free Speech Movement as well as the Anti-Vietnam War Movement both led by its students in the 1960s. And their engagement goes well beyond the borders of the United States. The University also holds the honor of being the #1 All-time producer of Peace Corps volunteers.

Berkeley University in a few words

In recent years, students have continued to find new ways to engage with the community. Since 2003, the Haas School of Business has recruited and trained students from all majors to work on pro-bono consulting engagements with real-life nonprofit clients. Indeed Berkeley has significant entrepreneurial tradition. Among its alumni are founders and co-founders of such global companies as Apple, Coursera, Gap Inc., Intel, Mozilla, Myspace, Rotten Tomatoes, SanDisk and Tesla.

Berkeley has a remarkable track record of scientific discoveries and inventions including the development of the flu vaccine by chemist Wendell M. Stanley in the 1940s, the creation of the atomic bomb by physicist J.R. Oppenheimer in 1943, the polio virus in 1954, the launch of an affordable treatment for malaria in 2006 and improvement on this treatment in 2013, and many more (https://www.berkeley.edu/about/history-discoveries). As a public research university, Berkeley depends on money from the State of California. However, private donors have made significant contributions to the important research efforts performed on campus. This includes the 2016 donation by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan for 0 million to establish the BioHub, which in its own words is “committed to solving the world’s biggest problems – together.” (https://www.czbiohub.org/)

How do I apply?

To apply to Berkeley, you will first need to use UC Application portal. Once you have filled in some preliminary information, you will be able to log into the My Application Portion (MAP@Berkeley), a system unique to the University of California system, to complete your application.

Berkeley does not require you to submit letters of recommendation, but you may do so if you believe will have a positive effect on your application. One letter should be from a teacher. You must complete all tests: ACT/SAT/SAT Subject tests, on or before the December test date. Subject tests are not required for most areas but can be beneficial to your application. Subject tests are recommended for “the College of Engineering and College of Chemistry, including Math Level 2 and a science test (Biology E/M, Chemistry, or Physics) closely related to the your intended major. Include the scores in your application. UC uses the highest scores from a single test administration”. (https://admissions.berkeley.edu/freshmen-requirements)

The University requires you to answer 4 out of a list of 8 “Personal Insight Questions” (350 words each). See http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/personal-questions/freshman/index.html for more information. You must submit all your materials between November 1st-30th.

When do you have to start preparing for Berkeley University ?

Taking into account the numerous specific requirements for American universities like taking exams; consistently participating in extra-curricular activities including clubs, music, sports, and side projects; and the numerous essays to write, we recommend that students begin start to think about their path to Stanford as soon as they begin high school. The application itself is typically completed during the fall semester of students’ last year in high school

What is the profile of the students at Berkeley University ?

“Since Berkeley is a competitive campus, satisfying the minimum requirements is often not enough to be competitive for selection… We review students using a Holistic Review process. This means that we not only look at academic factors, but also non-academic factors. Using a broad concept of merit, readers employ the following criteria which carry no pre-assigned weights”. (https://admissions.berkeley.edu/freshmen-requirements)

Out of 1,362 International applicants for 2017-218, 15,448 were accepted for an admit rate of 8.8% (*The overall rate of admission for Berkeley is 18%.). In 2018, that rate dropped to 8.7%. As may be evident, the profile of international students is slightly more competitive in terms of GPA as well as ACT and SAT scores. (https://admissions.berkeley.edu/student-profile)

The University of Bath is nestled in the region of Somerset, England, one hour by train from London on a hilltop overlooking the town of Bath.

Bath is one of the top universities in England and in 2018 it took the 6th spot in national rankings in The Guardian and the 160th place in the QS World University Ranking.

In 2014, it also achieved the title of ‘Best Campus University in England’ in the Times, a list that it continues to appear on. So what makes this place so special?

The city of Bath

With around 90,000 year-round residents, Bath just may be the most charming city in England. The Telegraph agrees saying that the city, which is a World Heritage Site, “pretty much ticks all the boxes”.

Tourists come from far away to visit the famed Roman Baths as well as more modern spas – the city’s full name is Bath Spa after all. The Bath Abbey and the Royal Crescent and Circus – both beautiful Georgian architectural feats inspired by the city’s Roman heritage – the Jane Austen Centre, beautiful green parks… these are just a few of the most popular landmarks!

Students will find that the city, located a short bus ride down the hill from the University of Bath’s campus, also offers plenty of eateries, bars, nature activities, cultural events and stunning scenery.

Academic matters

Over 17,000 university students study in one of Bath’s four faculties (Engineering and Design, Humanities and Social Sciences, Management, and Science). Since it opened in 1966, Bath has been particularly reputed for engineering (electronic, electric and mechanical in particular), physical sciences, mathematics and technology. Today, Bath is also well known for management, humanities, architecture and the social sciences – especially psychology. See the full list of course offerings here.

Bath aims to help students gain professional experience and in many of its courses offers the chance to take a year to work in industry in order to acquire professional experience before graduating.

Moreover, Bath’s campus is in a state of constant improvement and has benefited from an investment of £450 million over the past 10 years. A five-storey library has room for individual study, group work, and engineering and design space and more. Plus, it’s open 24 hours a day, even in exam term, which proves useful for night owls and early birds alike! Among other recent developments are a brand new Psychology building that houses one of the University’s most highly-ranked programs. Equally acclaimed is the School of Management whose new building will be opening in 2021. In addition, The Edge, a building for both management and arts, offers concerts as well as events, and the Sports Training Village, which includes a  range of sports facilities including indoor tennis courts and a swimming pool, weight rooms, and an indoor as well as an outdoor track. With such great facilities, it may not come as a surprise that Bath also enjoys a reputation as one of the leading UK universities for athletics, offering all kinds of sport activities from American football to Canoe Club, Dodgeball, Jiu Jitsu, Latin and Ballroom dancing and Windsurfing!

Outside of competitive programs, sports, arts activities and ample green spaces on campus and around the city, students at the university can also join a range of other student associations to make the most of their campus experience and contribute to continuing to make Bath one of the UK’s top campus universities!

The University of York is a collegiate plate glass research university. After opening its doors in 1963 and now has over 17,900 students who study in thirty academic departments. It is a campus university, covering over 500 acres of land just south-east of the city of York in Northeast England. 

The University has two campuses called Heslington West and Heslington East, respectively. It has nine residential colleges that are spread out between the 2 campuses.

The latter campus only opened in 2009 and is home to 3 of the 9 colleges and a sports village, whilst the former campus houses 6, and also incorporates York Science Park and the National Science Learning Centre. This makes for a very green and open campus! 

York has produced many alumni who have been active in politics, including at least 15 Members of the United Kingdom Parliament, 5 members of the House of Lords, 2 Members of the Scottish Parliament, 1 Member of the European Parliament and a handful of ministers of other governments around the world.

Academic matters

The University of York is a highly selective institution, with the average student at the University achieving a UCAS Tariff of 430, the 19th highest in the UK.  Only 78.5% of applicants receive offers of admission, which is the joint 15th lowest amongst the Russell Group, a self-selected association of 24 public research universities in the United Kingdom.

The Times University Guide said of York that “The university is increasingly recognised as a permanent fixture in the top rank of British higher education” and that “No university had a better record for teaching quality.”

Incidentally, it was ranked 12th in the UK both for the quality of its research, and also in the general national rankings in 2019 by The Guardian.

How do I apply?

For students wishing to apply to York, strong academic results and rigorous preparation are needed.

How to begin an application:

Candidates apply via the British online platform UCAS, and upload a letter of motivation (Personal Statement), their predicted exam marks, and a letter of recommendation from one of their teachers. Students may only submit one Personal Statement for all the universities they apply for (maximum of 5 choices). The Personal Statement, no more than 4,000 characters, should explain why students want to study their chosen course, what aspects particularly interest them, what steps they have already taken to engage with the subject (reading, conferences, internships etc), and, if possible, what aspects they are looking forward to studying.

Conditional offer and acceptance:

If students succeed in all these stages, in January they will receive a ‘conditional offer’ of admission. This means that they will be accepted if they attain the required marks (most often a high grade in your end of high school studies, and in a standardized English exam: 7.5 in the IELTS for example).

What is the deadline for applying?

Deadlines:

The deadline for applications to the University of York is the 15th January of a students’ final year of secondary school or sixth-form college (Year 13).

When do you have to start preparing for the University of York?

It is strongly recommended that students begin preparing from the end of Year 11 or beginning of Year 12. If possible, start any reading and thinking about what to write about in a Personal Statement as early as possible. Some candidates, particularly those with a weaker level of English, need to consider preparing even earlier. See this link for useful information for international candidates.

It is recommended that students try to find aspects of their chosen course that genuinely interest them and to think deeply about why they wish to study this subject – after all, students are applying to study this subject full time for at least 3 years.

Is it possible to visit the campus?

To check the upcoming visit days at York see this page.

What is the profile of the students at the University of York

Fees

Harvard University in a few words

Campus life

As Harvard is immensely popular with visitors and the campus is open, Harvard Yard feels like a mixture between an open city campus and a closed campus. The undergraduate population of about 6,700 students and some of the more than 15,000 postgraduate students attend classes in buildings surrounding the Yard, while the rest of the student body is dispersed between the medical and business schools further a bit further away. To escape the busyness of this most famous part of campus, the main building of the Harvard Library, Widener Library – the oldest library system in the United States – provides a calm, scholarly space, which includes a significant amount of underground tunnels where some 9 million volumes are stored.

The architecture of the city of Cambridge itself resembles that of Harvard, where red brick is commonly seen, creating a typically American look and feel to the campus. Winters in Cambridge are very snowy, and students will likely be seen in snow boots during the coldest months as they move around campus.

After their freshman year, most students are assigned to houses located in the Radcliffe Quadrangle or “Quad”, which is distinct from the Harvard Yard. This area of campus is quieter than the Yard and in addition to student housing, has House masters, and resident tutors, as well as a dining hall and library. As can be expected on any campus, the housing assignment for students ultimately becomes an important part of their social experience at Harvard.

How do I apply?

To apply to Harvard College, you will need to use the Common Application, a centralized platform through which you can apply to most American colleges and universities. You will need to fill in information about your family – including the occupation of your parents -, provide your transcript or high school grades, submit two teacher reference letters and a guidance counselor letter of reference, draft a résumé or CV, send official test scores (SAT, SAT Subject Test scores, ACT and English language test scores), describe your extracurricular activities and as with most highly selective colleges complete the essay questions on the Common App as well as answer additional essay questions specific to Harvard. The application will be due on January 1st unless you are applying for Early Action in which case you must submit all materials by November 1st.

What is the profile of students at Harvard?

As a “highly selective” school according to official terminology, the current rate of acceptance for new freshman hovers around 5%. As do many selective schools, Harvard looks for students to have a niche: like “photography & music”. The area or areas that you choose to develop and invest in should be things that really grab your attention. Find your passion! You’ll want to concentrate on activities and academic pursuits that come naturally to you and that you’ll look forward to working hard for both before and during your time as a student. You’ll also want to stand out from the crowd via a “spike” such as an internship, scholarship, trip, project, etc. Ask yourself: What have I done with my time in high school? Finally, be careful of the idea of “well-roundedness”. Today this means that universities seek to recruit a diverse student body. It does not mean that you need to take part in an infinite number of unrelated activities.

Affording Harvard

Without financial aid, the tuition fees for Harvard College in 2018-2019 were $46,340 and $67,580 for tuition, room, board, and fees combined.

The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1582 and is the 6th oldest university in the English speaking world.

Numerous buildings in the center of the sublime old city of Edinburgh are part of the university.

In 2018, Edinburgh was ranked 19th in the world in the QS World University Ranking.

The University of Edinburgh

Considered to be among the best universities in Europe (6th according to the U.S News’ Best Global Universities Ranking), the University has played a fundamental role in the reputation of Edinburgh as one of the great intellectual centers of Europe during the Enlightenment, which has even earned the city the nickname of ‘The Athens of the North’.

The University is also home to many famous former students like Charles Darwin, David Hume, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir Walter Scott as well as 23 Nobel pries, 1 Fields medal and 3 U.K Prime Ministers.

The University of Edinburgh receives 60 000 applications per year, which makes it the second most popular university in the U.K by volume.

With the University of Saint Andrews, it is the most selective university in Scotland and it therefore requires A grades at A Level or at least a ‘mention bien’ in the baccalaureat in order to be considered for admission.

How do I apply ?

The selection process at the University of Edinburgh is divided into multiple steps which we will describe to you below :

• The Conditional Offer of Admission Finally, if you succeed in the selection process, you will receive a ‘conditional’ offer of admission. This means that you will not definitely be accepted unless you obtain the minimum grade in the Bac and in an English exam (generally the IELTS).
• The application on UCAS You must first submit your application on the UCAS platform, the equivalent of Parcoursup in England. This file comprises a cover letter (Personal statement) as well as a letter of recommendation from one of your teachers.

When do you have to start preparing for the University of Edinburgh?

The deadline for applying to the University of Edinburgh is fixed at January 15th of your final year.

In all cases, take into account the preparation necessary for admission to Edinburgh, we strongly advise you to start preparing your application from your penultimate year to maximize your chances of getting accepted.

What is the profile of the students at Edinburgh University?

Given its high selectivity, we recommend that you only apply to this university if you can show very solid academic results and that you are sure to obtain a ‘Bien’ grade in the Bac.