A few people have been asking me recently about studying in the US and Canada. I mainly specialize in applications to the UK, but I’ve been learning about the US application process myself. You can see the main information you need to get started below, but please ask me if you have more specific questions.
Yes. The application process is a bit different, and it will need a bit of extra work and independent management on your part, but you are probably eligible and the skills that you learn on the Foundation Year will certainly help you.
Applications to US and Canadian universities are direct: that is to say that you make a separate application to each institution instead of a single central one like UCAS. Please be aware that most US universities charge an application fee, which you will have to pay for yourself.
The application process varies widely from course to course, and university to university, so reach out to the universities you are interested in and they will send you their own application packs which should explain you through the process.
As in the UK, you will need to provide a Personal Statement (or ‘Motivation Letter’). This could be based on the one you have written for the UK, but you’ll want to ‘Americanize’ the style to focus more on selling yourself and all your achievements.
You will also need to meet academic and language requirements, just like for the UK.
Language requirements for the US and Canada are normally based on TOEFL instead of IELTS, but most universities will also accept IELTS scores. However, this is at the university’s discretion, so you should check with them.
Academic requirements for the US will usually be based on SAT or ACT scores. If you’re applying to a US university, you should book to take the SAT test in the UK as soon as you can. The next test date available for booking is 12th March (booking deadline 11th February). You do not normally need to have taken the SAT before you apply: this will form the basis of a conditional offer. In fact, a growing number of US universities are now ‘test optional,’ which means that students can decide whether or not to submit standardized test scores as a part of their application.
You can find out more about exam dates and test centres by clicking on the links in this sentence.
Some courses, especially in the sciences may prefer ACT. For more information, go to this website: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html
In Canada, universities will probably make offers based on your high school qualifications, but they also accept SAT scores as they can boost your application.
Some institutions might also take your Foundation Year into consideration, so please declare this qualification on your application, and be ready to send the syllabus to the university (I can provide this for you).
The SAT is a single, general test, including English, Maths and Critical Thinking/Analysis. You can find more details of what the test includes here: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/inside-the-test
Although we don’t provide specific exam training for SATs, the modules you take in the Foundation Year will develop the language, maths and thinking skills that will help you with the test. You can find more specific test practice on the website linked above.
It’s up to you, but the same basic principles apply as for the UK: some universities are more competitive than others so you should apply to a range of them if you want to make sure that you receive an offer.
One thing which is quite different in the US is the system of Community Colleges. These are smaller institutions which offer two-year Associate Degrees. It is very normal in the US to start off with one of these and then apply to a major university for the following two years to ‘top up’ to a full US Bachelor’s degree. The advantage of this from your point of view is that both entrance requirements and fees are typically lower at Community Colleges, so one or two community colleges should definitely feature in your application strategy.
Beyond that, application decisions are similar to the UK: think about the location and the kind of university environment you want, and apply for a good mix of universities that will suit you.
EF has partner institutions in North America. Although the partnership agreement for these is with our US schools, these institutions recognize the EF name and have a good relationship with the organization. As in the UK, you can apply to other universities as well, but these make a good starting point.
I hope that this information is useful to you. I am also getting in touch with my counterpart in Boston, Mass. for more information and advice about applying to North America.
I will also post this to the EFUPOX website. Please get in touch with me if you need any further support or assistance.