The Foreign Service Journal, June 2007

94 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 7 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT What About Canada or the U.K.? F oreign Service students tend to be attract- ed to international universities, particularly in the U.K. and Canada. With expanding edu- cational travel allowances for FS dependents to international universities, as well as AFSA’s new policy on scholarships that can be used at any university, American or international, Now is a good time to check out non- American college options. FS student Gabi O’Connor, now in her final year at the University of York in England, wanted an excellent, highly-rated English program. She also knew that her family would be posted in Dublin. “America felt (and still feels) like a huge leap, a bit of a black hole compared to everything I knew and was comfortable with here in Europe,” she says. Still, she applied to U.S. colleges, and was ready to go if a more enticing offer came. Ultimately, she decided York was the best place for her. Not Such a ‘Huge Leap’ Students interested in studying in the U.K. can get more information from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Ser- vice (www.ucas.com ). UCAS is the central portal for applying to universities in the U.K. Unlike in the U.S. and Canada, you complete one application for admission to up to six universities (this may be changed to five in the near future). Deadlines are generally in October for Oxford, Cambridge and med- ical/dental/veterinary courses; January for all other universities and colleges. The usual course of study for an undergraduate degree takes three years, not four as in the U.S., unless you need to do a “foundation year” to catch up with British entrance requirements. It is also possible to do a combined bache- lor’s/master’s program in four years. British schools recognize the IB diploma as a valid substitute for British A-level exams. However, there are U.K. universities that will recognize AP exam scores, too (see list at this link: www.collegeboard.com/student/ testing/ap/intad.html ). There are plenty of British universities of extremely high quality that cost less than equivalent schools in the U.S. One FS parent reports, “My daughter’s experience at the University of Glasgow has been incredible. She has relatively small courses, usually no more than 20 to 25 in a class, and yet she is being taught by name professors, not by grad students or teaching assistants. The feeling we have gotten from the school administra- tion is that they truly know who she is and are concerned for her success.” Most schools in Britain expect you to know your course of study upon entry. Says York student Gabi O’Connor, “People consid- ering doing their undergraduate studies in the U.K. should be prepared for a different type of education than what you would get in the States. You only study one subject, but with a wide choice of modules or combined stud- ies. I recommend U.K. universities to anyone Web Sites www.collegeboard.com (register here to take PSAT, SAT, and SAT II tests) www.commonapp.org (click here to fill out and submit the Common Application) http://www.fafsa.ed.gov / (most colleges will require you to apply for financial aid using this site) http://profileonline.collegeboard.com/ind ex.jsp (many will also want you to use this site) www.fastweb.com (register here to get scholarship alerts via e-mail) www.kaplan.com (helpful e-mail alerts for parents and students) http://www.afsa.org/scholar/index.cfm (AFSA scholarship information) http://www.aafsw.org/aafsw/awards.htm (AAFSW scholarship information) College Admissions Counselors www.nacac.com National Association for College Admission Counseling www.educationalconsulting.org Independent Educational Consultants Association Books • Best 357 Colleges, 2005 Edition ( Best Colleges ), by Robert Franek et. al. ( Princeton Review , 2004) • Unofficial, Unbiased Guide to the 331 Most Interesting Colleges 2005 , by Kaplan (Kaplan, 2004) • A Is for Admission: The Insider’s Guide to Getting into the Ivy League and Other Top Colleges , by Michele A. Hernández (Warner Books, 1999) • The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College, by Jacques Steinberg (Penguin Books, 2003) • T he Insider’s Guide to the Colleges, 2005 (31st Edition ), by Yale Daily News (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2004) • Fiske Guide to Colleges 2005 , by Edward Fiske (Sourcebooks, 2004) • How to Go to College (Almost) for Free , by Ben Kaplan (Harper Resource, 2002) • Get Into Any College: Secrets of Harvard Students , by Gen and Kelly Tanabe (Supercollege LLC, 2001) • Harvard Schmarvard: Getting Beyond the Ivy League to the College That is Best for You , by Jay Mathews (Three Rivers Press, 2003) • Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You’re Not a Straight-A Student , by Loren Pope (Penguin, 2000) • The Ultimate College Survival Guide , by Janet Farrar Worthington, Ronald Farrar (Peterson’s Guides, 1998) • Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years (fourth edition), by Karen Levin Coburn, Madge Lawrence Treeger (Perennial, 2003) Magazines Newsweek puts out an annual issue called “America’s Hottest Colleges,” and U.S. News & World Report publishes an annual ranking of the most selective colleges and universities. — Francesca Huemer Kelly Resources for the College Application Process