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MENU

Academics
The academic profile and admission
requirements vary from university to
university. It's important to find a
university that matches your academic
'fit'.

Academic opportunities

You do not have to choose your major when you

apply to a US university. However, if you know
what you want to study, make sure the university
offers degrees in the areas that interest you.

There's also more to the academic side of

university than the subjects on offer. Think about
which of the following are important to you, and
in what ways:

• Student to faculty ratio

• Access to faculty outside of class time
• Undergraduate research opportunities
• Honour or scholar programmes
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E.A.:.il= N COMMISSION
MENU

Academic opportunities

You do not have to choose your major when you

apply to a US university. However, if you know
what you want to study, make sure the university
offers degrees in the areas that interest you.

There's also more to the academic side of

university than the subjects on offer. Think about
which of the following are important to you, and
in what ways:

• Student to faculty ratio

• Access to faculty outside of class time
• Undergraduate research opportunities
• Honour or scholar programmes
• Study abroad programmes
• Library facilities and opening hours
• Internships, community service or
volunteering for credit

Admission requirements

It's important to be realistic about your university

choices in terms of what academic profile they
are looking for.
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Admission requirements

It's important to be realistic about your university

choices in terms of what academic profile they
are looking for.

Some of the top-tier universities in the USA admit

fewer than 6% of all students who apply (the
University of Cambridge rate of admission is
more than double this). These universities are
looking for academically excellent applicants
who have exceptional extracurricular
involvement.

However, there are thousands of universities in

the USA, so academic expectations range from
high to low. You do not need straight As and A*s
to be admitted to a good university in the USA.

In general, American universities will at least be

looking for:

• Five subjects at GCSE or the equivalent

National 5s
• 18 or A-levels/Scottish Advanced Highers
• Very few 'soft' subjects
• Some sort of extracurricular involvement
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In general, American universities will at least be

looking for:

• Five subjects at GCSE or the equivalent

National 5s
• 18 or A-levels/Scottish Advanced Highers
• Very few 'soft' subjects
• Some sort of extracurricular involvement

You should be following at least the

standard course load or curriculum that students
at your school normally take for university entry.

Less competitive bachelor's programmes might

accept the STEC or National 4s, and community
colleges might accept vocational qualifications
like the GNVQ or HND. You should contact each
institution's admissions office to know for certain,
and to find out how they view qualifications like
non-Advanced Scottish Highers, Pre-U, the EPQ,
the Welsh Baccalaureate, etc.

Competitiveness

US universities don't have specific entry

requirements like British universities.
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Competitiveness

US universities don't have specific entry

requirements like British universities.

They do publish the grade point average (GPA)

that their first year (freshman) students achieved
in high school. This can be usually be found on
the admissions section of a university's website,
and is out of 4.0.

Use the table below to average all your GCSEs,

A-levels and/or Scottish qualifications into a GPA.

This will help you know if a university's academic

profile is within your reach .

Universities will also publish the average or

range of admissions scores their admitted
students typically receive.
GPA GCSEs pre- GCSEs National A- Highers and GPA
2017 post-2017 ss levels Advanced Highers

4 A/A* 9 A A/A* A 4

3.7 8 3.7

3.3 B 7 B 3.3

3 C 6 B B 3

2.7 5 C 2.7

2.3 D 4 2.3

2 E 3 C D C 2
1.3 F 2 1.3

1 G 1 D E D 1

0 u u 0