An estimated 1,80,000 undergraduate and postgraduate
students from across India fly abroad every year to pursue higher
education. A majority (over 54 per cent) of them enrol at American
universities while 11 per cent still prefer to enrol at British
universities. With xenophobia on the rise after the June 23 Brexit
referendum, and the difficulties caused by the current student visa
system in the U.K., the flow of Indian students, which has been falling
steadily in recent years, is likely to ebb further. Despite this new
development, the U.K. remains the third most favoured destination for
undergraduate and postgraduate students who are ready — given the
astonishingly high cut-offs demanded by the few top-ranked colleges and
universities in India — to pay an arm and leg for higher education
abroad.
For adventurous students prepared to invest
their family’s fortunes in higher education abroad, the first point to
note is that the higher education system in the U.S. is markedly
different from that in Britain. Before you choose your university or
higher education institution, you should decide upon the country in
which you want to study. The higher education system you opt for should
be able to fulfil your academic objectives and enhance your skill-set.
It may be useful to get an overview of the higher education systems of
the U.S. and the U.K. to aid the decision-making process in this regard.
The
concept of interdisciplinary learning is a common thread in the
curriculum of America’s colleges and universities. The flexible U.S.
higher education system encourages students to customise study
programmes to suit their individual interests. For instance, you could
combine religious studies with sociology, or pursue your love of music
alongside your penchant for mathematics, or even learn art history and
business management studies simultaneously. Moreover, in addition to the
primary curriculum, you are free to attend lectures, study, write
examinations and obtain credits in other subjects of your choice in
wholly unrelated disciplines. For instance, the late Steve Jobs,
legendary Apple Inc. co-founder, studied calligraphy conterminously with
his major in science at Reed College, a combination which ultimately
translated into the sleek designs of Apple products. Similarly, for
students inclined toward research, the extensive lab facilities which
are a standard feature of universities abroad are easily accessible and
professors will welcome offers of assistance with their work and
research studies. In short, in America’s universities, students have
unparalleled opportunities to customise their education to fulfil all
their interests in order to widen their horizons and acquire a
well-rounded academic experience. Furthermore, the insistence of almost
all universities that foreign students reside on campus for at least the
first two years enables them to acclimatise to life in the U.S. and
optimally leverage their academic experience when searching for
employment opportunities.
U.S. admission
The
admissions process for U.S. colleges/universities is thorough and
extensive. For prospective undergraduate students, writing prescribed
tests — SAT/ACT and language tests such as TOEFL / IELTS — is mandatory.
In addition, application essays, letters of recommendation from school
principals, class teachers and respected academics, a well-rounded
profile furnishing proof of community service, internships and
extracurricular activities are also required to be submitted to
colleges/universities. It is recommended that aspirants start working on
applications a year in advance. Once the admissions committee of your
chosen undergraduation college reviews your application and finds you
suitable for admission, you will receive a letter of acceptance even
before you receive your Class XII board exam results.
Graduates
of Indian universities applying for admission into postgraduate
programmes of the U.S. universities will need to write the GRE or GMAT
exams plus an English proficiency test (TOEFL / IELTS). Admission
applications are judged on the basis of academics, professional exam
scores and co-curricular and extra-curricular records of applicants
during their undergraduate education and work experience. Besides, it is
important to demonstrate a strong interest in the chosen field of study
through a well-crafted resume and Statement of Purpose. After
submitting your application, you may also receive an interview call. The
decision on your admission is made after evaluating all these factors.
On
the other hand, unlike the longer four-year bachelor’s and two-year
master’s programmes offered by the U.S. universities, the shorter
three-year undergraduate and 10 or 12-month master’s programmes of
British universities provide a much more focused system of education,
while offering arts, science and commerce and professional degree
programmes. As in India, courses at British universities focus on a
single discipline.
There are also similarities
between the British and Indian school systems, both of which encourage
early division into streams, making it easier for Indian students to
adapt to the British tertiary education system. The shorter duration of
British degree programmes is also a great advantage because of the lower
overall cost of higher education, while the quality of education
dispensed by the U.K.’s reputed universities such as Oxford, Cambridge,
LSE and Imperial College, which routinely rank among the Top 10 in the
annual World University Rankings league tables published by QS and Times
Higher Education, is on par with the very best U.S. universities.
U.K. admission
The
application procedure for British universities is simpler than the
usual American process. For undergraduate admissions, writing
standardised tests such as SAT and ACT is not required, although IELTS
scores for proof of English competency are often mandatory. Moreover,
applications to all British universities is centralised through UCAS
(University and Colleges Admissions Service) which requires only one
letter of recommendation and a single Statement of Purpose for all U.K.
applications (there is a limit of 5 universities one can apply to). Of
course, a strong profile with good academic scores and a record of
co-curricular and/or extra-curricular activities is very helpful here as
well.
For graduate students, GRE or GMAT scores are
optional for specific universities and courses. Applications are judged
on the basis of school and college academic performance and experience
in the professional and extracurricular realms. Essays, Statements of
Purpose, references and a well-drafted resume along with a standard
IELTS score are sufficient for applications to graduate programmes in
the U.K. Students can apply to as many universities as they wish, unlike
the undergraduate system, and the applications are not centralised: the
universities tend to handle graduate admissions directly.
Although
scholarships for overseas students are rare and less generous than in
the U.S., and admissions are fiercely competitive, the chances of
students from Indian schools offering CIE and IB curriculums getting
offers are very favourable. Top-ranked Oxbridge and other universities
apart, the U.K. has numerous other universities spread across England,
Wales, Scotland and Ireland that provide high quality, globally
respected education. Unlike the U.S. where Class XII exam results are
not of great importance, U.K. universities give conditional offers
dependent upon securing a certain score in Board exams to secure a
place.
The writer is co-founder, Collegify.
