Tatler UK - 10.2019

tatler.com Tatler Schools Guide 2020 69

NORTH AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES

INVESTIGATIONS

The good news is that US universities

hold the holistic education of British

public schools in high esteem

worth in excess of $20,000, while

250 have ‘full ride’ (fully funded)

scholarships available.

Already this year, there are many

incredible success stories for schools

to celebrate: a Harrow student has

been awarded a soccer scholarship

to Stanford University, a pupil from

Wellington has won the Jefferson

Scholarship to the University of

Virginia, and a pupil at St Paul’s

School for boys was selected for the

Morehead-Cain scholarship at the

University of North Carolina.

Studying on the other side of the

Atlantic from family and friends isn’t

for everyone, but as James Yiu, a

student of Brighton College who

has chosen to attend Columbia

University over Cambridge, says:

‘I want to be able to look back in

four years’ time and think, “Wow, I

really didn’t think I could have got

here”, as it means I'll have tested the

limits of my potential.’ A world of

opportunity greets the brave, and

for school leavers prepared to take

the leap and study at an American

university, the potential rewards are

immeasurable. (

degree courses offer a spartan six

to nine hours per week). Unlike

the UK, US degrees are equally

assessed throughout the course,

with the freshman (first) year being

as important as the final year. As one

NYU student explains: ‘Slacking

off isn’t something that’s easy to do

in the US, and the system doesn’t

permit it.’ Factor in the incredible

extracurricular and pastoral provi-

sions at US universities and their

offer is increasingly appealing.

Parents may apply to American

colleges directly for financial aid

and there is a plethora of scholar-

ships and awards that come with

financial assistance. According to

the Fulbright Commission, more

than 600 US universities offer

international students scholarships

which enable students to try out a

range of different subjects before

they major. A number of UK

universities, including Bristol, are

now offering similar courses, but

NYU (New York University) goes

a step further by enabling students

to study on multiple campuses

globally. ‘NYU offered me a

freshman year in Paris,’ one London

day school pupil says. ‘I had friends

who went to Shanghai, London,

Ghana, Tel Aviv and Florence.’

According to the ISC, 29,000

international students are privately

educated in the UK but schools are

reporting that it is no longer just

pupils with American connections

who are choosing to study there.

If a pupil has travelled from Hong

Kong to spend their formative years

at school in the UK, it is not such

a leap for them to continue their

education in the US or Canada.

Now, UK-born students are also

looking to widen their horizons,

relishing the global perspective

that studying abroad offers. Canada

is an attractive choice, especially

the University of Toronto and

McGill. According to Alex Patton,

Head of Sixth Form at Brighton

College, ‘McGill is on par with

King’s College London in terms

of QS World University Ranking.’

The Canadian application process

is also much more straightforward

and many of their universities are

considerably better value financially

than their US counterparts.

Many families are put off

considering study in the US due to the

notoriously prohibitive fees – up

to $60,000 annually. However, the

increase in tuition fees in the UK

has forced parents and pupils to

reassess the comparative value of

a degree at a British institution –

particularly once you consider the

accommodation costs and actual

contact hours with tutors (some UK

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