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I knew that studying in the US would give me more time to explore the areas I was interested in before having to narrow down to just one subject....
Meet Laura Tunbridge
at Yale College
(2009 - 2013)
Applying
Typical application Requirements - Differences Between US and UK Admissions - Early Action and Early Decision
"Don't let the processes that are involved and necessary in being able to study in the US stop you or hold you back, such as having to apply for a visa. It may seem daunting at first, but it's not that bad at all."
Melinda, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
The US application process follows a similar timeline to UCAS. However, it will seem a bit longer as you will apply separately to each university, have more space to discuss why you are a suitable applicant and will likely have to sit an admissions test.
The key to submitting a competitive application is to allow plenty of time to complete each of the steps of the process, concentrating the majority of your effort on the areas you can control, such as revising for admissions exams, preparing referees and writing strong essays.
If you need extra help studying for admission exams, preparing your applications or are interested in an exam preparation course, please see our Resources page for information on test tutors and educational consultants.
Typical Application Requirements
- A completed application form
- Application fee ($50-100 per university)
- Admissions exam scores
- 2-3 essays
- Transcript
- 2-3 letters of reference
- Interview (for some universities)
Differences Between US and UK Admissions
- The most notable difference between the US and UK application processes is that students applying to US undergraduate programmes must submit their applications directly to individual universities rather than via a centralised body like UCAS. Use of the Common Application, an undergraduate admissions application used by approximately 400 universities, can streamline the process further as the member institutions all use the same core application. However, most institutions will request supplemental essays tailored to their university.
- Each university will set their own application deadlines and fees, as well as admissions requirements. Fortunately, most application forms will follow a similar format that you will allow you to re-use or adapt some of the materials that you prepare for each application.
- Another difference between US and UK university applications is that you are applying for admissions to the institution rather than to a specific department within a university. Consequently, the undergraduate admissions office, rather than faculty members of academic departments, will likely be responsible for admissions decisions. It is crucial that you keep this audience in mind when drafting your application materials.
Early Action and Early Decision
Early Action and Early Decision applications allow you to apply early to US universities and receive admissions decisions well before the usual spring decision date, usually by December or January. The advantage of Early Action and Early Decision is that you are competing with a smaller applicant pool and are generally more likely to be accepted if you have the proper credentials. Early Action and Early Decision admissions are also not conditional on speculated A-level results. You may wish to read about the top 50 Colleges With High Early Admission Rates.
Early Decision is different from Early Action in that it is binding and that you can only apply to one university as Early Decision (whereas with Early Action you can apply to several universities early**). If you are accepted by a university under Early Decision you must withdraw all other applications to US universities and commit to attend that university assuming you study in the US. However, colleges will not force students to attend against their will, and colleges agree to release students from the agreement if attending is not financially possible. With Early Action you have until spring to make a decision on a university and are not required to attend the university that accepts you under Early Action.
** There are two types of Early Action options, Restrictive Early Action (REA) and Un-restrictive Early Action. Under Restrictive Early Action, applicants are only allowed to apply to one university as Restrictive Early Action and none under Early Decision, but are welcome to apply to as many as they want under Regular Decision. Under Restrictive Early Action...Universities such as Yale and Stanford offer Restrictive Early Action. If a student wanted to apply to both universities early, they could not. Rather, the student must choose either Yale or Stanford as their first choice and then the rest of their university applications are lodged under Regular Decision admission.