Some might say that students do not need the services of a adviser in applying to the university system in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Yes, may be the short answer since UCAS is an impressive, all-purpose, self-service search and application engine that enables students to select, apply, and complete the university admissions process efficiently.
Having said that…
There are over 130 excellent universities in the UK and more than 300 providers of higher education. That amounts to over 50,000 college and university level courses being offered. That’s a lot of choice, and that’s where CAN can offer expertise and guidance!
England: There are 106 prominent universities in England. Some are historic and many are fairly new. There are several universities in England that date back to their origins in the Middle Ages. Most people recognize the names, Oxford and Cambridge, but many other English universities, former polytechnics, are highly respected throughout the world.
Scotland: There are 15 universities in Scotland and three other institutions of higher education that have the authority to award academic degrees. All Scottish universities are public and funded by the Scottish Government (through its Scottish Funding Council).
Wales: There are currently eight universities operating in Wales, all of which receive funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW).
Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland is a distinct geographic part of the UK and takes great pride in its emphasis on higher education. It is a small region that has three universities; two university colleges; six further education colleges; and an agri-food and land-based college, all of which offer opportunities to study for and attain various higher education qualifications on higher education.
Substantial experience in placing students from the US, Asia, Europe, and Africa in UK universities is a prime distinguishing marker for College Advising Now. Over the past 20 years, an increasing number of students from outside the UK have applied and earned places at most UK universities. Moreover, CAN has toured and visited many of these universities to inform their professional knowledge.
The UCAS application seems simple enough and only consists of four pages. However, three factors make selecting and applying to British, Scottish, and Welsh universities more complicated.
- The application limits students to just five universities.
- Students need to know exactly what they wish to study, down to the code for the university course.
- The Personal Statement is shorter and more concise than U.S. statements, and critical to the application.
Why the UK?
UK Universities and colleges seek to diversify their student populations with non-resident applications from abroad. It is often less expensive to attend a British or Scottish university than one in certain cities and areas of the U.S. Financial aid and scholarships, in the form of bursaries, are also available to non-residents.
