University Applications
Application to a British University has to be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) between September 1st and January 15th of the year before the candidate hopes to start at University. Candidates are advised to apply by the beginning of December at the latest. This means that they should decide on the universities they wish to apply to between Easter of Year 12 and the first half term of Year 13.
The dead-line for applications to Oxford and Cambridge and Medical Schools is October 15th. They should preferably visit the Colleges and Medical Schools not later than the summer holidays. UCAS applications have to be made through the Headmaster who has to write a reference, to which great importance is attached, so it is very important that all applications should be thoroughly discussed beforehand.
Increasingly universities expect to find evidence of summer work at the end of Year 12, preferably in an area related to why the applicant hopes to study at university. As this is very difficult to arrange in Spain, it is most important to make plans well in advance.
Similarly increasing importance is being attached to the candidate's personal statement, guidelines for which are available in the candidates UCAS handbooks.
Whilst these changes in the selection criteria are to be welcome, it is important that candidates realize that universities are looking for more than three good grades at the end of two years.
Applicants to American universities and colleagues are considered on the basis of their academic record, school references and admissions tests. Each individual institution sets its own admissions requirements and the standard of competition varies considerably. The basic requirements are successful completion of secondary education as provided in the applicant's own country or in the national system in which the applicant has been educated of a standard that would authorize admission to one of that's country's universities. Students educated in British schools will therefore be expected to have five IGCSEs and two A levels, including Mathematics and English. Other disciplines usually required are a social science (history for example), a natural science and a foreign language.
Competitive American universities and colleges require the same academic standards as competitive British universities. Less competitive universities may accept applications with five IGCSEs but without A levels. Students who have taken A levels are given credits for them as if they had taken the U.S. Advanced Placement Test.
Colleges consider each case individually and no standard rules apply. In addition to their actual school reports, candidates will be asked to supply a "transcript". Runnymede has a special document prepared for applications to U.S. Universities, which expresses the content of the English school report in terms of U.S. grades. In their own interest, students applying to U.S. Universities should consult the School and not apply directly to the University without previous consultation.
Most U.S. Universities and Colleges now require admissions test. Registration must be completed about six weeks before the date of the test, and tests should be taken as early in the year preceding college entrance as possible. All American college admission tests are multiple choice tests and they do not include any prescribed course of study.
The test most frequently required is the College Board Admissions Testing Program, commonly known as the College Boards. This is made up of two parts: the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) consisting of three hours of mathematical and verbal questions, and SAT II - one, two or three one-hour tests in specific subjects.
The subjects a candidate should take are sometimes indicated by the College but usually the candidate is left free to choose. Most institutions ask for SAT I. Highly competitive institutions require both. These tests are taken on Saturdays early in December, January and late April/May.
Runnymede has by now acquired considerable experience of getting its alumni into U.S. Universities, since the School has always been favoured by a considerable percentage of American parents and their children, quite apart from those of other nationalities - including British. Since the SAT consists of both English and Maths tests, we advise our students to take their SATs either in the spring just before GCSEs or in the autumn of Year 12, when both subjects will be fresh in their minds. No special preparation is required for these tests. However, we have in the Office books of specimen tests which we recommend candidates to work through. Since the SAT can be taken any number of times, we also advise taking it a second time in the spring of Year 12 or the autumn of Year 13.
We strongly recommend anybody intending to try for an American University to take the SAY IIs. These can be taken in the following subjects: English Composition, English Literature, Mathematics I, Mathematics II, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, French, Spanish and Latin (of the subjects we teach at Runnymede), also German, Hebrew and Russian, American History and Social Studies, World History. We recommend students to take the SAT II in the subjects they are studying to A level, where possible. The content is similar to, but rather broader and less deep than IGCSEs. We recommend taking them in April/May or Year 12 or November of Year 13.
SATs are held on the same dates and therefore must be taken in two separate sessions. Up to three SAT IIs, which are of one hour's duration, may be taken at one sitting. Registration has to be made six weeks in advance. Registration forms and full details both of the examination and the registration procedures can be obtain from the Headmaster. We do not recommend students of Runnymede to take the Advanced Placement Tests since all U.S. Colleges will give advanced placement for good A levels.
