U.S. Universities

There is no official method of equating British and American educational qualications. The educational systems are entirely different, and any attempt to compare them must necessarily be tentative. However, over the years, Runnymede College has built up a body of know-how and knowledge based on the experience of sending pupils to US universities practically every year.

Applicants to American universities and colleges 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 country's universities. Students educated in British schools will therefore be expected to have five GCSEs or O levels 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 tests. 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 Lower VI, 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.

There is another examination, the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT/NMSQT) which all pupils in Year 11 take in October. The examination is similar in form and content to the SAT I and the main reason for taking it is that it provides an excellent opportunity to see what an SAT-type examination is like in practice. Since speed is of the essence of the College Boards, a student cannot get too much practice. Those candidates who come in the top half per cent of all those who sit the Test throughout the world become eligible for consideration for a National Merit Scholarship. There may not be much chance of this but the value of the practice the PSAT offers should not need stressing. The actual SATs I and II have to be taken at the American School of Madrid where, however friendly and helpful the Counsellors may be - and they are - it is not quite the same as playing on home ground. Hence the value of the experience gained doing the PSAT at Runnymede.

We strongly recommend anybody intending to try for an American University to take the SAT 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 of 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 obtained from the Headmaster or from Mr Frank Powell, who is our expert on entry to U.S. Universities although, until now unfortunately, the Tests have to be taken elsewhere. We do not recommend students of Runnymede to take the Placement Tests since all U.S. Colleges will give advanced placement for A levels.