This informal CPD article ‘Differences between US and UK university applications’ was provided by UES Education, specialists in international university and school admissions, working with top schools across the UK and Europe to provide a bespoke service for those who want the best possible application support in the UK.
When advising students, it is important for teachers, counsellors and schools to be aware of the main differences between UK and US university applications. Although they have similar components—like a personal essay and letters of recommendation—the two are quite distinct, and even those similar components should be completed in different ways. Being aware of the distinctions between the two, and of the unique elements involved in US applications, will help counsellors and schools set students up for success.
Testing
One of the major differences between US and UK university applications is that US universities often require students to sit standardised university entrance exams (the SAT or ACT). Universities don’t mind which of the two tests students take, so students should sit the test to which they are best suited, and on which they are likely to score well.
One seemingly confusing aspect of testing requirements is that not all US universities require applicants to sit the tests! During the COVID-19 pandemic, many US colleges became test-optional due to access issues. However, in 2024, many popular US colleges, including Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, and Yale, announced their return to mandatory testing. It can be a smart choice for students to avoid creating a college list based on institutions’ testing policies, but to prepare for and plan to take the tests. This will give them a broad range of universities to which they can apply and help them avoid panic if a test-optional college on the list changes its policy.
Personal statement
Both UCAS and the Common Application (the main online portal for US university applications) (1) ask applicants to write a personal statement. However, the US personal statement is very different from the UCAS one, so students won’t be able to re-use their UCAS statement for their US applications and will need to write a separate essay. The Common Application essay gives students a choice of seven prompts. All the prompts require students to write on personal, reflective topics including skills and talents, challenges in life, and even times they have failed at something! Students will need to write openly and honestly about a topic with great personal significance that speaks to their identity and character. They should also strive to write in their own personal voice, sharing their personality through their writing style.
Emphasis on activities
At US universities, extracurricular activities hold much more weight in the assessment process than at UK universities. There is even a section of the application in which students will list their extracurricular activities and provide a short description of each one. Applicants should keep in mind, though, that it isn’t the quantity of activities that they do that will boost their applications. Instead, they should strive to be deeply involved with a few activities about which they are truly passionate. Also, activities that show leadership, community service, long-term involvement, and/or competitiveness are particularly impressive to US admissions officers. Thinking about extracurriculars early on—from around year 10—and trying out a few activities to see which ones feel meaningful and appealing is a great idea for prospective US applicants.
Tone of recommendations
Both US and UK applications request letters of recommendation. For UK applications, one academic letter of reference is required, and this should be highly subject-specific. For the US, applicants will need a counsellor reference (typically from the futures office, head of sixth form, or housemaster), and two subject-specific references. The counsellor recommendation should discuss the student’s involvement with the school community, speaking to the student’s personal qualities and character. The subject-specific references, whilst focused on academics, should also mention the student’s character. If a teacher is writing subject references for a student for both US and UK applications, we would recommend that they re-draft the US reference with condensed academic information and add in information about the student’s personality, character, and how they fit into the classroom.
Holistic review
US applications require more elements than UK applications, and (unlike UK applications) foreground the applicant’s personality and character. Underpinning these differences is the American style of application review: when US admissions officers review applications, they are evaluating students on more than academics. They also consider all the aspects mentioned above, as well as other factors like fit (how well a student fits in with the profile of the university and its values) and demonstrated interest (whether a student has shown clear interest in attending through things like visiting the university or signing up to its email list or newsletter, or following them on social media). To have a successful application, even a student with five A*s would need to engage with the other areas of the application and show admissions officers that they are a good overall fit at the university.
Being aware of the nuances of US applications is crucial to schools, counsellors, and teachers. Not only will this awareness help in advising students and putting through applications, but also in helping prospective US applicants build their profiles in the years before application.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from UES Education, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
REFERENCES
(1) https://www.commonapp.org/
