Senior applies to colleges overseas

Eyes wide, senior Anya Herne stared in awe at the the famous Tower of London, a majestic gray castle lined with glistening white brick.

She had just completed a long day of a challenging summer internship. The pictures in the textbooks, the descriptions in the galleries and the paragraphs of fascinating historical text came to life before her eyes. .

Unlike the many students whose interests revolve around STEM fields, Herne has found her academic passion in history and international relations. That is why she has decided to apply to o five universities in England, including the London School of Economics and King’s College.

“I’m really interested in history, and a lot of history of western civilization is centered in and around England,” Herne said. “Just by being there, I’ll have access to a lot more resources than I have here.”

On weekdays during her internship, she focused on on her job but chose to spend her weekends exploring Oxford, Cambridge and Brighton.

“I saw the NASCAR racecourse, which was really fun,” Herne said. “In general, I really like the people and what London has to offer.”

Herne will be hearing back regarding her admission between Jan. 15 and the end of March. The acceptance rates for most of these universities hover around 10 percent, nearing that of Ivy Leagues. Because of the complications involved in obtaining a work VISA, Herne plans to return to America for either a graduate degree or for a job if she earns her undergraduate degree in London.

When applying to the universities, Herne often found herself confused by the questions’ England-specific vocabulary and unique application style. As part of her applicantion, she had to figure out that the SAT subject tests and AP tests are the equivalent of  “A-levels” in England and submit the U.S tests in their place.

“They ask if you’re going to go into the school of above honors level degree qualifications or below,” Herne said. “I had to go to an information session in San Francisco to figure out what that meant. It’s almost like a language barrier since I don’t always understand what they’re looking for.”

The college applications are not the only part that differ drastically between universities in England and America. According to Herne, the most dramatic difference between the schools is the education style. While American colleges are often a duration of four years, colleges in London last three years, and have students only take classes specific to their majors.

Moreover, the cost of college in England is significantly cheaper than that in the U.S. A private university in America usually costs $70,000, while Oxford University costs at most $30,000.

While attending college in England seems ideal to Herne, the idea of Saratoga students attending university in England is rare. Herne attributes this disparity to the fact that the decision to apply overseas is reliant on a student’s  academic interests.

“For my major, applying overseas is a good idea, because you get a different perspective in a different world view,” Herne said. “If you’re applying for a degree in the STEM field, the U.S. would likely be the best place for you because this is where new technology is really happening. It also depends on how comfortable you are in a foreign area. I love to travel, but not everyone does.”