The college process is long and tedious. Beginning junior year, students must decide which colleges they are interested in, which they could get into, what they may want to major in, which locations are the most attractive–the list is infinite.
Recently, however, a trend has become evident among American students–going to university in the United Kingdom. According to The Washington Post, in the 2008-09 school year, 3,560 American students attended university in the U.K., a 30% increase from five years before.
Class of 2010 WJ alum Kevin Riklin, currently a freshman at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, does not regret his decision to study abroad for all four years of college.
“It’s cheaper and it’s a new experience. How many chances in my life will I get the opportunity to live abroad?” said Riklin.
At such an international school, Riklin has had the opportunity to make connections with people from all over the world. Aside from schooling and education, Riklin gets to travel to nearby countries on the weekends and has become integrated into Scottish social life and culture.
“I think more people should consider studying here, but it is difficult for people who aren’t motivated or disciplined because you don’t get babied—you have to do a lot of work and independent research,” he said.
Edinburgh, amongst other schools in the U.K., is an incredibly prestigious university, ranked 40th in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking. Cambridge and Oxford tied for sixth, close behind the leading Ivy League schools of the U.S.
“Edinburgh is partnered with the Ivy Leagues, but costs so much less,” said WJ senior Gina Lorenzetti, who will be attending the University of Edinburgh next fall.
For the same education, students who attend the University of Edinburgh will pay approximately half the tuition that they would pay if they were to attend a private university in the U.S. The tuition at Edinburgh is only about $20,000 a year, nothing compared to the $35,000 or more tuition prices of universities in the U.S. Cost was definitely an influencing factor in both Riklin and Lorenzetti’s decisions.
“I won’t be able to come home as often,” said Lorenzetti, “but adventure is out there. We are already going away—so we might as well make it a huge international adventure.”
Meanwhile, Class of ’06 WJ alum Anna Horvai has had a different experience. Horvai attended Cambridge University as an undergraduate and she attended Oxford University as a graduate. For Horvai, the cost was not so different from studying in the U.S. because living in London is incredibly expensive.
“Living in the U.K. is really different to living in the US. There are a lot of cultural differences, and it’s true that the weather takes some getting used to,” said Horvai. “University life is also quite different in the U.K. because you have to specialize very early on, and then you take a certain number of courses every year and have big exams at the end of each year.”
But getting into the Cambridge was not an easy ordeal. Horvai had to get a total of four fives on her AP exams, as well as strong teacher recommendations and excellent grades. This meant that most of her senior year was spent studying. However, the exciting prospect of studying abroad and the fact that she is European both motivated her to study and get the necessary test results.
“I really enjoyed my time at university in the UK,” said Horvai, who is Hungarian. “I met a lot of amazing people and loved both of my university towns. It was a great experience going abroad, and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to study at two incredible universities.”
From the University of Edinburgh to the University of St. Andrews to Oxford to the London School of Economics, studying in the U.K. gives American students a firsthand international education.
“I want to study international relations,” said Lorenzetti. “This is kind of that jumping-off point.”
After studying education and English as an undergraduate and Comparative and International Education, Horvai continues to live in London and is very happy there.
“It took some time getting used to the British culture, but I soon came to love its quirks. I also managed to find ‘Maryland Cookies’ at the supermarket, so that definitely made me feel more at home,” said Horvai. “I do love coming back to Bethesda though, and always make sure to get as much Chipotle in as possible during my visits.”
Both Horvai and Riklin are very happy with their decisions to study in the U.K., and Lorenzetti is thrilled to embark on this next step in her life. While four years abroad may not be for everyone, the option is always out there and the opportunity is bloody brilliant.
