UCL Anyone??

[CulturedExperience]

I am currently finishing up my undergraduate degree and will be applying to Grad schools Fall 2011. I have been enquiring with an English Department Administrator at UCL in London and have become very worried. After asking her what they take for admission I found that a writing sample is not taken. Therefore the weight of admission is held on 2 recommendations and a 500-1,000 word SOP. So My question is, in this case, how much weight really will go towards my GRE/GPA/Resume ? If anyone has applied to this school, or even recieved admission let me know what your thoughts are on this matter (or even schools with this similar dilemma). I am concerned that my GRE scres will not be top notch as I am a horrible test taker.

Edited January 11, 2011 by CulturedExperience

[wreckofthehope]

I am currently finishing up my undergraduate degree and will be applying to Grad schools Fall 2011. I have been enquiring with an English Department Administrator at UCL in London and have become very worried. After asking her what they take for admission I found that a writing sample is not taken. Therefore the weight of admission is held on 2 recommendations and a 500-1,000 word SOP. So My question is, in this case, how much weight really will go towards my GRE/GPA/Resume ? If anyone has applied to this school, or even recieved admission let me know what your thoughts are on this matter (or even schools with this similar dilemma). I am concerned that my GRE scres will not be top notch as I am a horrible test taker.

I doubt UCL will want your GRE scores - no universities do in the U.K., that I know of at least... so there's no need to worry in that respect - just write a good research statement (this is the bit that will matter most).

[nyrrac]

Are you applying for a taught program or a research program? Taught programs look at your 2 recommendations and your transcripts. The research program is trickier. You need to write to a professor (whose research interests matches yours) with a research proposal. If said professor likes your research and has the space to supervise you, then he/she will ask you to formally apply to UCL. That's how my department (Linguistics) work anyway. Hope that helps

[harpyemma]

To be honest, it's fairly easy to get into British MA programmes (and when you compare it to US odds, PhD programmes too). Especially as an international student, because the universities can (and do, quite considerably) charge you much higher tuition fees.

They won't want your GRE scores, for sure. Forget them.

Your SOP will need to be well-written, obviously. Your CV shouldn't be too big issue an unless you've either never, ever had paid employment or done volunteer/charity work. And even then,,, i mean, the bar really isn't set that high. Provided you're not stupid, your LORs are strong, your transcript is consistent and shows high marks and you'll graduate with a good degree (definitely >3.0 GPA), you should be fine.

Edited February 10, 2011 by harpyemma

[RockDenali]

For what it's worth . . . my friend got into King's College London this year as a medievalist (MA, taught programme) with a mediocre GPA (3.3), one decent recommendation (from a prof who I'm sure is unknown in the field) and one super solid recommendation. But this is King's, not UCL, and I think he would admit, as the poster above said, that UK universities love charging American students ZU VIEL GELD $$$ . . .

[noxrosa]

I know this isn't an option for everyone (I live in London which makes it more viable), but for those of you, like me, think you're probably going to be rejected from all the PhD programs you applied to this year, the UCL taught masters has a deadline of March 1st! There's still time to add one more school to your application list

[ekim12]

[To contribute a belated response to this post.] The GPA for UCL matters, as I've discovered. I've received a conditional offer for the taught MA Modernism program for Fall 2012 given that I have a 3.5 cumulative GPA upon graduation. So a First.

This offer is stressing me out far more than an outright rejection ever would.

UCL does not know my college. Or my college's policy of combatting grade deflation. Or that the cumulative GPA hardly pertains to my MA degree compared to my major GPA. Or how slavishly I'll have to work this spring semester to obtain that final cumulative 3.5. Bah.

[wreckofthehope]

[To contribute a belated response to this post.] The GPA for UCL matters, as I've discovered. I've received a conditional offer for the taught MA Modernism program for Fall 2012 given that I have a 3.5 cumulative GPA upon graduation. So a First.

This offer is stressing me out far more than an outright rejection ever would.

UCL does not know my college. Or my college's policy of combatting grade deflation. Or that the cumulative GPA hardly pertains to my MA degree compared to my major GPA. Or how slavishly I'll have to work this spring semester to obtain that final cumulative 3.5. Bah.

That's a normal offer from a British university for someone who hasn't finished a course of study. An MA usually requires that you get a 2:1 in the British system - if you don't have the qualification yet, they will stipulate in your offer that you need to have it by the time you enroll. Likewise, a PhD offer, if you are still in a Master's program, will be conditional on you achieving a certain designation in your MA degree, usually a Distinction or a Merit.

Edited February 17, 2012 by wreckofthehope

[ekim12]

Right, I suppose a 3.5 GPA isn't a First but a 2:1. But this, found in another topic thread, was quite helpful:

I know it seems hard to believe, but you really have to trust me that it's not a big deal. You're not "negotiating," you're just pointing out that they've made an error.

The way it works is this. The traditional "condition" for a British student would be a 1st, so they apply the same to international students and use a standard GPA conversion to make it uniform. This comes out to a 3.7, so they slap the 3.7 condition on the file. This, however, doesn't reflect the fact that GPAs are cumulative over 4 years, whereas in most British unis the first year doesn't count, the second is only 1/3 of the grade, and the final year is 2/3 (and only assessed at the very end of the year). So a 1st is a reasonable condition to them because it's entirely feasible pretty much no matter what the student got in 2nd year. But in the GPA system, a 3.7 may or may not be feasible. For me, my condition was low enough that basically I could've flunked the last semester, which was very credit-light (only 12) and still made it - not much of a condition, right?

So just point out the fact that it's unattainable, and they'll say "oh, right, well, your new one is 3.XX" and it should be something roughly where you are now.

[wreckofthehope]

Right, I suppose a 3.5 GPA isn't a First but a 2:1. But this, found in another topic thread, was quite helpful:

Will you try approaching them that way?

To me a 3.5-ish offer seems not unreasonable (it's slightly unfair in that a 2i is equivalent to a range of GPAs from about a 3.3 to about a 3.6/3.7)... but many universities in the States ask that you have a 3.5, and the same in Canada. And a 3.5 is surely not THAT hard to get, is it? (I'm British so I genuinely don't know... my only experience is graduate grades which are shifted upwards, it seems).

[ekim12]

No, I don't think so since the 3.5 isn't unattainable but very difficult to get.

(I swear I'll stop soon with this GPA complaining and whinging, but here you go: http://gradeinflation.com/ Scroll almost halfway down to the graph titled Changes in GPA, 1990-2006, Private Schools. See school at very end. Seems a decent source to me, but who knows --)

UCL wants a response within two weeks from now, however, and I do wish I could get an extension in terms of decision-making time. I've emailed them about my confusion with this conditional offer business since I'll try my best but there's a chance I won't get that 3.5 after this semester. 50% of that 3.5 depends on an 'Arts & Economics' course.

True that many U.S. postgrad programs ask for a 3.5 minimum, but I've also been told the major GPA was a better, more relevant approximation.

[wreckofthehope]

No, I don't think so since the 3.5 isn't unattainable but very difficult to get.

(I swear I'll stop soon with this GPA complaining and whinging, but here you go: http://gradeinflation.com/ Scroll almost halfway down to the graph titled Changes in GPA, 1990-2006, Private Schools. See school at very end. Seems a decent source to me, but who knows --)

UCL wants a response within two weeks from now, however, and I do wish I could get an extension in terms of decision-making time. I've emailed them about my confusion with this conditional offer business since I'll try my best but there's a chance I won't get that 3.5 after this semester. 50% of that 3.5 depends on an 'Arts & Economics' course.

True that many U.S. postgrad programs ask for a 3.5 minimum, but I've also been told the major GPA was a better, more relevant approximation.

You should ask them for more time too - you have other apps out there, I presume? If you explain that to them they should be fine with giving you an extension, at least.

To be completely honest, it's not in their interest to pressure you for a decision too early or to ask for a GPA that you might not get - they stand to make money out of you should you attend so making it impossible for you to do so would be shooting themselves in the foot and they've already indicated that they want you so they ought to be somewhat flexible.

[memberofthe?]

For the record, I am a US applicant that got accepted within weeks of applying here and I recently found out that it is (to some recording institutions) ranked the #1 college to study English in the UK. I have a 3.8 in English and had great recommendations from my professors. Other than that, good luck! I'm considering going there because of the experiences it might provide that are different from US grad schools. I don't think it's fair to chalk up the US students that get in to only being good for their money though, yes it is a lot to go there, but no more than it would cost to go to a UC for an entire year.

[ekim12]

I don't think it's fair to chalk up the US students that get in to only being good for their money though, yes it is a lot to go there, but no more than it would cost to go to a UC for an entire year.

Haha true.

From the postgrad student/ consumer's point of view, not much of a difference in overseas tuition fee we're charged to study at UCL/elsewhere in the UK and the tuition fee at a domestic uni (even with the exchange rate, I think). When I was abroad in Edinburgh, the visiting American students were all just thinking, "Seriously?" as the student protests about the increases in tuition went on. British students pay so little! Although I suppose that reaction could/ should go the other way around with the $50,000 per year American students have to pay. But here that sticker price is just the norm...

Anyway, emailed the UCL admissions office. The 4-week response window isn't compulsory but suggested. And the cumulative GPA condition isn't make-or-break. Yay.

[memberofthe?]

ekim12 : then congratulations are due. I'm about 75% sure that I am going to go to UCL in fall for the MA in English: issues in modern culture. I graduated in June, but I'm really excited about being accepted there! The band members of Coldplay all went there, which may elicit hatred from some readers and isn't all that important, but is a FUN fact. What program are you going into? Maybe I'll see you there!

[ekim12]

memberofthe?: To you as well! I've actually applied to the same program, Issues in Modern Culture. Still debating and waiting on two other places, Cambridge & Edinburgh. London is so different from Edinburgh, so am a bit nervous. UCL's place on the rankings for English departments is pretty tempting...

Edited February 26, 2012 by ekim12

[memberofthe?]

ekim12: Their reputation in English is a draw for me too... Good luck on your other schools, I never thought of applying to Cambridge, primarily because up until January I hadn't thought of applying anywhere outside of the US, but I know it is also a great school!

[ekim12]

Anybody have advice on housing? Go the university accommodation or the private accommodation route? I've found the page on applying for uni housing, but I can't even seem to find the 'apply for housing' button. This is a problem.

> Here's the page: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/accommodation/applications/application-process

[Grogthecaveman]

Hello ekim,

I will also be attending UCL next fall for the Issues in Modern Culture program. If you move your cursor over the white words "Accommodation Applications" in the red box at the top, you will be able to click and it will direct you to the application. Since I am a terrible cook, I decided to apply for catered accommodation to the two UCL residence halls and to a couple of the intercollegiate halls. I haven't looked into private accommodation, though I imagine it would be somewhat cheaper.

[ekim12]

Thanks, grog! Housing application finally submitted. I lived in Ramsay Hall (catered) the first time I visited London and the location's really convenient. I applied for a self-catered shared flat as I'd prefer a homier (as opposed to dormier) place.

There doesn't seem to be a guarantee of uni housing however, and I've submitted fairly late, so I'm searching on gumtree for private accommodations. Ugh, the city's so new and sprawling!

[Larri]

Hi all,

 

Dutch/German girl, going to UCL fall 2013 for an MSc Climate Change! I was wondering whether you would recommend the university accommodation. I would apply for the shared flats as I'd also like a home rather than a dorm. Living together, including a social life inside the house, is very important to me. I expect studies and sports will keep me so busy that finding friends outside of the house will be virtually impossible. So to avoid social isolation, I'm looking for a place I want to come home to after a day at the library.

 

I realize you always have to be lucky to find good flatmates, but if you guys can say upfront "That's not the atmosphere at the UCL flats", I might not even apply for housing. So then, do you think looking for private housing would be worth the trouble?

 

Thanks in advance (and yes I realize this post sounds naive or vague, but trust me.. that's just my fear of London talking.  Country side girl you know)