When it comes to studying abroad, the UK and the US can be said to be the first choice for many people. The educational resources and teaching quality of the United Kingdom and the United States are among the top in the world.
Then when it comes to the top universities in the United Kingdom and the United States, it is natural that the G5 in the United Kingdom and the Ivy League (i.e., the "Ivy League") in the United States. These institutions in turn represent the highest academic standards of each country.
It is also a top university, many students will be hesitant to choose between G5 and Ivy League schools, today Mia senior sister will give you a detailed introduction to the difference between G5 and Ivy League schools, you can choose according to your own situation!
Composition of the institution
UK G5
The G5 is composed of the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London, and the London School of Economics and Political Science, which are the top research universities in the UK, representing the highest level of research strength, faculty and student quality and economic strength in the UK.
Ivy League schools in the United States
The Ivy League refers to the eight Ivy League schools in the United States, consisting of Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Pennsylvania, representing the highest level of education in the United States.
These eight universities are among the best in the United States, with a long history and rigorous academic rigor, and many famous scientists, political celebrities, and business magnates have graduated from them. Ivy League schools are synonymous with the top schools in the United States.
Differences in educational philosophies
United Kingdom
The primary goal of British schools is to produce world-class academics. Professors at public research universities in the UK are faced with an assessment of their academic achievements every six years, and the content of the courses taught to undergraduates is often based on the research they are working on.
As a result, students studying at a UK university are likely to be exposed to content that would only be studied at postgraduate or even doctoral level at undergraduate level, which allows them to reach a considerable depth in their field of study within three years of university.
The undergraduate level is divided into Department and College. The Department is a professional department (similar to the Department in China) that students apply for when applying for an undergraduate degree, while the College is a very traditional dormitory system. Colleges are categorized on the basis of not academics, but on the personality and interests of students.
The number of undergraduate students in a college is usually less than 500, and even 100+ students in small colleges. Of course, there are also graduate and doctoral students in the college. Therefore, Oxbridge undergraduate students often have two circles, one is the academic circle of the same major, and the other is the social circle of the same college.
The primary goal of British schools is to produce world-class academics. Professors at public research universities in the UK are faced with an assessment of their academic achievements every six years, and the content of the courses taught to undergraduates is often based on the research they are working on.
As a result, students studying at a UK university are likely to be exposed to content that would only be studied at postgraduate or even doctoral level at undergraduate level, which allows them to reach a considerable depth in their field of study within three years of university.
The undergraduate level is divided into Department and College. The Department is a professional department (similar to the Department in China) that students apply for when applying for an undergraduate degree, while the College is a very traditional dormitory system. Colleges are categorized on the basis of not academics, but on the personality and interests of students.
The number of undergraduate students in a college is usually less than 500, and even 100+ students in small colleges. Of course, there are also graduate and doctoral students in the college. Therefore, Oxbridge undergraduate students often have two circles, one is the academic circle of the same major, and the other is the social circle of the same college.
United States
The college division of American universities is based on subject categories, such as liberal arts colleges, science colleges, engineering colleges, business schools, architecture schools, etc., and most Ivy League schools are general education at the undergraduate level, that is, there are only liberal arts colleges, and there are no career-oriented colleges such as business schools/engineering schools.
Students at American universities are required to have extensive exposure to the achievements of human civilization in various fields, such as natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, in the first two years. A wide range of subjects allows students to be more resilient, flexible and adaptable in the face of an uncertain future.
Their goal is to develop leaders who can make a positive contribution to the world. To become a leader, you need not only cultural knowledge and independent thinking ability, but also the quality of a leader such as social concern, innovation, communication ability, and service awareness.
Universities in the U.S. don't place too much emphasis on professional knowledge at the undergraduate level, and students generally choose their majors in their sophomore year. After choosing a major for the first time, students can also change majors if they wish to change majors (except for some extremely popular majors).
Application Discrepancies
United Kingdom
The UK attaches more importance to the hard power of students, and academic performance, college background, GPA, language scores, etc. are all important reference indicators.
A maximum of 5 undergraduate applications can be applied to UK universities, and normally students will only choose one of Oxford and Cambridge to apply. It is the professional course teacher who decides to admit the student.
In addition, students applying to UK universities are required to take an entrance test before accepting an invitation to an interview, and whether or not to conduct an interview will be decided based on their performance in the entrance test.
United States
In addition to academic performance, Ivy League schools in the United States pay more attention to students' extracurricular practice. There is a lot of interaction between teachers and students in American universities, and there is a lot of coursework, among which the assessment pays more attention to the usual performance of students, and the usual performance assessment accounts for about 70% of the total score.
So, if you are particularly capable in a certain area, it is recommended to apply to American schools, but if you have a particularly good academic performance and are more academically focused, then you can consider a British university.
There is no limit to the number of applications to American universities, and you can apply to multiple schools at the same time, and it is the school's admissions committee that decides the admissions committee, not the professional course teachers.
Tuition Differences
Tuition fees are influenced by school rankings, school location, and major.
Fees are also higher in general, with tuition fees in developed regions (e.g. London) being more expensive than in other regions, science and engineering being more expensive than liberal arts, and arts, medicine, and design being more expensive than science and engineering.
Undergraduate level: £12,000-£30,000/year (about 96,000-240,000 RMB)
Master's degree: £20,000-£50,000/year (about 160,000-400,000 RMB)
For example:
Tuition fees for the Master's programme 2023/24: £30,000-£42,000
Tuition fees for the Master's programme 2023/24: £24,000-£57,000
United States
Public universities generally charge less than private universities.
According to the statistics of the College Board, in the 2021-2022 academic year, the average tuition fee of a four-year university in the United States is $37,650 (about 270,000 yuan) for private universities and $27,020 (about 190,000 yuan) for public universities.
Less than one-fifth of the top 30 schools in the United States have tuition fees below $50,000/year (about 350,000 RMB), for example, the total undergraduate fees at Princeton University in the 2022-23 academic year totaling $79,900.
For example, the total cost of graduate students at Duke University in the 2022-2023 academic year totals $30,110 (about 220,000 RMB) per semester, while the tuition and fees for Brown University's 2022-2023 master's program are $63,866 (about 450,000 RMB).
In addition, each college charges a different fee for foreign students.
All in all, American universities have a wider range of academics, have a more tolerant campus environment, and a skill may help you get into the Ivy League, but there are still many subjective uncertainties. UK universities, on the other hand, are more suitable for students who have clear academic interests and want to improve themselves in a certain field.
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