As seniors finalize their college decisions this spring, most conversations revolve around familiar schools circulating the country. But for a small group of students, the next four years will begin thousands of miles away. They are preparing to go to college abroad, trading American college traditions for different academic systems and cultures.
For Mia Chu (Class I), who has a conditional offer from Cambridge University and will otherwise attend Durham University, studying abroad was never a completely foreign idea. “My mom’s family is from the United Kingdom (UK), so I was always aware of it as an option,” she said. But the possibility became real once she began exploring options for undergraduate programs in history and politics.
“In the UK, I would declare a major immediately instead of having a year undeclared like I would in the U.S.,” Chu said. “When I started looking through UK curricula and realized how much freedom I would have in choosing my course and specializing right away, I was so excited.”
The emphasis on specialization is one of the biggest differences between British and American universities. Rather than spending time completing broad general education requirements, students often focus almost entirely on their chosen subject from the start.
The application process surprised her as well. “For the UK, you can only apply to a maximum of five colleges, and there’s only one essay for all five,” she said. “The essay is a lot more academic than the US ones.”
Unlike the American admissions process, where extracurricular activities and sports often play a major role, UK universities place greater emphasis on academic passion and subject-specific knowledge.
Lara Sahagun (Class I) was drawn to the University of Oxford for slightly different reasons. Having previously lived in Europe, she already knew she enjoyed experiencing its cultures. More than anything, she wanted to push herself out of her comfort zone.
“I didn’t want to complete all of my education in one country or under one system,” Sahagun said. “Having researched a lot of US schools, I felt like their systems were very similar.”
Oxford’s tutorial system especially appealed to her. Instead of large discussion-based classes, students meet in extremely small groups with professors to discuss readings, essays, or problem sets in depth. “Your classes are around three people,” she said. “You have to write a couple papers a week, so it’s a lot of work by yourself. You need a lot of discipline. But then you also have the greatest opportunity to connect with really high academics or really passionate people.”
For Sahugun, the level of academic intensity was only part of the appeal; she also saw studying abroad as a chance to grow personally. “I think college is supposed to change you,” Sahagun said. “I would encourage students to either apply to schools abroad or do study abroad in college, because you need to expose yourself to a different kind of environment.”
Both Chu and Sahagun acknowledged that moving abroad comes with uncertainty. “When I first moved to the US, I was really uncomfortable with American culture,” Sahagun said. “Over time, I got really comfortable, and this is going to happen all over again when I move [to England]. I’m hoping that I can do that again.”
Despite the distance, neither student sees studying abroad as simply leaving home behind. Instead, they view it as an opportunity to expand their perspectives and better understand the world. “I want to see how another country sees things, and then go back to the US and implement that,” Sahagun said.
As more students search for colleges that align with both their academic interests and personal goals, universities abroad are becoming increasingly attractive options. For students like Chu and Sahagun, the decision comes from choosing discomfort, independence, and a broader understanding of the world.
