An estimated 180,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from across India fly to universities abroad every year to pursue higher education. The great majority (over 54 percent) enroll in American universities while 11 percent still prefer to study in British higher education institutions.

For adventurous parents/students prepared to invest family fortunes in higher education overseas, the first point to note is that the higher education system in the US is markedly different from that of Britain. Therefore before choosing a university you should choose the country in which you want to study. The higher education courses you opt for should be able to fulfill your academic objectives and enhance your skill-sets. Therefore it’s useful to get an overview of the higher education systems of the US and the UK to aid the decision-making process.

Interdisciplinary learning defines the ecosystem of America’s colleges and universities. The flexible US higher education system encourages students to customise study programmes to suit their individual interests. For instance, you could combine religious studies with sociology, or pursue your love of music alongside your penchant for mathematics, or even do art history and business management courses simultaneously. Moreover, in addition to the primary curriculum, you are free to attend lectures, study, write examinations and obtain credits in other subjects of your choice in wholly unrelated disciplines. For instance, legendary Apple Computers founder, the late Steve Jobs, studied calligraphy coterminously with his major in science at Reed College, a combination which ultimately translated into the sleek design of Apple products.

US admission process. The admissions process for US colleges/universities is thorough and extensive. For prospective undergraduate students, writing prescribed tests — SAT/ACT and language tests such as TOEFL/IELTS — is mandatory. In addition, application essays, letters of recommendation from the school principal, class teacher and respected academics, and proof of community service, internships and extracurricular activities are also required to be submitted. Therefore it is advisable to start working on applications a year in advance.

Graduates of Indian universities applying for admission into postgraduate programmes of US universities need to write the GRE or GMAT exams plus an English proficiency test (TOEFL/IELTS). Admission applications are judged on the basis of academics, professional exam scores and co-curricular and extra-curricular records of applicants during their undergraduate education and work experience.

On the other hand, unlike the longer four-year undergraduate and two-year Masters programmes offered by US universities, the shorter three-year undergraduate and 10 or 12-months Masters programmes of British universities provide more focused education, while offering arts, science and commerce and professional degree programmes. As in India, courses at British universities focus on a single discipline. There are also similarities between the British and Indian school systems, both of which encourage early streaming, making it easier for Indian students to adapt to the British higher education system. The shorter duration of British degree programmes is also a great advantage because of the lower overall cost, while the quality of education dispensed by elite British institutions is on a par with the best US universities.

UK admission process. The application procedure for British universities is simpler than the usual American process. For undergraduate admissions writing standardised tests such as SAT and ACT is not required, although IELTS scores as proof of English competency are often mandatory. Moreover, applications to all British universities are centralised through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) which requires only one letter of recommendation and a single Statement of Purpose for all applications (there is a limit of five universities one can apply to).

For graduate students, GRE or GMAT scores are optional for specific universities and courses. Applications are judged on the basis of school and college academic performance and experience in professional and extracurricular realms. Statements of purpose, references and a well-drafted résumé together with a standard IELTS score are sufficient for applications to graduate programmes in the UK.

Although scholarships for overseas students are rare and less generous than in the US and admission is fiercely competitive, the chances of school-leavers from Indian schools affiliated with CIE (UK) and IBO (Geneva) exam boards being granted admission are favourable. Unlike the US where class XII exam results are not of great importance, UK universities give conditional offers to applicants who score marks above a cut-off set by them in school-leaving board exams.
Each higher education system has its pros and cons. The prime consideration is your belief in how well you will fit into either system to realise your full potential.

(Adarsh Khandelwal is co-founder of Collegify, a Kolkata-based study abroad consulting firm)