Higher Education in Britain and the USA
1. The United Kingdom has a centralised
system of admissions to higher education at undergraduate level, UCAS. In general, students are not admitted to universities and colleges as
a whole, but to particular courses of study.
During the first
few months (September to December) of the final year of school or sixth form
college (age 17/18) or after having left school, applicants register on the
UCAS website and select five courses at higher education institutes (fewer
choices are permitted for the more competitive subjects such as medicine and
veterinary medicine). If the applicant is still at school, his or her teachers
will give him or her predicted grades for their A-level, Highers or IB
subjects, which are then used for the application. If the applicant has already
left school, he or she applies with results already obtained. The applicant
must provide a personal statement describing in their own words why they want
to study that particular subject and why they would be a committed student,and their school must provide an academic reference.
In the United States
of America, high school students apply to four-year liberal arts colleges and universities,
which include both undergraduate or graduate students. Others attendcommunity colleges, who almost always admit all students with high school diplomas, in
preparation for transfer to a four year university. Non-traditional
students are usually students over the age of 22 who pursue studies in higher education.
Students may apply to many institutions using the Common Application. There is no limit to the number of colleges or universities to which a
student may apply, though an application must be submitted for each. Fees are
generally charged for each admissions application, but can be waived based on
financial need.
Students apply to
one or more colleges or universities by submitting an application which each
college evaluates using its own criteria. The college then decides whether or
not to extend an offer of admission (and possibly financial
aid) to the student. The majority of colleges
admit students to the college as a whole, and not to a particular academic major,
although this may not be the case in some specialized programs such as engineering and architecture.
The system is decentralized: each college has its own criteria for admission,
even when using a common application form
2. Vocational Schools, Technical Schools,
and For-Profit Schools
3.
At the end of a
university course, graduates are awarded a degree
- probably a BA (Bachelor of Arts),
BSc (Bachelor of Science) or Bed (Bachelor
of Education); post-graduates can take a further course or do
research and write a diploma in the
hope of getting an MA (Master of Arts)
or a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy).
4.
Traditionally, the Bachelor
of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degrees require roughly 124-127 credit hours of coursework, divided among various
subject, field and optional requirements. The four-year Bachelor's degree is
divided into two years of lower-division studies (background or distribution courses in a wide range of subjects), followed
by two years of upper division studies (mainly courses required by
one's major subject.
Students apply for admission to a major subject at the end of their second
year.
Full-time students generally complete the
Bachelor's degree in eight semesters (four academic years) of study, and would
average a course workload of roughly 16 credit hours per semester, or 5-6
classes simultaneously. A full-time
student is usually defined as
one who takes (and passes) a minimum of 12 credit hours of courses per
semester. The maximumnumber
of credit hours students are allowed to attempt per semester is usually 20,
unless special permission is granted.
5.
The SAT
test is an aptitude and reasoning test used by most colleges for admission
purposes. This test has math and verbal sections, as well as a writing section
that includes an essay. Registration for these tests can be done online,
and each test date has strict registration deadlines. Keep in mind that
since most colleges are making admissions decisions in the spring of the school
year, scores from the December test date are most likely the last scores that
can be considered for students desiring to enter college as freshmen the
following fall. There is a fee for the SAT. Numerous testing locations are
provided and include public and private high schools, as well as community
college locations. The ACT is a test that colleges may use in the
admissions process. In most cases, colleges will accept either SAT or ACT
scores--however some Midwestern colleges prefer the ACT. Again, it would be
wise to check with individual colleges to determine if they have a test
preference. The ACT test measures knowledge in four subject areas: English, Math,
Reading, and
Science. There is a cost for the basic test. The basic ACT does not include a
writing section, but for an additional $14 you may register to take the
ACT Writing test. The ACT website provides a listing of colleges that either
recommend or require the writing section of the ACT. (Again, register early, as
there are strict registration deadlines.) For
those interested in pursuing college, let's talk first about the
PSAT/NMSQT: The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test.
The PSAT can be taken by 8th –
11th grade students.
The PSAT test is the qualifier for National Merit Scholarship consideration,
and only 11th graders are considered for these scholarships. You may register
your 10th grader to take the PSAT, but realize that taking
the PSAT in the 10th grade year is basically for practice only. No
consideration will be given to a 10th grader for qualifying for a National
Merit Scholarship no matter how well the student does on the test. The
PSAT test has three sections--Math, Verbal/Critical Reasoning, and Writing.
e.g., Resolve conflicts, identity development, specific student concerns
(cultural adjustment, learning a new language, social class, racism, substance
use, grades, peer pressure, etc.)
e.g., Teach staff about various student issues (suicide and loss)
6. Financial
Assistance Schemes
The Student
Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) administers the following financial
assistance schemes for needy primary and secondary students:
The School
Textbook Assistance (TA) Scheme is to provide assistance to needy
Primary 1 to Senior Secondary 3 / Secondary 6 students in government, aided,
per caput grant schools and local private schools under the Direct Subsidy
Scheme for covering the costs of essential textbooks and miscellaneous
school-related expenses.
The Student
Travel Subsidy (STS) Scheme is
to provide travel subsidy to needy students receiving formal primary, secondary
education or attending a full-time day course up to first degree level in an
acceptable institution, residing beyond 10 minutes walking distance from school
and traveling to school by public transport.
The Subsidy
Scheme for Internet Access Charges (SIA) is to provide subsidy to needy
families whose children are full-time students receiving education at primary
or secondary level, or full-time students pursuing Yi Jin Diploma programmes or
equivalent courses of the Vocational Training Council to meet the Internet
access charges for e-learning at home for their children. The subsidy is granted
on a household basis. Eligible families will receive a flat-rate cash grant,
regardless of the number of children in the family.
Other
Financial Assistance - Applicants passing the means test
for financial assistance for primary and secondary students, apart from
eligible for applying for subsidies mentioned above in accordance with the
conditions of individual schemes, are also eligible to apply for other kinds of
financial assistance through the attending schools or relevant organizations
including education-related schemes under the Community Care Fund Programme,
subsidy for activities under the Hong Kong Jockey Club Life-wide Learning Fund,
the Internet Learning Support Programme and the Examination Fee Remission (EFR)
Scheme etc. The EFR Scheme is to provide assistance to needy students attending
public examinations conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment
Authority (HKEAA). Please refer to the General Examination Circular on
Applications for Examination Fee Remission issued by the HKEAA later for
details of application and eligibility criteria.
7.
Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements of
varying levels of achievement in a course.
Grades can be
assigned in letters (for example A, B, C, D, E or F), as a range (for example 1
to 6), as a percentage of a total number correct, as a number out of a possible
total (for example out of 20 or 100), or as descriptors (excellent, great,
satisfactory, needs improvement).
In some
countries, all grades from all current classes are averaged to create a grade point
average (GPA) for the
marking period. The GPA is calculated by taking the number of grade points a
student earned in a given period of time divided by the total number of credits
taken. The GPA can be used by potential employers or educational institutions
to assess and compare applicants. ACumulative Grade Point Average is a calculation of the average of all
of a student's grades for all courses completed so far.
8. School counselors have many roles. Their primary goal
is to encourage, support, and foster positive academic, career, social, and
personal development in child and youth in schools.
Below,
we have listed specific responsibilities and roles of school counselors.
1.
Individual counseling
and advisement
2.
Consultation—working
with administrators, teachers, and staff to meet student needs
3.
Student
appraisal—coordinating information that goes into confidential student files
and interpreting the info to help qualify students for special programs
4.
Parent help—meet
individual and in groups with parents, provide resources and information on
child development, specific topics, etc
5.
Referral—provide
referrals to appropriate professionals in the schools and in the outside
community
6.
Program
planning—coordinating work of various school personnel, parents, and other
interested parties in implementation of the school counseling program. Students
in the USF School Counseling Program have developed programs in the following
areas:
7.
Career
development—developing and implementing career awareness as part of the school
counseling curriculum
8.
Change agent for the
school atmosphere
9.
Student advocate in
meetings with teachers and staff
10.
Classroom observations
on behaviors, relationships and providing feedback to teacher, students,
parents, staff
11.
Public
relations—explain importance of counseling with school staff, parents,
teachers, students, community members, explain problems students may have. Relate to cultural
stigmas
12.
Local research—student
population characteristics (drug use on campus, etc.)
13.
Screen
students—interview new students, etc.
14.
Staff development—around particular issues
10.Government,
charities, voluntary sector, prizes,
11.
Undergraduate study is appropriate
for students who have completed a high school program, but who usually have not
received a college degree. Graduate/professional study is generally for
students who have completed a bachelor's degree and want to do advanced study
in a professional or academic field
12. I prefer written exam and I think that it is very objective while
oral one depends on many factors which may vary from the sdudent’s nervous
tension to the teacher’s mood.
13. After completing the secondary general education, students need to pass the State final attestation
(written), after which they will be awarded a Certificate of Secondary GeneralEducation.
14.I
would like to study to be edicated in the UK as it is well known fact that GB
is popular for its high quality education. At the same time I would have
possibilities to improve my English by living in English speaking society.
15.
the possibility to choose the subject I’t like to study.
