Applying to American universities from Europe
I am based in London, and this page is for students in the UK and Europe who are applying to universities in the United States. I applied to the University of Scranton as an American high school student, crossed the Atlantic as a Mitchell Scholar at Trinity College Dublin, and returned for a PhD at Duke University.
If you are applying from the UK, you may be writing for both systems at once. UCAS asks three questions: why you want to study the course, how your qualifications and studies have prepared you, and what else you have done to prepare. The Common App asks for one essay of up to 650 words, and its prompts ask about your background, a belief you questioned, or something that made you lose track of time. Many American colleges admit a student before that student chooses a major, so the essay has no course to answer to.
If you paste a UCAS statement into the Common App, I would expect the reader to finish it knowing what you studied and little about you. I would begin by asking which moment you would describe to a reader who already has your grades, since an American application reports them elsewhere.
If you are applying from elsewhere in Europe, you may be writing in a second or third language, for a reader who has never seen your school system. I would check that nothing in your essay depends on knowing what the Abitur, the baccalauréat, or the Matura asks of a student.
I review the Common App essay and the supplements, and advising covers the whole American application. From London, we can meet after your school day without either of us staying up late.
UCAS/Common App
| UCAS | Common App | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4,000 characters with spaces, at least 350 for each answer | Up to 650 words |
| Asks about | The course, and your preparation for it | You, on one of seven prompts |
| Goes to | Up to five choices, with one statement | Each college you add, and some ask for supplements |
| Common dates | 15 October and 13 January | Early dates in November, regular dates in January |
UCAS figures come from UCAS, for 2027 entry. Colleges on the Common App set their own requirements and dates.
Questions
- Can I reuse my UCAS personal statement for the Common App?
- Some facts can move across, but I suggest writing the Common App essay from a blank page. All three UCAS questions concern the course, and the Common App essay concerns you.
- Can I apply through UCAS and to American universities in the same year?
- Yes. They are separate systems, and the five UCAS choices do not limit your American applications. An early decision application to an American college is binding, so read its terms before you apply.
- Do you review UCAS statements?
- My own applications and my reviews have been on the American side, so that is where I can help most. Your school and UCAS's own guidance will serve you better for the UCAS statement.
- Are prices shown in pounds or euros?
- Sundial sets prices in US dollars, and your bank or card provider sets the exchange rate.
Course/You
Paste a UCAS statement or an American essay, and this check marks the sentences that mention your studies. It runs in your browser, and it sends and stores nothing.
This check compares your words with a list of study terms, so it cannot tell whether a sentence is good. A sentence about your course can still say a great deal about you.
UCAS/American dates
UCAS dates are for 2027 entry, at 18:00 UK time. The American dates are common dates for this cycle, and only the University of California date is specific. Each institution sets its own, so check the date and the time zone it names.