kibebr

Due to immigration issues, my family and I will have to immigrate to United Kingdom in April of this year. (I am originally from Brazil and have lived in the U.S. for 3 years now)

Junior year is a really important year here because students are starting to get ready for college admissions through AP classes, SAT/ACT testing, community service hours, demonstration of non-academic related skills (leadership, etc.), etc.

Since I might have to finish high school (which I guess is called secondary education in the U.K.) and college over there, I am worried if I will have the qualifications necessary to apply for a good college.

Here are some questions:

1. I have over a 100 hours of community service here. Can I transfer those hours to the U.K. as well? Are community service hours as important in the U.K. when applying for college as it is here?
2. What is the equivalent of AP classes (or Honors classes), and SAT/ACT scores in the U.K.?
3. I have heard of A-Level and Foundation courses—which I guess are taken in high school still—and tried researching about them but quite still don't understand. All students after completing 16 have to taken either of them? Are they like your curriculum (schedule) in high school?
4. Should I retake my "Junior" year since I will start studying in April? Is studying late something that will interfere greatly on my studies or can I make up most of the stuff during summer?
5. I have heard schools in the U.K. are way more specialized. I have a good understanding of Computer Science and several programming languages. Will this benefit me for applying for those A-Level courses or Foundation?

Thanks and sorry for the lengthy post!

Shard

Secondary school is Years 7-11 (students are generally 16 when they finish, but some are 15). The next two year's is called "college" or "sixth form" and is optional, though most students continue. This is more specialised that US high school aimed at obtaining "A Levels" typically 3 A levels in three subjects. These are then presented to universities for admission. Community service is not a specified requirement for university entry, but could be included in the "personal statement" and may differentiate some applicants on very competitive courses / institutions. If you web search Russel Group universities, you'll find some good resources on entry requirements, etc..

Pulaski

What you list as knowledge and experience is largely irrelevant in the UK. University applications are based largely on the subjects that you study and pass exams in at age 18 (applications are typically base on predicted grades and only confirmed when the actual grades are published), which in turn are based on (a subset of) subjects you studied for two years, age 15-16 and passed exams in at age 16.

Without having the exam certificates (GCSE's) from age 16 and A levels from age 18, it is going to be very tough to get anywhere with a university application, and you potentially face several years of "catching up" to accumulate the expected qualifications to get accepted into university. This does have one potential benefit though, until you have been living in the UK for three years you will be assessed fees as a non-resident, which are much higher than for residents.

Is there anyway you could find a relative or friend to stay with until you have finished high school in the US?

DaveLovesDee

On what immigration basis are you coming to the UK?

kibebr

So, let me see if I get this: when I get to U.K. in April, I'd be technically finishing my last Year (which is the 11), and then next year I would get into the Sixth Form and continue it for 2 years (until I reach 18), and then apply for universities?

Uh oh, I guess I am really screwed. So when I get arrive over there, I'd be technically finishing Year 11, right? Will I most likely have to redo it before applying for Sixth Form?

I believe EEA family permit

DaveLovesDee

How do you qualify under that route?

Pulaski

The problem you face is that year 11 is not a "stand alone" year, it is the second year of an integrated two year program, so redoing year 11 is unlikely to help you very much, you'd need to start over with another year 10, then a year 11, and very obviously the British education system is not designed for someone to go back two years (in fact holding someone back for even one year is much rarer than it seems to be in the US). If staying in the US isn't an option for you then you may have to look into a (UK) community/ technical college program to reboot your education for a couple of years and get it on the track for A levels after 4 years, to support a university application.
AFAIK that only works if the British citizen member of the family (one parent?) is either not British, or is British but is coming from somewhere else within the European Onion aka,"the Surinder Singh route".

DaveLovesDee

And you may want to look at the costs of that. If you don't qualify for an EEA permit, you're also likely need a study visa.

https://www.gov.uk/family-permit


As long as you've previously met the Family Permit criteria, you no longer have to apply from with the EU / EEA.

Shard

OP, probably your best bet would be to research entry requirements at Sixth Form Colleges if coming from abroad. Perhaps there is some kind of conversion course aimed t university entry. I think there is an asscoiation of the colleges or if not, you could email a collese directly and ask for advice.

GCSE's take place in May, so arriving in April would mean the earliest you could take them would be in 13 month's time. In theory you could join a Year 10 class mid-year, and then prepare very hard for the exams.

Pulaski

Which is why I recommended doing anything he can to remain in the US to complete high school, because then at least he has achieved an established educational milestone from which he can convert (British universities can and do accept applications from US high school "graduates"), whereas switching between the two educational systems at/ around age 16 is just going to leave him falling into the gap between the two systems.

Shard

Yes, easier said than done though when the OP explicitly states that due to immigration issues he has to leave the USA next month ! My point is that perhaps modern sixth form colleges have some course / route that enables 16 year olds from abroad to gain the A-Levels without the usual British GCSE's. This can't be an isolated case.

Pulaski

He said "my family", and that likely means one of the adults, and not necessarily him. In fact it is illegal to even ask about a child's immigration status in the US with respect to schooling and education, much less to deny them education because of their immigration status, or lack there of. Education for children is mandatory in the US and the local education board is required to provide "free" education, without exception, full stop.