The study abroad statuses of Huang Duoduo and Wang Shileng are quite different. How big are the differences in education between the UK and the US?

Date：2023-09-08   Author：admin

Wang Shileng, the daughter of Li Xiang, and Huang Duoduo, the daughter of Huang Lei, these two girls who have been watched grow up since childhood are not only regarded by many as "role models of reincarnation", but also frequent trending topics with their own traffic.

Both being children of celebrities, the two, who insist on the path of internationalization, one attends a private secondary school in the UK while the other goes to a prestigious summer school in the US. Recently, the two children have frequently shared their experiences of studying abroad, which has attracted a lot of attention.

Wang Shileng, who is thirteen years old, returned to Bonetton School in the UK to continue her studies after spending her summer vacation in China. In the photo, she looks delicate and elegant, exuding confidence from within. Seventeen-year-old Huang Duoduo went alone to Northwestern University in the United States to attend a summer school course. In the photo, she is sunny and cute, playing pranks with her friends on the beach.

Two completely different girls each have their own brilliance in their own worlds. As netizens put it, "Wang Shileng represents the luxurious and reserved British study abroad culture, while Duoduo represents the diverse and unrestrained American study abroad culture." British education focuses on guiding and shaping children, while American education emphasizes natural development and release. Despite the differences, each has its own strengths.

The United Kingdom and the United States, as two of the most popular destinations for studying abroad, are also the choices of many families who pursue international education.

So, which is better, British education or higher education in the United States? Which one is more suitable for one's own child? Now let's make a multi-faceted comparison together.

01. Comparison of academic systems

Universities in the UK generally last for three years, but in Scotland, undergraduate education usually lasts for four years. Moreover, the number of courses and credits that students can take in each semester is fixed. Generally, they can take 4 to 5 courses each semester, and there will also be elective courses selected based on their personal interests added in between. Although there is only three years of undergraduate study, the actual total amount of knowledge remains unchanged. Therefore, students actually need three years to complete the amount of knowledge that would take four years. This means that although undergraduate studies in the UK are relatively short, a considerable amount of extra time and spare time are still required for course study.

The general duration of study at American universities is four years. During this period, students need to complete 120 credits. Generally speaking, students need to take about five courses per semester, and each course is usually worth three credits. Most American universities implement a credit system. During their college years, students can choose to attend classes freely. The school management system is relatively relaxed. Students only need to complete the required credits to graduate, and there are no strict regulations on the time needed for graduation.

02. Comparison of Curriculum Systems

In China, it is generally only when filling out college applications for the college entrance examination that children consider choosing their majors. Before that, they basically have no opportunity to explore their interests and career plans. However, both British and American universities offer children the possibility to explore their professional interests in their own ways.

Due to the relatively short duration of undergraduate studies in the UK, students start to focus on a specific major as soon as they enter the undergraduate stage, and spend three years studying the knowledge within this major. Including university applications, students also apply for specific disciplines.

In American universities, students generally do not need to determine their major in their freshman year. This provides students with ample time to explore their own interests and allows them to change their major choices multiple times. Therefore, during your freshman year of study, you can gain a comprehensive understanding and experience of different majors, and determine your major direction by communicating with your academic counseling teacher. Transferring schools or changing majors is a very common practice in American colleges and universities. This can provide more challenges and options for many students who are confused about their true interests and future development directions, allowing them to fully play to their strengths.

In addition to elective courses, in the undergraduate education of many American universities, students are often required to choose an interdisciplinary major course to expand their knowledge and skills. Take the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as an example. Its STEM disciplines enjoy a high reputation worldwide. However, in fact, students do not only study science and engineering. Every semester, students have to take at least one course in the fields of humanities, arts or social sciences.

Image source: MIT official website


This not only enables students to master the fundamental laws and essential knowledge of various fields and enhance their abilities in multiple aspects, but also increases the breadth and depth of their thinking when learning a certain field in the future, making it more integrated and effortless.

03. Comparison of Admission Requirements

In the UK, the UCAS system is used for unified application of college applications, allowing for a maximum of five majors to be applied for. In contrast, in the US, applications are submitted in parallel, and there is no limit on the number of applications. A strategy of massive applications can be adopted. There are more schools in the United States, over 4,000, but the proportion of Chinese students admitted is smaller. There are only over 160 schools in the UK, but the admission rate of Chinese students is high.

The requirements for undergraduate admissions in the UK are relatively clear. Students first apply with their estimated grades in international courses such as A-level or IB. Schools selectively issue conditional offers based on students' grades. Only after meeting the conditions will they receive an official offer letter. Unlike the UK, undergraduate admissions in the US are relatively difficult to quantify. This is because, in addition to academic performance, students' extracurricular activities, language proficiency, competitions, application essays and other comprehensive backgrounds are also valued.

In terms of essay requirements, the United States emphasizes telling a story and establishing a character through the essay. Different schools have different essay requirements. The application essays for the UCAS system in the UK are 1 to 5, and one essay is applicable to all schools. It emphasizes the applicant's understanding of the major and is more academic.

04. Comparison of Cultural atmosphere

The cultural differences between Britain and the United States are also obvious.

The United States is a diverse country. Whether it is climate, ethnicity, cuisine or lifestyle, the United States is a melting pot for people from all over the world. You can stay by the beaches of California or Florida, in the snowy and forested areas near the Canadian border, in Utah adjacent to the Denver landscape, or in bustling cities like New York, Washington D.C. or Boston on the east coast to enjoy the different natural scenery and commercial atmosphere.

Although the UK boasts beautiful beaches and coastlines, as well as bustling metropolises like Birmingham, Manchester and London, its land area is relatively small, so the overall sense of cultural differences won't be too significant.

05 How to Choose?

In American universities, the school encourages every student to be exposed to as many disciplines as possible. You might start with chemistry in one day, then literature, and then sociology. If you have a sustained interest in a certain discipline, you can specialize in it at the master's or doctoral level. This model is highly suitable for students who have no deep interests at present. They will have more time to explore and pursue different academic thrills.

British schools, on the other hand, require students to focus more on one or several academic fields. Compared with a wide variety of extracurricular activities, academics are more important. But this also means that you need to first master and understand the knowledge, think, ask questions and explore; otherwise, you won't be able to delve deeply into difficult problems.

However, the differences between British and American education are not entirely correct. Stephen Toope, the president of Cambridge University who graduated from Harvard University, once said, "There are many schools in the United States that also hope students will delve deeply into certain specific fields. British universities, taking Cambridge as an example, are also encouraging students to take more diverse courses."

Whether it is British education or American education, both provide children with time to freely explore their interests. However, British education is more concerned with guiding children to discover their interests as early as possible and make future professional plans, while American education extends the time for children to decide on their lifelong research directions.

So when choosing between British and American education, the key point does not necessarily lie in breadth or depth, but rather in whether you expect your child to have more time to explore their interests or to enter the field of professional research earlier. This is one of the crucial criteria for judging whether to choose British or American education.

What we should see is the different shining points of children with different natures. Not everyone needs to grow up according to the same template. The best path is the one that suits you.

• end •