Primrose Kitten

Deciding to apply to University in a different country can be a really daunting prospect, but there are some fantastic opportunities out there if you're willing to strive for them, and if you're willing to take up that challenge, as nearly 15% of students studying at UK universities are international.

When applying for university, for the majority of international students, it is exactly the same system as for home students. You decide on your course, you decide on your university. You think about your personal statement, and you apply via UCAS. You can use the other sections of this book to see how to pick a course, how to pick a university, how to write your personal statement, how to get references if your school isn't used to applying through UCAS, and what you can do if you've been out of school for a period of time.

You'll still need to abide by the deadlines, the October deadline for medicine, veterinary, Oxford, and Cambridge, and the January deadline for everything else, but because you are an international student, you are very welcome by universities because they can charge you more, which means they are much more likely to be lenient on deadlines than they are to home students.

You are going to need to think carefully about funding. There are going to be some funding requirements. If you need to apply for a visa. You need to think about whether you're going to qualify for a visa, whether you're going to be able to show that you're proficient in the English language. There are some health considerations that the government takes into account, but because universities really want international students, your chosen universities international students' office is really going to be set up to help you. So if there's somewhere you're applying and you need a bit of help, the universities are going to be a brilliant place to reach out to.