Magdalen College School’s Clark Glasgow, who has recently taken his A-Levels, explains why he, and more and more British students, are now considering an American university.

All the statistics in the press suggest more and more top UK students are choosing to travel over the Atlantic in pursuit of university education. According to The Times, Ivy League universities have recently seen a 38 per cent increase in the number of British students accepting offers to study at undergraduate level.

The Guardian reported that in the 2008/9 academic year, 8,701 British students were studying in the USA, with the most popular destinations being Harvard, Central Florida, New York University, Columbia and The University of Pennsylvania. These changes in preference are palpable at Magdalen College School, with an increasing number of applications made by members of the upper sixth to top US universities.

One of the main draws to these universities is the breadth of study available; students only take a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences course during their undergraduate years, usually requiring courses from a broad range of subjects, not only those that are to be majored in. This system allows students a chance to sample a number of courses before choosing a subject area to major in, without making them feel as if they need to make a life-changing decision at the age of 17 or 18 as they choose which course to apply for.

Similarly, the application system for the USA comes with a greater emphasis on essay writing and without a critical interview, meaning that students can express themselves in a well thought out manner, without having to deal with the barrage of questions that an Oxbridge interview can often feature. Another attraction for some MCS boys is the USA universities’ general appreciation for students’ exploits outside the classroom. A plethora of scholarships are available for those with talents in almost any sport, no matter how unorthodox, which can help to nullify the much greater tuition fees charged, compared to similar UK universities.

Along with this appreciation for top-class sport by these colleges comes the incredible emphasis that the American people place on collegiate competition. College American football stadiums now seat up to 100,000 spectators, dwarfing the likes of Wembley Stadium, let alone our Blues’ stadium in Oxford.

College football games are shown live on terrestrial American TV channels, with regular viewerships in the tens of millions.

This grand scale induces much greater support from the student body for the university teams, which creates school-based loyalty that is contagious.

Nevertheless, the level of skill and dedication for varsity sport at even academically-focused universities should not be under-estimated. Ivy League sports teams require heavy pre-season training and practices nearly every day during the season.

With greater enthusiasm for collegiate sport comes greater expectations. However, inter-mural competition — the equivalent of inter-college competition at UK universities — is taken much more seriously, allowing solid sportsmen who do not want such a strict schedule to enjoy themselves at a level that can still challenge them.

US universities are becoming more acceptable as an alternative to UK students in general, and to MCS boys in particular. These schools offer talented, well-rounded individuals a diverse education they can craft themselves, while instilling in them a sporting pride in their university that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

One only needs to look at the ridiculous clothing worn by middle-aged alumni to support their college team to see this kind of feeling for, and loyalty towards one’s university can last a lifetime.