Graduating in a high quality UK school offers huge advantages to those students who plan to enter a European or North American university for further studies. Here are the three main benefits:
- deep and thorough studies of your chosen subjects, fully supported by excellent facilities, small classes, motivated teachers to ensure you enjoy your studies and maximise your score at your university entrance exams
- superb and lifelong knowledge of English, matching those of native English speakers
- regular practice and focus on examination techniques to prepare you to handle exam stress, surprise questions and to bring out the best in you on those crucial exam days
The high school graduation exams you take at a UK school will be accepted at all European and North American universities. For Hungarian universities we recommend you sit the Hungarian language and history exams in addition to your UK exam, this will ensure you fully meet all “érettségi” requirements in the future.
The high school graduation course in the UK is two years long. So you need to be prepared to spend the 11th and 12th grades studying in the UK. (Worry not, there are plenty of breaks, known as “half terms” during the school year, when you can come home to your family, as well of course fairly long summer and Christmas vacations😊).
You can choose between 2 types of high school graduation courses:
- A-levels: these are the traditional UK exams, where you choose 3 or maximum 4 subjects. You are free to choose any combination of subjects, nothing is compulsory. You will spend two years studying these subjects very deeply and thoroughly, this is why A levels are so highly respected everywhere. If you already know what you want to study at university, A- levels are probably what you ought to choose.
For example students planning to study medicine or engineering fields, will select Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths A-levels. Student planning to study Humanities at university can choose a range of subjects including languages, literature, history, art, drama, music. Students who wish to study business oriented university courses can select business studies, economics, maths, statistics, sociology, politics etc.
- International Baccalaureate (“IB”): this type of graduation exam is ideal for students who are not yet sure what they would like to study at university and wish to keep their options open for a wide range of university courses. On the IB course you must study 6 subjects selected from different “subject blocks”. The blocks include languages, science, humanities and maths. You will study 3 subjects at higher level and the other 3 at standard level. Though not fully flexible like A-levels, you will still have a fair amount of flexibility to select subjects you like. The recognition of IB has grown rapidly in the past years and I recommend it to those students who know they would like to attend university in the European Union but are not quite sure yet which exact course they will select.
At Springboard we are happy to discuss your individual plans and help you with your course and subject selections. We will also work with you and your family to find the best UK school where you will be happy and best prepared to enter the university of your dreams! Please contact us for a free, personal consultation!