Applying to Universities

We support our students in their university applications wherever they decide to apply. Many get offers from more than one prestigious destination, and that’s because, at the British School of Bucharest, they developed the qualifications, skills and aptitudes that get them accepted into universities worldwide.

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Preparing for Higher Education

Career and university guidance is integral to student development, and our individualised approach is vital to preparing our students for university life and beyond. Choosing the right course and university is one of the most critical decisions in a student’s life. This is why we seek to help our students and their families fully understand the many options available to them and the particularities of universities before they start the application process.

Because we want their university journey to be as smooth as possible, we have a dedicated University Guidance Counsellor who guides them along every step of the application process. Among others, this includes:

university course searches and recommendations;
detailed, bespoke guidance and support with personal statements and application essays;
provision of transcripts and other documentation as required.

Personalised Approach for Each Application

Many of our students apply to courses in multiple countries. Whilst some countries have a centralised application system, most students apply to each university as a separate application with different expectations. The most common requirements include:

academic transcripts;
letters of recommendation and other confirmatory documentation;
additional documents, which vary in each instance but include letters of motivation, CV, proof of identity and often specific entrance examinations, tasks or portfolios of work.

We make sure our students receive the support of the University Guidance Counsellor and other BSB staff for each application.

Information and guidance are shared via regular newsletters, assemblies, PSHCE lessons, individualised counselling sessions, bespoke meetings with university representatives and the organisation or attendance at multiple university fairs. Information is garnered from numerous websites, including UniFrog, which is a fantastic tool helping students explore various suitable courses, universities and specific entry requirements. Our access to the Unifrog package allows for further exploration of lectures delivered in English in Europe, the UK and other parts of the world, including Asia, the Americas and Australasia. Our students can also get more information about the education systems in specific countries, making informed choices about the destination and the location where they would like to study.

University Guidance

To help students navigate their numerous choices after graduation, the British School of Bucharest offers guidance and university counselling by a team of dedicated, expert counsellors.

University guidance at the British School of Bucharest starts in Year 9. It offers career advice during PSHCE lessons and individual guidance to assist students in choosing their IGCSE options. Moving through Key Stage 4 (Year 10 and Year 11), students continue to receive career and university guidance in PSHCE lessons, with the aid of external speakers delivering symposiums and visits from university representatives.

Our School also hosts two university fairs yearly during the autumn term. Many British, American, European and global universities send representatives and specialised guidance counsellors to share information and advise admissions. These events are open to students in Year 10 to Year 13 and their parents.

Focused Sixth Form Guidance

The School provides various resources to assist students with the university application process.

The first point of contact is the University Guidance Counsellor, who holds individual meetings with students throughout Sixth Form to give personal advice and recommendations. Appointments with parents are also available, both during the day and after school.

Sixth Form Students can also have more focused university guidance, with form time sessions and individual meetings. The focus of these sessions varies depending on the particular need of the students.

Main topics covered through focused guidance:

University research
Choosing a course
Choosing a university
Writing a personal statement
The UCAS process (for applicants to the UK)
Meeting admissions requirements
Writing entrance essays (for applicants to the US and some European universities)
Interview techniques and best practices
SAT/ACT testing requirements and preparation (for applicants to the US)

Year 12 students also meet with an external expert careers advisor, who gives them further personalised advice based on an interview, allowing them to explore careers they may never have thought of or suggest possibilities to those who have no idea what they would like to pursue at university and beyond.

For independent research, the British School of Bucharest provides access to Unifrog, which matches students to courses based on personal preferences, academic strengths and professional profiles. All students in Year 12 and Year 13 are provided access to this program, which simplifies and streamlines the university research process for all UK, US, Canadian, Australian, Hong Kong and Dutch universities.

References and Additional Application Documents

References, either from the School or individuals, are coordinated by the University Guidance Counsellor. These will be written by the most appropriate person, the subject teacher, form tutor, sports team coach, or other staff members. All references are checked and edited by the Guidance Counsellor and SLT members, usually the Headmaster or Head of Secondary.

Our teachers have extensive experience writing references that allow students to access the best universities in the UK, USA, and the world.

Predicted grades and transcripts are also issued by the University Guidance Counsellor and sent directly to universities or UCAS (for applicants to the UK).

Early Application

For some students, especially those wishing to attend the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge or study Medicine or Dentistry, the university application process takes place earlier in the year and has specific requirements.

Those students will be encouraged to identify their choices and start the application process sooner, usually by writing a personal statement over the summer holiday, before Year 13 starts, and ensuring they have the work experience or knowledge required to access these courses. For Medicine, the B-MAT test can be taught in School, and reading, summer courses or possible work experience, can all be suggested and (in some cases) organised.

For further information or to make an appointment, don’t hesitate to contact the University Guidance Counsellors by making an appointment at office@britishschool.ro

Applying to Universities in the UK

A significant percentage of our students apply to universities in the UK. Students wishing to follow this route apply through the centralised Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) system. This is available online, and the British School of Bucharest acts like a UCAS centre enabling assistance with the administration and tracking of student applications.

The UK university entrance programme works through analysis of performance at AS-Level and predicted A2-Level grades, as well as consideration of a detailed personal statement and the School reference. For the most competitive courses, IGCSE results also become an essential factor. Universities set minimum grade requirements for each of their readily available courses.

Some universities demand academic excellence and will have higher grade requirements. This selection form enables universities to enrol the right student for the course offered. GCSEs in Maths and English or their equivalent are also compulsory for entry to UK universities. If our students do not have qualifications in these subjects, they will be required to retake them in Year 12. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the English Language Exam favoured by UK universities. Depending on their circumstances, they will study this in year 12 instead of other enrichment qualifications.

Recent UK Destinations*

Anglia Ruskin, Architecture Association School of Architecture, Bath, Bristol, Brunel, Cambridge, Coventry, Durham, East Anglia, Edinburgh, Exeter, Falmouth, Glasgow, Heriot-Watt, Hull, Imperial College, Kings College London, Kingston, Keele, Lancaster, London School of Economics, Leeds, Loughborough, Manchester, Nottingham, Queen’s University Belfast, Oxford, Oxford Brookes, Portsmouth, Queen Mary University of London, Robert Gordon, Royal Holloway, SOAS, Southampton, Surrey, University of the Arts London, University College London, University of Kent, University of St Andrews, University of the West of Scotland, Warwick, Westminster and York.

*Please be aware that, following Brexit, Romanian and other European students are now eligible to pay International Fees at UK universities. The only exceptions to this are those with settled status in the UK.

Applying to Universities Outside the United Kingdom

Our students wishing to apply to American universities are advised to study for and take SAT papers set by the education authorities in the US. These are taken externally at a recognised centre. An increasing number of US institutions accept candidates on the strength of A-Level performance alone, and all recognise the value of A-Level qualifications. Indeed, in many subjects, students gain credits at university for high A-Level passes.

Students need to research different universities. At the British School of Bucharest, we will assist in this complex process and the application procedures, which vary from institution to institution. European Universities outside the UK and those in other countries, such as Canada and Australia, are also likely to be popular destinations.

Individual universities and colleges have different entry requirements and application procedures which the School can advise on and assist with. All universities recognise AS, and A2 grades as suitable entry qualifications for higher-level studies and will make a conversion similar to the UK grade requirement entry system.

Recent US Destinations

UCLA, UPenn (Wharton Business School), NYU, UC San Diego, Lynn University, University of Richmond, Fordham University.

Recent Europe Destinations

The Anglo-American University of Prague, Bocconi University (Milan), Bucharest International School of Management (Bucharest), Carol Davila University of Medicine (Bucharest), Dublin Business School, EA Entrepreneurship Academy (Bucharest), EADA Business School (Barcelona), Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Erasmus University Rotterdam, EU Business School (Barcelona), ESADE, Franklin University (Switzerland), Geneva Business School (Geneva), Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland), Humanitas University (Milan), IE University (Madrid), IFA Paris, Istituto Europeo Di Design, La Salle, Ramon Llull University (Barcelona), Leiden University (Leiden), Maastricht University, Politechnika Warsaw, Rhine-Waal University (Germany), Romanian American University, St. Louis University (Madrid), The Hague University, Universidad de Navarra, University of Amsterdam, the University of Groningen and IA University College (Denmark), University Pavel Jozef Šafárik (Slovakia).