Hopefully this can be answered easily -- General requirements?

Hey all, I am a prospective young adult (23) in the US possibly looking at attending school in London.

I have been to the UCAS.com site in hopes to find courses and get an idea of your average requirements to attend a college/university in London. I am a 23 year old highschool graduate. I have not attended any other schooling here in the states, money is not necessarily an issue as well as accommodations for a place to stay. However, I am more trying to figure out what would be my best options. I unfortunately didn't do terribly well my last year of highschool (senioritis, gotta love it   ) So my overall GPA suffered a considerable decline.

I am looking at going to school for computer science or another related field.

So, if someone could sum it up financially and academically for me. What would be my best options? Should I look into an Associates Degree in the states then look at studying abroad? Keep in mind my GPA suffered a dramatic decline in highschool so unfortunately I do not meet some colleges requirements.

Mind you, money will not be a big deal. I have a lot in my savings and if I can get over there working 20 hours per week. I have figured out I will be completely comfortable doing so without difficulty.

I am not asking for advice on what classes to take, just kinda wondering what and how my options are going to be best executed. And if there are any general requirements I could adhere to (not strictly of course, "guesstimates" if you will).

I hope this wasn't terribly long. I appreciate all of your help in advance!!!
Thanks!
Doug.

So, if someone could sum it up financially and academically for me. What would be my best options?

No, b/c you're not only an international student but also a 'mature student'.  Anyone over 21 is considered a 'mature student' here.  Entry requirements can vary in some disciplines for mature students, depending on field of study.

Financially, I hope you have a LOT of savings, b/c full-time study in an undergrad programme - and you'll need to be a full-time student if you're coming here on a student visa - is going to cost you from about £7,000- £11,000/pa.  That doesn't include living expenses. 

I suggest spending time on the UCAS website.  They provide links to all the institutes of higher education here.  Of course, you apply using UCAS, rather than applying to each institute directly.  You just do one application and select all your choices.  Your application will then be forwarded to the appropriate locations.  You'll need a least one 'referee'/reference.

One thing to keep in mind is that a 'college' here means a vocational school - awarding degrees rather like associate degree.  A university awards bachelor's degrees and higher. 

Wow, thank you very much for that info. I will do that. Thanks!

I just thought I'd add.. ...
Doug--- it might be worth contacting the school you are interested in. I had a ring round and was told totally different things, depending on the school, as to what they required or would be willing to accept.
Also, as for being a mature student... umm NO. Not soo clean cut.  They mean like MATURE as in early 30-40s. We (I'll be 24 in Dec) are in-betweens. On that basis you can follow the normal route in.
If you don't mind living in London you migh want to check out www.Huron.ac.uk or www.aiulondon.ac.uk
as they are American schools you can enrol w/ a High school diploma and to be honest as long as you are happy to pay the fees, I don't think they will worry about your case of senioritis  Give them a bell or email, they are all might nice and informative.
~Terri

Doug,

Whatever you do, carefully investigate the schools you are interested in.  Across the board, UK universities charge foreign students far more for tuition than native Brits.  While this may not be of much consequence for someone doing a one-year Masters course (in many cases this is more cost-effective than 2 years of postgrad in the U.S.), this can add up over 4 years once you add accommodation and cost of living to the mix.  If you do not have private savings, and are planning on taking out loans to cover your education, you will need to make sure that the university that you enroll in is a Title IV school according to the U.S. Dept. of Education, which means it will be compatible with U.S. student loans.  If a school is Title IV, it will have a code on the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) Web site like U.S. universities do. 

So, if you will be going the loan route, just because a school accepts students straight out of American high school doesn't necessarily mean that it will be compatible with U.S. funding.

Also, you need to be attending classes full-time at an accredited university in order to be eligible for a student visa.  So make sure that your prospective university is properly accredited.  Local colleges (the UK equivalent of vocational schools, as Expat has said) are not accredited in the same way as universities and so I do not think you would be eligible for a student visa if your intent were to attend one of these.  Again, I'm sure the UCAS Web site can explain this in detail.

Please also realize that as you will be attending classes full-time, you will only be able to work 20 hours per week while class is in session, and so to be eligible for a student visa you must prove that you have an alternate means to support yourself (i.e. savings).  You will need to prove that you can pay for your accommodations and all extras, such as books, fees, transportation, supplies, etc. free and clear of a part-time job.  So you may want to figure in extra costs such as these beyond tuition when you are figuring out how much you will need.  Basically, they don't want for you to depend on a job to completely sustain you while you are studying -- it's only for extra pocket money, really. 

Another thing to consider is that when you apply for a student visa, the consulate asks to see bank statements that provide evidence of funding for your tuition (i.e. bank statements evidencing your savings or promissory note from your lender) as well as bank statements evidencing savings beyond what you require to pay your tuition.  They will also need a letter from your uni of choice stating costs for tuition, accommodation and fees, so that they can compare this with your promissory note/bank statements to ensure that you will be covered financially. 

Studying abroad can be a rewarding experience, but it does require a lot of preparation, so unfortunately there are no "easy" answers to your questions.  But between UCAS, the Home Office Web site and your uni's study abroad office, I think you should be on the right track to planning your further education.

Good luck!