Harvard, Oxford Vie For British Students

LONDON--Students flock to Harvard from all corners of the world, and the United Kingdom (U.K.) is no exception. But, in the home of royal pomp and Shakespearean masterpieces, the traditions of Oxford and Cambridge rival the lure of Harvard.

Still, Harvard is not losing out in quality or quantity, despite the British competition, said Helen C. Maclennan '57, the coordinator of alumni interviewers for the (U.K.).

"There are more applicants and better applicants because schools are better informed," said Maclennan, a retired schoolteacher who lives in central London.

Harvard received 162 applicants from the U.K. for the class of 2001, according to Laurie M. Smith, a representative in the admissions office. Maclennan said the office has processed about 140 applications so far this year and in the end will probably log more British applicants than it did last year. She added that most of the applicants are from southern England.

This year 30 to 40 students applied early action from the U.K., and the admissions office accepted six, according to Maclennan.

Brooke Lampley, the only student admitted early from the American School in London, expressed her excitement about a prospective Harvard career.

"I really had a favorite school [Harvard]," Lampley said. "I have always wanted to go to a big school that is urban and has a campus feel."

Harvard admits--and rejects--students from some of the most renowned British preparatory academies and international schools in the U.K., including Eton College, Harrow School, Melvin Girls College, St. Paul's School, the American School in London and the American School in Switzerland's (TASIS) England branch.

But Harvard draws mainly from the ranks of international students studying at these schools rather than from England's own.

Eton College--an all-boys preparatory school nestled below the Elizabethan turrets of Windsor Castle--boasts Prince William, heir to the British throne and son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, among its list of talented scholars.

Andrew D. Halksworth, a modern language teacher at Eaton who advises students applying to schools in the U.S., refused to comment on the prince's college search. If William did apply, he would be an exception to the rule.

"We rarely have regular British citizens applying to the States. Most have some American connection." Halksworth said.

Halksworth said about 10 men apply to the U.S. each year from Eton out of a graduating class of 250 students. "I have two boys who were accepted for early application at Harvard," he said. "And two more are waiting."

Officials from Winchester College--another of UK's top prep schools--and the prestigious Westminster School, situated in the shadow of Westminster Abbey also that for most of their students, the focus is on matriculating to Oxford or Cambridge.

"Those going to the States tend to be people who hold dual nationality with the States," said J. Martin Gregory, director of guidance at Winchester College. "Or, alternatively, Hong Kong or Singapore Chinese or people with international backgrounds...there are very few British citizens" from Winchester studying in the U.S., he said.

Guidance officers at both schools said they usually send fewer than a halfdozen students to college in the U.S. every year, though Harvard is generally a top choice.

American schools in the UK have larger American and international student populations and, consequently, send larger numbers of students to Harvard and other American colleges.

At the American School of London (ASL), 80 to 85 percent of the graduating class of about 110 students attends college in the U.S., said Thelma Bullock, director of college counseling at the school.

Ten to 15 of these students go to Ivy League colleges, but only one or two go to Harvard. Bullock said the most popular Ivies are Brown, Columbia and Cornell.

"Brown recruited much longer and more strenuously internationally than some of the other Ivies," Bullock said.

Six ASL students applied to Harvard regular decision this year, compared to 10 who applied to Brown.

"I knew I would be happy at lots of different schools," said Agesha Menon, who was accepted early to Princeton. "The prospect of knowing months before April was awesome."

At TASIS England 76 percent of the graduating class attends college in the U.S., according to Constance T. McEvoy, college counselor for TASIS.

"Our list of colleges that students attend is incredibly diverse, ranging from Stanford to Harvard to Lewis and Clark to the University of Texas at Austin," McEvoy said. "We do have applicants to Harvard every year. We have applicants who are Harvard material who don't go and go to Cambridge and Oxford instead."

McEvoy said that one student from TASIS--Daniel Jepson--was admitted early action to the Class of 2002.

Students and counselors said applying from overseas can be both a blessing and a curse.

"American universities for someone over here are a minefield," Winchester's Gregory said. "The lack of the equivalent of UCAS [a common application for British universities] means that they have to do a lot of homework before they can make a choice."

Halksworth of Eton said British students are not conditioned for the tests and applications required for entrance to American colleges.

"I think there is always going to be a problem for British students who are not used to the SATs, but colleges like Harvard are more aware of the difficulties," Halksworth said.

ASL's Bullock and TASIS's McEvoy agreed that communicating with colleges across the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean takes a toll on applicants.

"Time is a problem," Bullock said. "Finding the week to visit. All the applicants are inside the school. There is not as big a frame of reference."

Nonetheless, the four students at ASL who spoke to The Crimson--Jason K. Givens, who was accepted at Yale; Marc Menshaw and Menon, who will attend Princeton, and Lampley from the Class of 2002--found time to take the college tour.

These four students added that although the logistics of applying from overseas may be difficult, the experience of growing up in London has molded them into more attractive candidates for admission.

"Living abroad changes a student," said Menon, who wrote about the cultural issues of being Indian in her application essay, throwing in some ideas about London. "Students mature more quickly than living in the U.S."

McEvoy also said living abroad makes students stand out in the eyes of the admissions office. "Our students are seen as different, and sometimes being different may be helpful," she said.

Many counselors said they think that British citizens who have a chance at being admitted to Harvard and other American colleges should apply more often.

"My own belief is that it is something to encourage," Halksworth said

Halksworth said about 10 men apply to the U.S. each year from Eton out of a graduating class of 250 students. "I have two boys who were accepted for early application at Harvard," he said. "And two more are waiting."

Officials from Winchester College--another of UK's top prep schools--and the prestigious Westminster School, situated in the shadow of Westminster Abbey also that for most of their students, the focus is on matriculating to Oxford or Cambridge.

"Those going to the States tend to be people who hold dual nationality with the States," said J. Martin Gregory, director of guidance at Winchester College. "Or, alternatively, Hong Kong or Singapore Chinese or people with international backgrounds...there are very few British citizens" from Winchester studying in the U.S., he said.

Guidance officers at both schools said they usually send fewer than a halfdozen students to college in the U.S. every year, though Harvard is generally a top choice.

American schools in the UK have larger American and international student populations and, consequently, send larger numbers of students to Harvard and other American colleges.

At the American School of London (ASL), 80 to 85 percent of the graduating class of about 110 students attends college in the U.S., said Thelma Bullock, director of college counseling at the school.

Ten to 15 of these students go to Ivy League colleges, but only one or two go to Harvard. Bullock said the most popular Ivies are Brown, Columbia and Cornell.

"Brown recruited much longer and more strenuously internationally than some of the other Ivies," Bullock said.

Six ASL students applied to Harvard regular decision this year, compared to 10 who applied to Brown.

"I knew I would be happy at lots of different schools," said Agesha Menon, who was accepted early to Princeton. "The prospect of knowing months before April was awesome."

At TASIS England 76 percent of the graduating class attends college in the U.S., according to Constance T. McEvoy, college counselor for TASIS.

"Our list of colleges that students attend is incredibly diverse, ranging from Stanford to Harvard to Lewis and Clark to the University of Texas at Austin," McEvoy said. "We do have applicants to Harvard every year. We have applicants who are Harvard material who don't go and go to Cambridge and Oxford instead."

McEvoy said that one student from TASIS--Daniel Jepson--was admitted early action to the Class of 2002.

Students and counselors said applying from overseas can be both a blessing and a curse.

"American universities for someone over here are a minefield," Winchester's Gregory said. "The lack of the equivalent of UCAS [a common application for British universities] means that they have to do a lot of homework before they can make a choice."

Halksworth of Eton said British students are not conditioned for the tests and applications required for entrance to American colleges.

"I think there is always going to be a problem for British students who are not used to the SATs, but colleges like Harvard are more aware of the difficulties," Halksworth said.

ASL's Bullock and TASIS's McEvoy agreed that communicating with colleges across the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean takes a toll on applicants.

"Time is a problem," Bullock said. "Finding the week to visit. All the applicants are inside the school. There is not as big a frame of reference."

Nonetheless, the four students at ASL who spoke to The Crimson--Jason K. Givens, who was accepted at Yale; Marc Menshaw and Menon, who will attend Princeton, and Lampley from the Class of 2002--found time to take the college tour.

These four students added that although the logistics of applying from overseas may be difficult, the experience of growing up in London has molded them into more attractive candidates for admission.

"Living abroad changes a student," said Menon, who wrote about the cultural issues of being Indian in her application essay, throwing in some ideas about London. "Students mature more quickly than living in the U.S."

McEvoy also said living abroad makes students stand out in the eyes of the admissions office. "Our students are seen as different, and sometimes being different may be helpful," she said.

Many counselors said they think that British citizens who have a chance at being admitted to Harvard and other American colleges should apply more often.

"My own belief is that it is something to encourage," Halksworth said