It may come as a surprise to some but every year, there are international students who apply to university whilst already living in the UK. This could be due to many reasons. Here is my journey of applying to City from within the UK.
I came to the UK straight after completing school in India. My father’s company had landed a new client in the UK and wanted him to relocate for a couple of years. After much deliberation, we decided to move to the UK as a family. I then completed my A-levels in mathematics, biology and psychology in a UK state school.
When making my application to university, a few sections I had to fill out were different than for my UK classmates, like passport details, fee status, etc. Important to note, make sure you check what fee status you are by clearly reading all the rules. Do not simply assume that you are a home/EU student or an international student. If you’re unsure, send an email to the university clearly stating your visa type, date of entry, etc. and they should be able to help you.
Although I had been living in the UK, I still needed to complete an IELTS exam. One may assume that this exam would only be offered abroad. But, IELTS is held in the UK in numerous places and a lot of people write it for a variety of reasons. I suggest you book one as soon as possible so that you have the option to re-sit if required.
When I started receiving interviews, a couple of universities offered me telephone interviews believing I was applying from India. Personally, I feel a face-to-face interview is better and gives more opportunity to articulate your thoughts clearly and effectively. I emailed them explaining that I lived in the UK and they were happy to put me along with the other students for face-to-face interviews. I would strongly suggest anybody in a similar position to do so as well. If you’re already here, use it as an advantage.
Once I had received and accepted my offer to study at City, I had to make the decision on whether I was going to continue to study on my current visa or get a Tier 4 student visa. Another important thing to note – make sure to do your research about this too. Check whether you are able to study on your current visa and if it covers your entire course duration. I decided I would stay on the visa I already had.
I hope this is of some help to you. Wishing you all the best in your journey to university.
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