how difficult is it for an american high school student (namely, california) to attend a british university?

Question

-is it even possible?
-is a british citizenship required?
-is it less expensive (supposing only the first year includes dormitory and meals)?
-is it recommended for, say, a journalism or english major?
-just to clarify, this means a full 3-4 year attendance, NOT a studying abroad program

Answer 1

You'll need to do some reading, but it's entirely possible. You will need to have the academic rigor necessary, be eligible for a student visa and ascertain the likely costs. A great first place to start looking at information is at the British Council:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/home
http://www.britishcouncil.org/usa

Since it teaches an entirely different curriculum, and has a separate application process to all UK universities, Richmond University is not really a 'British' university, but an American university in the UK. Meanwhile, Oxford and Cambridge both have entrance exams, which are in addition to the normal application system. The British Council website explains all the differences between UK universities, so if you have a particular uni you are interested in, or simply browsing for ideas, go there!

And good luck!

Answer 2

One solution is to go to Richmond, the American University in London. (Note: this is NOT Richmond University which is in Virginia). Richmond is licensed both in the U.S. and Britain. It offers an American-style education in an international setting. Most of their students are Americans, though they draw from around the world. Their website is: www.richmond.ac.uk

For more "traditional" British colleges, it's tougher but not impossible. Oxford, for instance, requires that you have an International Baccalaurate degree which is offered by a few, but not many, high schools in the U.S. Their admissions website is: http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/enreq.shtml