Postgraduate Study FAQs

Please note the postgraduate study in the US section of this website contains a wide range of information, including an application timeline and step-by-step guide to learn about the degrees on offer, choose a degree programme, consider financial matters and complete your application.  You will also find information about specific subjects, visas and preparing to go to the US.  If you have any questions about the Fulbright Awards Programme please see the Awards section of our website.  You may email the Fulbright Awards programme on programmes@fulbright.co.uk or call 020 7404 6880.

For further enquiries, please read the frequently asked questions below, view the list of postgraduate study resources from the Fulbright Commission and our partner organisations or consider contacting the Fulbirght Commission. We also recommend checking EducationUSA's FAQ list to see if your enquiry is present.

Q: I'm just getting started. Where can I find general information on postgraduate study opportunities in the US?

You may wish to begin by reading through the detailed information in the postgraduate study in the US section of this website. First read the why study in the US section and the  choosing a degree programme section to make sure US study is a good fit for you.  The begin following the steps in the application timeline. 

As you apply for US study, consider taking advantage of our advising resources, many of which are free. In addition to the information provided on this website, we host an annual US study fair, USA Grad School Day, offer seminars on postgraduate study and attend outreach events at universities.  You may also wish to use one of the books in our Resource Library located in central London or at one of our 12 regional information centres.  For additional or one-on-one support, you may also with to consider asking our advisors a question in person, over the phone or via email, or you may wish to visit a test tutor or educational consultant.

Q: Why do UK students study in the US?

Last year, over 2,500 UK students chose the US for postgraduate study for a variety of reasons. Some may have been looking for the opportunity to choose from over 1,700 institutions offering postgraduate degrees. Others may have been attracted to the option to teach or do research alongside their studies, the flexibility of US degrees or the chance to internationalise their CVs. No matter the reason, our advising team is here to help as you follow their footsteps and apply to study in the US! For more information on the benefits of US study, please see our Why Study in the US page.

Q: How do I find a degree programme that's a good fit for me?

Choosing a degree programme that is a good fit for you can be a challenging task, but also an exciting one! With over 1,700 universities offering undergraduate degrees, you may find the process of narrowing your search to the 4-6 to which you will apply a bit overwhelming at first. It helps to start by thinking about the big picture first before doing university searches.

You'll want to think about your priorities and expectations for undergraduate study and rank in order of importance the factors to consider when choosing a degree programme. For example, is it more important for you to go to a 'brand name' university, or is finding a 'best-buy' university at which you can receive scholarship funding better-suited for you?

Next, you may wish to begin by using the university search tool or websites on the choosing a university page. These will allow you to search by as many or few search criteria as you like. They will likely provide profiles of universities, which will allow you to compare factors across universities such as size, location, degrees offered, average entry expectations, (marks) of the previous admitted class, funding opportunities and cost. Please note, guidebooks in our Resource Library have similar information in print format.

Consulting friends, family or tutors familiar with study in the US can also be helpful in determining which areas and universities may be a good fit for you. Additionally, attending USA Grad School Day will provide you with an opportunity to speak one-on-one with university representatives, current students and alumni in Britain. Students who have the means to do so may also wish to visit universities and take part in a campus tour, often organised daily by admissions staff.

After you narrow your search further, you will want to visit the websites of each university. Their websites will provide comprehensive information about degree programmes, extracurricular activities, specific funding opportunities and information about campus settings. Most universities will list the average qualifications of the students they admitted the year before, as well as their admittance rate. This ought to give you an idea of the competitiveness of the programme, as well as how strong your background is in comparison to last year’s incoming class.

Please note that Fulbright does not recommend or endorse specific universities to students; rather, we offer advice and guidelines for students to use as they search for universities that match their unique interests and academic goals.

For more information on choosing a university, as well as for links for university search engines, please see the Choosing a University section of this website.

You may wish to use the university search engines on any of the following websites:

Additionally, the Fulbright Advisory Service maintains a Resource Library with reference books for students to consult, including print university directories.

Q: Are there rankings available for US postgraduate programmes?

There is no centralised, authoritative ranking system of US universities and programmes. Unofficial rankings, such as US News and World Report, Princeton Review, and the THS-QS Top Universities will give you a general idea of the academic reputation and relative prestige of a degree programme. However, it is important to realise that a top 20, or even top 100, list of programmes covers only a small percentage of those available. Further, you should read the fine print on how rankings are determined. Rankings are not necessarily based upon factors that impact your quality of education most, such as class size, teaching quality, student advising, faculty access and opportunities for research, internships, etc.

That being said, in some fields such as law and for MBA degrees, the reputation or 'brand name' of a university can have a significant impact on your career prospects. Therefore, you may wish to place an emphasis on rankings when choosing a degree programme.

Q: Is it too late to submit an application?

Ideally, the process of applying for postgraduate study in the US will begin 1-1½ years before enrolment. For most current university students on a three-year course, this is during the spring at the end of the second year of university. For students on a four-year course, this is at the end of the third year of university.

Do not panic if you are late getting started in this process. If it is the autumn before you anticipate enrolling in a US university, there is still plenty of time to put together your applications. You will simply need to work at a faster pace!

However, external factors such as the time required to get reference letters and transcripts, as well as admissions exam dates and availability may limit your university choices if you wait to apply until December / January prior to enrolment. The most competitive universities will have the earliest application deadlines and may consider applications prior to admissions exam scores becoming available. You may wish to contact the graduate school, admissions staff or department of the university to which you wish to apply to enquire about the flexibility of application deadlines or the option to apply late or for a January start date.

Another option would be to take a gap year and apply for admission next autumn. You may find it beneficial to have a break before beginning a postgraduate course save money for your living expenses, or to complete an internship, travel or do voluntary work.

Q: How do I register and prepare for admissions exams?

Most – although not all – graduate programmes will require you to sit an admissions exam. The main postgraduate admissions exams include: the GRE, the GMAT, the LSAT and the MCAT. For more information on these exams and to register please see their individual websites as well as our Admissions Exams page and our GRE and GMAT handouts.

  1. Making use of free study materials on GRE, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT websites: You may wish to begin revising by trying sample questions from the admissions exam.
  2. Test tutors: If you need additional assistance as you apply for US study, you may wish to consider contacting one of the organisations on our Postgraduate Resources page. These test tutors and educational consultants offer a higher level of personalised, additional support and services to help you prepare for admission exams and complete a competitive application.
  3. Print publications: There are also extensive published guides to admissions exams.  There is no one ‘best’ test preparation guide for any exam.  Rather, you will need to choose a book or method that suits your learning needs and preferences.  For example, some students prefer a step-by-step review through the concepts for each section and discussion of example problems, whereas other students prefer to have as many full tests as possible to practice.  The Fulbright Advisory Service holds a variety of preparation books in its reference library, and you are welcome to come in and make use of these materials at Fulbright House or at one of our regional centres.  Test preparation books can also be ordered through online retailers from our Books on US Study webpage.

Q: Where can I find out about general funding options and criteria for scholarships?

With the cost of higher education increasing in both the US and UK, we aim to provide up-to-date information for students and parents about expenses to anticipate, as well as funding opportunities.  Generally speaking,  there are four types of funding for study in the US: personal / family savings, loans from a US or UK lender, funding from US universities and scholarships from external funding bodies.

Beyond personal or family funds, you want to explore university funding. In the US, many scholarship deadlines run simultaneously with admission application deadlines. You will want to enquire about all funding possibilities by contacting your department, the graduate school, financial aid office and the international student's office to enquire about scholarships and loans for your first year. Generally, there are two types of university-based funding, fellowships (similar to a grant) or assistantship positions (through which you receive funding for tuition, fees, living costs and/or professional development in exchange for teaching or researching on campus). Also keep in mind that if you are unable to secure university funding for the first year, there are often opportunities for funding that become available for second year students and beyond.

You may also wish to have a look through the scholarship database links in the External Funding Bodies section and on the postgraduate funding handout, as well as consider applying for a Fulbright Award. We also have some print resources for postgraduate funding in our library.

You may also wish to explore your loan options, either from a UK or US based lender. You may also qualify for a Career Development loan from a UK lender. For additional information about eligibility and application procedures, please see the DirectGov webpage on Career Development Loans.

Also, although you can't take it into account when providing proof of funds for the first year of study in the visa application, you may work on campus as an international student for up to 20 hours per week during term and full-time during holidays.

We encourage students and parents to not be put-off by the higher 'sticker price' of US universities. You may wish to try some of strategies for choosing universities based on affordability and funding. You will also want to investigate all methods of funding, and be willing to put time and effort into applying for a range of funding options. Nearly a quarter of international students report the US university as their primary source of funding, and some universities offer full funding without loans for admitted students under a particular family income level. If application costs may prevent you from applying, some universities will allow you to apply for an application fee waiver.

For more information about funding options for postgraduate study, please see the Postgraduate Finances section of our website.

You may wish to try some of strategies for choosing a degree programme based on affordability and funding. You will also want to investigate all funding options, particularly funding from US universities and external funding bodies. Nearly a quarter of international students report the US university as their primary source of funding.

Q: Are there funding options available for already admitted students?

In the US, many scholarship funding deadlines run simultaneously with admission application deadlines. However, you may still be eligible for the following funding options if you have already been admitted into an postgraduate programme.

First, you will want to enquire about all funding possibilities on campus by contacting the financial aid, academic department and international student offices of your university for information on funding options and scholarships for international students. Even if you’ve already been in contact with them, it may not hurt to contact them again to be sure you’ve exhausted every possible opportunity. If you have missed funding deadlines, you may also wish to ask about additional scholarships, grants and on-campus jobs available to admitted students and how you might go about applying for these. Some students choose to fund their first year with loans, while working hard to seek scholarship funding and employment to support them during their studies for the second semester/year and beyond.

If the university does not offer much in way of funding, the next option would be to search for external funding bodies. Again these organisations are likely to have deadlines in the autumn and early spring. However, it is worth checking for organsiations with later deadlines. We have scholarship databases linked on the External Funding Bodies page where you may search for available scholarships and organisations that offer funding for undergraduate study.

A third option is to consider taking out a loan. Our website outlines options for US citzens, UK citizens with a US co-signer and UK citizens without a US co-signer.

Also, although you can't take it into account when providing proof of funds for the first year of study in the visa application, you may work on campus as an international student for up to 20 hours per week during term and full-time during holidays. Example jobs include administrative work in a campus office, tutoring or serving as a teaching assistant in your department or working as a resident advisor (hall supervisor).

Q: I have a question about the Fulbright Awards. Where can I get more information?

For detailed information about the Fulbright Awards, please see the Awards section of our website.  For enquiries related to the Fulbright Awards, please email programmes@fulbright.co.uk or call 020 7404 6880.

Q: What are my options for medical / law school?

Both medical and law degrees are only offered at the postgraduate level in the US.

There are two types of postgraduate law degrees on offer in the US: the JD  and the LLM.

Students may complete a 3-year JD degree following undergraduate study.  Upon completion of the JD degree, students sit bar exam to become qualified to practise law in a given state.  The JD degree prepares individuals to practise law in the US.

More often international students do a 1 or 2-year LLM - Master’s in Law degree, if have a first degree in law in the UK.  LLM degrees offer specialised study in a particular area of law, such as international law or tax law.  Some LLM programmes will only grant admission to international applicants who already hold an undergraduate law degree and are qualified to practise in their home country. Please note that to practice law in the US, you must first pass the bar exam and have legal right to work in the US. For more information on legal education in the us please see our handout.

As for medicine, students typically complete a first degree in a science-related field before completing a four-year medical school degree.  Medicine is a four-year postgraduate degree, followed by an additional three to seven years of residency training.  US students typically complete a degree in a related field at the undergraduate level before applying for these degrees. Many international students find that completing a full medical degreein the US is not the best fit due to the extensive length of study, tuition costs, and the fact that qualifying as a doctor in the US does not guarantee them right work in the US, whilst leaving them unqualified in their country of origin. However, there are options for international students to complete part of their residency in the US.

You may be interested in downloading our detailed handouts on legal education and medical education in the US.

Q: How do I schedule a visa interview, and how can I prepare for it?

You may schedule a visa interview by calling the Embassy's Operator Assisted Information Service. The service is available Monday through Friday, between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm, and Saturday, between 09:00 am and 4:00 pm, GMT (Monday through Friday, between 3:00 am and 4.00 pm, and Saturday, between 4:00 am and 11:00 am EST). Callers from within the United Kingdom should dial 09042-450-100. Calls to this line are charged at £1.20/min from BT landlines; some mobile and network providers may charge more. In addition, some mobile and network providers cannot access this number. For information on how to prepare for the visa interview, please see the US Embassy's website.

Q: Where can I get a document attested or verified?

If you need a document attested or verified, you may wish to use services provided by the Office of Authentications of the US State Department. Notary services are also available for US and foreign citizens at the US Embassy in London. For more information, please visit the US Embassy website or the handouts on our pre-departure website.

For more information on this process, please see the Verification of Transcripts section of our website.

Q: Where can I find additional or one-to-one support?

If you need additional assistance as you apply for US study beyond what our staff are able to provide, you may wish to consider contacting one of the organisations on our Resources page. These test tutors and educational consultants offer a higher level of personalised, additional support and services to help you prepare for admission exams and complete a competitive application.