On Course College Consulting

05/04/2026

06/04/2025

Last but not least of the universities I visited last month, the University of Manchester!

It's one of the largest in the UK, with about 35,000 undergraduate and 9,000 graduate students - representing all 190 countries in the world in a truly global learning environment. The International Society is "home away from home" for many students, with multiple activities organized every week to provide opportunities for students to get involved and make social connections.

Manchester excels in many academic areas, including health sciences, business, and engineering.

There’s surprising flexibility for changing specializations within a faculty - for example, within the business school. This allows students time to try various classes before committing to their specialization. In addition, students have the option of studying abroad for a year, completing an industry placement year, or graduating within 3 years. And of course most masters degrees are 12 months in length, with both taught and research options. This allows many students to graduate with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in just four years.

As a well-funded, world-class research university, Manchester students and faculty enjoy access to cutting-edge labs and facilities. The university is actively engaged in research around the world.

A consistent theme is the university’s attention to protecting diversity and equity across all student populations and academic disciplines. Student support services are provided not only by the university itself, but within the individual schools as well.

Students tend to like living in Manchester, as the university is just a short walk from the city center. The campus is beautiful - with a mix of historic and modern buildings and plenty of green space throughout. A number of residence halls surround the campus - both university-owned and private, to suit everyone’s budget. All are single rooms, as is the norm in the UK, and first-year housing is guaranteed for international students.

06/04/2025

During my visit last month I learned there are many good reasons to consider the University of Sheffield, even beyond the excellent academics.

The cost of living is 25% lower than in London, and the university has enough housing that students can choose to live on campus for the duration of their degree. As home to almost 60,000 students, it's a great place to be a student.

Sheffield is known for having the largest and best student union in the UK! This means tons of opportunities for students to get involved - whether through volunteering, holding elected office, joining career-related or purely fun clubs, or just going to the student-run bar or restaurants.

A Russell Group university, Sheffield allows students the opportunity to engage in impactful research, whether in social sciences, arts & humanities, life sciences, engineering, and many other disciplines. Faculty members tend to stay at Sheffield, as they're well-supported by the university. This trickles down to student experience, as students benefit directly from having long-term, well established professors to work with and learn from.

06/01/2025

I was fortunate to visit Lancaster University two weeks ago on the fly-in tour for college consultants.

The university offers a true campus experience just outside the charming city of Lancaster, population 145,000.

The college system (which only a few UK unis offer) gives students an immediate community, and they remain a member of their college throughout their degree program. Students tend to choose their college by room type rather than academic focus, which results in students building friendships with students across different faculties than their own.

The location is ideal for outdoorsy types with the Lake District nearby and the Irish Sea a short bus ride away. Indoorsy types will like the convenience of short day trips by train to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, and Manchester.

Lancaster is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in the world for linguistics, a field that’s quite broad and increasingly applicable - if you’re curious about its applicability, just let me know!

I was struck by how friendly and helpful staff were during my visit, and current students confirmed that this is part of the uni’s welcoming culture. There’s strong student support from before a student even arrives on campus until long after they graduate.

Lancaster is an excellent option for students looking for a strong academic university with a great sense of community.

06/01/2025

What a treat it was to see the University of Liverpool and spend time in this city last month! Besides being the home of the Beatles, Liverpool boasts a beautiful, modern, and newly renovated harbor/pier plus a vibrant music scene, all within walking distance of campus.

Aspiring veterinarians may want to consider applying to vet school here. It’s the top ranked vet school in the UK, and 12th in the world - and offers direct entry out of high school. A 5-year program, it saves students 3 full years of schooling compared to the U.S. system - and its accreditation is recognized in the U.S. so graduates can seamlessly go into a veterinary medicine practice in the UK, US, and most places in the world upon graduation. A further fun fact: The veterinary school is located in a former hospital that was designed by Florence Nightingale!

A founding member of the Russell Group, the University of Liverpool is home to the Victoria Building from which the term “red brick university” originates.

05/19/2025

We’ve been hosted by Northumbria University for the past two days, as part of the Explore England college counselors fly-in. What a treat to have fish & chips at the North Sea yesterday, and to learn about the university today!

Located in Newcastle, a city with a vibrant student population and very lively social scene, Northumbria has a campus feel though it’s right in the city. Students have easy access to beautiful beaches and the Northern England coastline, along with countless old castles and fortresses.

Though all courses at the university have a focus on preparing students to be career-ready, these are three programs that Northumbria particularly excels in:

Nursing: In the highly regarded nursing program, students split their time from the start between theoretical and practical training. They benefit from collaborations with students in medicine, pharmacy, and other adjacent health care programs at other Northern England universities, giving them the training and experience to enter the health system ready to contribute on their first day.

For American athletes, Northumbria’s unique i2i program allows them to complete a degree (business, engineering) while training at a high level and competing within the UK BUCKs league in their sport. Though several sports are offered, the largest group is in football (or as North Americans call it, soccer).

Northumbria’s School of Design, Arts & Creative Industries provides students with the training, facilities, and opportunities to develop their expertise in Communication Design, Fashion Design, Interior Design, and many more creative fields – including gaining industry experience.

These are just some of the things that combine to make Northumbria a great option for many US students considering a UK degree program.

05/04/2025

Congratulations to my fabulous Class of 2025! They'll be starting their college adventures in just a few short months at universities throughout the U.S. and in Canada, the UK and Europe!

03/25/2025

Thank you, for a fabulous introduction to all that Wales has to offer international students. Along with seven other US-based college consultants and school counselors, I was fortunate to visit four of the exceptional universities in the west and south of Wales.

The stunning landscapes, historical backdrop, and friendly people we encountered throughout our trip, combined with the facilities and cutting edge research underscored why Wales is a great option for US students to consider for their undergraduate and/or masters degree.

03/25/2025

is known for its outstanding student support. With small classes, faculty members are able to know and support their students.

Best known as an outstanding school for athletes (rugby players in particular), the Concord Campus on the outskirts of Cardiff provides world-class training facilities for semi-professional teams and related majors in the School of Sport and Health Science, such as Sports Performance Management; Sport & Exercise Science; Sport Management; Sport Coaching; Sport Media, etc.

The Hospitality Management program offers a wide range of options including international placement years, foundation year programs, and internships.

The Aviation Management program partners with in the U.S. and enjoys a close relationship with Airbus, partnering on research and innovation projects.

A consistent theme across all majors is that work experience is required. Students can choose a short-term work experience or a full placement year, but some hands-on work experience is required of all students. This experience sets them up to be employment-ready upon graduation.

The city of Cardiff is consistently ranked as one of the UK’s top student cities, and on any weekend evening the reason is clear – the city buzzes with energy at pubs and restaurants located throughout its downtown core; its two stadiums host big-name concerts and sporting events; and beaches are a short bus (or boat!) ride away. It’s an easy commute to London and to Heathrow airport by train or bus, making it a highly accessible city.

03/25/2025

At the , all classes are under 30 students. The focus is on practical learning and industry involvement, enabling students to be highly employable upon graduation.

Though the university is over 200 years old, the Innovation Campus is newly purpose-built, with state-of-the art facilities. The business school will be moving to the Innovation Campus later this year, for a further focus on entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The well-regarded Cyber Security program is mostly hands-on learning, and students earn industry qualifications along with their degree.

UWTSD is the only university in the world to offer both BS and MS degrees in Motorcycle Engineering. Graduates of these programs go on to work for Triumph, Harley, and other manufacturers. Some students go into motorcycle racing, as this is a component of the degree program that students can get involved in.

In the Innovation Matrix is an immersive room run by the Digital Experience Team. It allows students from all disciplines to use the immersive room to support their learning, with direct support from technology experts to help them develop the experience best suited to their goals.

The Art School is located right in the heart of the city. Most students will enter the foundation program, allowing them a year to explore various media before deciding what they want to major in for the next three years.

Located in Swansea, students can enjoy all the city has to offer – one of the largest and most beautiful beaches in Europe; an entire street of pubs and restaurants; and plenty of affordable housing options.