The College Thread

[Ryllharu]

Most Universities in the United States love exchange students. It's part of their unreasonable obsession with Diversity (*waves hands for effect*) If you're an international transfer student, you pretty much can get seeded.

It got so bad a couple years ago that the University of Michigan was sued because their application process gave African-American students an automatic 50 points on their application (the essay was worth 2 to 10 points I believe).

Anyhow, the first step I'd recommend for looking at a college in the US is to go to US News and World Report. They are largely an unrivaled ranking system. We'll skip some steps and go with this, the best Liberal Arts Colleges:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/col...rtco_brief.php

Compare some of these on the list with two really important things, student to faculty ratio, so you don't get enormous class sizes (something you really don't want in a Lit class) and secondly, tuition. There's a lot of really good Private Universities in the States, but they'll kill you on cost. Most universities in the States have gotten pretty expensive.

Once you've found a couple you like, make absolutely sure that transfer students (or international transfer students) get guaranteed housing. If they don't offer it, the college had better be in a large city like Boston or Philadelphia.

After you've really narrowed it down, take a look at what their English Department offers as classes. If they're just the basic offerings of "British Lit after 1880", "American Lit up to 1870", and "Chaucer", don't bother. All of them have those. Granted some won't always show the really interesting special topics classes, but my college recently had a specially offered Literature Course solely on Hell in Literature. My RA last year told me she was taking it this coming semester, and was really enthused about it. I took a class on Third World Literature focussed on India, and it was an amazing class. That one does seem to be offered regularly.

Well, that's my quick guide to picking a college in the United States by major. Student to Faculty Ratio is probably more important that anything. If the class is too big ( > 40) , the professor won't bother starting up a discussion in class.

[Board of Command]

University of Waterloo

We have a huge foreign population.

[masamuneehs]

Everything that Ryl said. ESPECIALLY the student/faculty ratio for YOUR MAJOR / FOCUS. And remember, teaching assistants are almost always poor substitutes for actual professors, so take that in mind and ensure that you'll be in a place where you'll have access to helpful professors who will want to help you. That's the one thing I disliked about my major at Cornell, too many students, too many inept TAs, too many professors busy with their own stuff.

Also, seeing what kind of Lit you want to focus on is pivotal. Some places might have an excellent 'English' program, but that might be because of an Olde English department or one where the best professors are focused only on Contemporary Literature, others on Poetry. Make sure it's the kind of English Lit you're looking for.

Finally, when applying, choose from a broad range. Even if you don't think you can get in to a set of schools, apply to one or two of your favorite 'reach' schools anyway. On the other hand, ensure there's at least one school that you're applying to that you'll be able to get into and will enjoy going to.

[Zati]

"McGill is an international university whose main language of instruction is English. McGill has 21 faculties and professional schools offering over 300 programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels."

One of the top ones in Canada.

McGill
Faculties
Department of English

[complich8]

After 8 years at Purdue (Indiana), I'm comfortable saying it's a great place for engineers, scientists, cloistered academics and alcoholics, and not a good place at all for people looking for "the American experience" as it were.

If you're considering the US and want a vibrant night life, I'd aim for the Chicago area or NYC. Chicago has like 5 major universities that are worth checking out and close enough to the city to have good city-experience life (University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, Loyola, Northwestern, Depaul -- ymmv on several of them depending on stated religious preference and their policies). California's also a good place to go, with the UC system and all.

[Stoopider]

I reckon UK should be the best for english lit.

But for culture and just living experience, Melbourne's nice.

www.unimelb.edu.au

[SorC]

Another Australian based University is Monash. It's main campus is Clayton. Monash also has quite a large number of international students. It's a great University, but then I'm biased I went there. The website probably isn't the most informative around but I hope it helps.

[DB_Hunter]

University College London

Pros: Solid Reputation, in the heart of London, right next to Oxford Street and Old Bond Street. The former is a shopping haven for what is called high street fashion in the UK, with the latter being a haven for designer clothes.

Cons: A bit too studious for my liking. Atmosphere is a bit dry. But then again, maybe I chose the wrong degree...

Kings College London

Pros: A very good rep for humanities subjects like Languages, history etc. Quite a chilled out place. Like UCL in the heart of London.

Cons: Rep not as good as UCL. On the same road as this joint.

Brunel University

Pros: Erm... next to Heathrow Airport?

Cons: Not part of the University of London organisation like UCL and KCL, so doesn't carry the same kudos. On the outskirts of London.

These are what I have come up with off the top of my head. Come to these and you will be learning the language in the country it originated from.

Plus you get to be in London, which is probably the Capital of Capitals in the world. Really cosmopolitan, closest city I can think of like it is probably New York.