The Recognition of American High School Diplomas in Europe

The Recognition of American High School Diplomas in Europe

The Issue

Some western European countries do not recognize the American high school leaving diploma as sufficient basis for access to higher education. In addition to the high school diploma, they usually require up to two years of higher education for admission. This requirement is unsatisfactory from the U.S. perspective. This period could be reduced or eliminated if students were to take placement examinations such as AP’s or SAT’s earning specified scores/results.

Practices vary, from the Netherlands, in which 5 AP’s are required to grant access to higher education, through Germany, requiring 4 AP’s, to the UK where 2 AP’s are sufficient.

Recommendation of the Working Group
With respect to the recognition of American high school diplomas in Europe, the Group made the following recommendation:

A U.S. high school diploma representing twelve years of study in a university preparatory programme should be the minimum general requirement for admission to a European university. In addition, U.S. students should demonstrate their mastery of achievement in the subject areas required for admission to a specific European university.
There are several ways to meet these requirements:

Submission of SAT II Subject Test results (formerly the College Board Achievement Tests) indicating high achievement in the subjects required for admission.
Satisfactory completion of AP examinations in the subject areas required for admission.
In addition, European universities should consider the results of the ACT Composite or the SAT I: Reasoning Test (formerly the SAT) results in the admission process.

 

My daughter graduated from a US high school but is studying for a BS in the UK. She was required to take at least two "A" level certificate in order to be accepted. Colleges in the US sometimes accept these "A" levels for lower division credit.

 

That's because a US high school diploma isn't a sufficient basis. It's not a standardised national examination and it may or may not at the required level of difficulty. Remember, Advanced Placement and the IB are regarded as university-level courses in the US: over here they're pre-university qualifications.

Angela

 

Re: Re: The Recognition of American High School Diplomas in Europe

Yes very typical, the same is for another yang lady I know.

It's even harder with AS degrees

Associate degree studies may constitute the first stage of higher education in the United States. However, some European countries consider the first two years of study in the United States, including completion of the Associate Degree (A.A. or A.S), usually in two-year colleges, not to be fully academic level programmes. This position is not acceptable from the perspective of the United States. The American authorities emphasize that studies at this level are tertiary studies.

An individual U.S. student's record (including the diploma for an intermediate associate’s degree) should be analyzed on a course by course basis to determine which courses completed are appropriate for meeting certain requirements of European higher education.

 

Isn't this difference one of the reasons the U.K. Honors B.A. is frequently a three year program instead of the American four year plan?

Actually, why should any American claim a "right" to enter any U.K. University anyway?

 

I don't think anyone is claiming a "right” to a UK University. All Universities whether it be Oxford, Harvard, University of Queensland, or the City University in Hong Kong should all be allowed to determine their own admission standards. Now if you do not allow international students whether it is Yanks, Aussies, Chinese or any sort you wish, it will be limiting the domestic students as well as those from abroad to have the opportunity to learn from each other and grow. Furthermore it is a great way to show off your country and create better relations. That being said you wouldn't want to restrict Brits at international universities, would you?

 

To speak frankly, after having spent a time at a US high school when I was 16, I can truly understand why the US high school diploma is not PER SE accepted as a general entrance qualification for European higher education. At US high schools, you can chose courses that are simply sub-standard compared to the (old) EU (standardised) education levels ("Driving education" and stuff like this).
Thus, it is more than normal that a US high school graduate needs to prove his university entrance ability when applying for a study program abroad... (no big difference to what we Europeans need to do the other way round also).
Greets,
Trigger

 

swings both ways

Interesting debate. What is particularly interesting in light of the ongoing 'Bologna reforms' within Europe is that many US international admissions offices are beginning to grapple with a decision on how to evaluate the new European three-year degree in terms of graduate admissions.

Although there are no definitive conclusions among the varying stakeholders, there are certainly some who believe that the three-year degree is not adequate preparation for admission to graduate-level programs in the US. This is despite the fact that the British three-year degree has consistently been evaluated as adequate preparation for graduate studies.

Those who argue that the European three-year degree should be considered adequate for US graduate admissions point to the fact that European high schooling is, in general, more rigorous than that in the US. This, they argue, is true in terms of preparation for targeted undergraduate study and also as a substitute for the general education portion of US undergraduate studies, which is missing from the European three-year degree.

 

also an interesting point, clarky, especially to the German high school diploma which stands for a 13-year education, whereas the US one stands for only 12 years.

"Knowing" colleges in the US (such as e.g. Berkeley) often accepted the German 13th year as the first year of college, since both cover liberal arts elements on the same level.
Thus, a German 3-year Bachelor's would still be equivalent to an American 4-year Bachelor's.

So far, as I said, since some of the German states are already beginning to harmonize their high school education with their European neighbours, and lower it down to also 12 years. Although it will take a few years till this process has ended, THEN we could really have a problem in terms of comparability.
This problem of course already exists now with the most other European countries.

But the story is not as easy as it seems. You can not even generalize "THE" European 3-year Bachelor, since the law allows everything from 3 to 4 years. In consequence, there will be 6- semester Bachelor`s from University A, 7-semester Bachelor`s from University B, and even 8-semester Bachelor`s from University C.

Besides, the fact is overseen that we in Europe speak about the "rule study time". In fact, the REAL average study times are A LOT higher. Only a very tiny minority will ever be able to graduate his - say 7 semester Bachelor`s - in 7 semesters. Realistically, it will take 9 to 10 semesters. That´s the way it is, and it won´t (significantly) change.
So even nowadays our education is not really comparable...

As a result, the whole "Bologna process" brings more confusing than helpful elements with regards to higher education. But, to be honest, isn´t it already the same in the U.S. system? A Bachelor`s from University A here also is not (at all) necessarily the same as a Bachelor`s from University B in terms of acquired knowledge, is it?

Anyhow, I guess we will come to a world-wide system of entrance examinations - that´s the only way to really test out if somebody is "able" for the study program he decides for...

Regards,
T.

 

Dearing Report

I have found a copy of the Dearing Report which has something to say upon the nature of US academic programs.

Quality and Standards 7.22

Feel free to come to your own conclusions about the validity of the report, but do not shoot the messenger.

 

Actually Appendix 5, 7.21