U of St Andrews - Admissions per State

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the culture elitist in general? How about racism? It’s 77% white. It sounds like a great school, but I wonder how the experience is for blacks and asians. Honest observations?

The social culture at St Andrews can feel somewhat elitist, but it really depends on your circle. It’s not as overt as the kind of exclusivity you might see in U.S. fraternity or sorority systems. For instance, I was part of one of the “secret societies” or drinking clubs- not many people on campus knew about it, and its influence was more subtle. It mostly translated to priority invites to specific parties/events, access to VIP events, and easier entry into certain academic societies (investing/banking).

There is a lot of wealth and people from aristocracy, however, its discrete. People generally don’t flaunt their wealth or status, but social groups do tend to form along similar background. For example, a lot of the Upper East Side NYC students stuck together and were close with wealthier international students. That said, most of them still interacted with the broader student body socially.

Interestingly, someone I knew from my city in the U.S. was also at St Andrews, and I only saw him once in four years. Given the size of the school, that’s kind of wild- but it just shows how distinct social circles can be.

I had a few Black friends, though the number of Black students on campus was small. Asian students were fairly represented in classes, but I didn’t often see them in the social scene. Had a couple friends from Singapore. Personally, I never experienced racism there- it’s probably more overt at some U.S. schools. St Andrews is also incredibly international, with students from over 140 countries, which is actually more diverse than many top-tier U.S. colleges.

Outside of the Upper East Side kids, who do the American kids hang out with? Is it mainly with other Americans or is there a good mix of internationals in your social clubs?

DS is from Texas and deferred entry to 2026.

American kids at St Andrews hang out with people across all kinds of social circles- it really just depends on the person. When I was there, the most social students usually came from cities or suburbs in the U.S., and also places like London, Oslo, Stockholm, Munich, Madrid, and Toronto. The Scandinavian and German societies threw some of the best events. Social events in general had a great mix of internationals, which made things pretty fun and diverse. I had a few friends from Texas- almost all from private schools, and they were super social.

Americans at St Andrews are spread across all kinds of social groups: some are extroverted, others introverted; some are more edgy or alternative, others more mainstream. The school is fairly small but diverse, the social scene has a lot of different vibes. There was even an underground house music scene. While Americans do often spend time with each other, it’s less about just being from the same country and more about shared traits. A lot of Americans who choose to study in the UK tend to be independent, open-minded, adventurous types- that’s usually what brings them together.

One thing a lot of us Americans noticed was how much faster we felt we were growing up and maturing. When we went back home during the summer, it often felt like our friends in the U.S. were still kind of immature and behind. That’s something people don’t always consider about St Andrews- the graduating students tend to be more refined, mature, and worldly compared to a lot of U.S. colleges.

I have heard the Americans are always traveling every chance they get. Was this the case when you were there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the culture elitist in general? How about racism? It’s 77% white. It sounds like a great school, but I wonder how the experience is for blacks and asians. Honest observations?

The social culture at St Andrews can feel somewhat elitist, but it really depends on your circle. It’s not as overt as the kind of exclusivity you might see in U.S. fraternity or sorority systems. For instance, I was part of one of the “secret societies” or drinking clubs- not many people on campus knew about it, and its influence was more subtle. It mostly translated to priority invites to specific parties/events, access to VIP events, and easier entry into certain academic societies (investing/banking).

There is a lot of wealth and people from aristocracy, however, its discrete. People generally don’t flaunt their wealth or status, but social groups do tend to form along similar background. For example, a lot of the Upper East Side NYC students stuck together and were close with wealthier international students. That said, most of them still interacted with the broader student body socially.

Interestingly, someone I knew from my city in the U.S. was also at St Andrews, and I only saw him once in four years. Given the size of the school, that’s kind of wild- but it just shows how distinct social circles can be.

I had a few Black friends, though the number of Black students on campus was small. Asian students were fairly represented in classes, but I didn’t often see them in the social scene. Had a couple friends from Singapore. Personally, I never experienced racism there- it’s probably more overt at some U.S. schools. St Andrews is also incredibly international, with students from over 140 countries, which is actually more diverse than many top-tier U.S. colleges.

Outside of the Upper East Side kids, who do the American kids hang out with? Is it mainly with other Americans or is there a good mix of internationals in your social clubs?

DS is from Texas and deferred entry to 2026.

American kids at St Andrews hang out with people across all kinds of social circles- it really just depends on the person. When I was there, the most social students usually came from cities or suburbs in the U.S., and also places like London, Oslo, Stockholm, Munich, Madrid, and Toronto. The Scandinavian and German societies threw some of the best events. Social events in general had a great mix of internationals, which made things pretty fun and diverse. I had a few friends from Texas- almost all from private schools, and they were super social.

Americans at St Andrews are spread across all kinds of social groups: some are extroverted, others introverted; some are more edgy or alternative, others more mainstream. The school is fairly small but diverse, the social scene has a lot of different vibes. There was even an underground house music scene. While Americans do often spend time with each other, it’s less about just being from the same country and more about shared traits. A lot of Americans who choose to study in the UK tend to be independent, open-minded, adventurous types- that’s usually what brings them together.

One thing a lot of us Americans noticed was how much faster we felt we were growing up and maturing. When we went back home during the summer, it often felt like our friends in the U.S. were still kind of immature and behind. That’s something people don’t always consider about St Andrews- the graduating students tend to be more refined, mature, and worldly compared to a lot of U.S. colleges.

I have heard the Americans are always traveling every chance they get. Was this the case when you were there?

It's hard not to travel considering you have most of Europe just a couple hours away and a cheap flight. Munich Oktoberfest is a big one, trips to London, Paris, and Amsterdam are also common. I took about one weekend trip a semester, some Americans take more. Those that are more academically inclined or don't want to miss events on campus travel less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the culture elitist in general? How about racism? It’s 77% white. It sounds like a great school, but I wonder how the experience is for blacks and asians. Honest observations?

The social culture at St Andrews can feel somewhat elitist, but it really depends on your circle. It’s not as overt as the kind of exclusivity you might see in U.S. fraternity or sorority systems. For instance, I was part of one of the “secret societies” or drinking clubs- not many people on campus knew about it, and its influence was more subtle. It mostly translated to priority invites to specific parties/events, access to VIP events, and easier entry into certain academic societies (investing/banking).

There is a lot of wealth and people from aristocracy, however, its discrete. People generally don’t flaunt their wealth or status, but social groups do tend to form along similar background. For example, a lot of the Upper East Side NYC students stuck together and were close with wealthier international students. That said, most of them still interacted with the broader student body socially.

Interestingly, someone I knew from my city in the U.S. was also at St Andrews, and I only saw him once in four years. Given the size of the school, that’s kind of wild- but it just shows how distinct social circles can be.

I had a few Black friends, though the number of Black students on campus was small. Asian students were fairly represented in classes, but I didn’t often see them in the social scene. Had a couple friends from Singapore. Personally, I never experienced racism there- it’s probably more overt at some U.S. schools. St Andrews is also incredibly international, with students from over 140 countries, which is actually more diverse than many top-tier U.S. colleges.

Outside of the Upper East Side kids, who do the American kids hang out with? Is it mainly with other Americans or is there a good mix of internationals in your social clubs?

DS is from Texas and deferred entry to 2026.

American kids at St Andrews hang out with people across all kinds of social circles- it really just depends on the person. When I was there, the most social students usually came from cities or suburbs in the U.S., and also places like London, Oslo, Stockholm, Munich, Madrid, and Toronto. The Scandinavian and German societies threw some of the best events. Social events in general had a great mix of internationals, which made things pretty fun and diverse. I had a few friends from Texas- almost all from private schools, and they were super social.

Americans at St Andrews are spread across all kinds of social groups: some are extroverted, others introverted; some are more edgy or alternative, others more mainstream. The school is fairly small but diverse, the social scene has a lot of different vibes. There was even an underground house music scene. While Americans do often spend time with each other, it’s less about just being from the same country and more about shared traits. A lot of Americans who choose to study in the UK tend to be independent, open-minded, adventurous types- that’s usually what brings them together.

One thing a lot of us Americans noticed was how much faster we felt we were growing up and maturing. When we went back home during the summer, it often felt like our friends in the U.S. were still kind of immature and behind. That’s something people don’t always consider about St Andrews- the graduating students tend to be more refined, mature, and worldly compared to a lot of U.S. colleges.

I have heard the Americans are always traveling every chance they get. Was this the case when you were there?

It's hard not to travel considering you have most of Europe just a couple hours away and a cheap flight. Munich Oktoberfest is a big one, trips to London, Paris, and Amsterdam are also common. I took about one weekend trip a semester, some Americans take more. Those that are more academically inclined or don't want to miss events on campus travel less.

Not sure that is a fair statement. DS went to St Andrews. Not sure when you graduated, but he graduated last year. He was very academically inclined (graduated with a first on his Double Honours program) and is now at LSE for graduate school. He travelled a lot. He basically visited every country in Europe plus Morroco, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, SA, Israel, Lebanon and also visited some of his friends from St Andrews in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. So no, you can travel and STILL be academically inclined….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the culture elitist in general? How about racism? It’s 77% white. It sounds like a great school, but I wonder how the experience is for blacks and asians. Honest observations?

The social culture at St Andrews can feel somewhat elitist, but it really depends on your circle. It’s not as overt as the kind of exclusivity you might see in U.S. fraternity or sorority systems. For instance, I was part of one of the “secret societies” or drinking clubs- not many people on campus knew about it, and its influence was more subtle. It mostly translated to priority invites to specific parties/events, access to VIP events, and easier entry into certain academic societies (investing/banking).

There is a lot of wealth and people from aristocracy, however, its discrete. People generally don’t flaunt their wealth or status, but social groups do tend to form along similar background. For example, a lot of the Upper East Side NYC students stuck together and were close with wealthier international students. That said, most of them still interacted with the broader student body socially.

Interestingly, someone I knew from my city in the U.S. was also at St Andrews, and I only saw him once in four years. Given the size of the school, that’s kind of wild- but it just shows how distinct social circles can be.

I had a few Black friends, though the number of Black students on campus was small. Asian students were fairly represented in classes, but I didn’t often see them in the social scene. Had a couple friends from Singapore. Personally, I never experienced racism there- it’s probably more overt at some U.S. schools. St Andrews is also incredibly international, with students from over 140 countries, which is actually more diverse than many top-tier U.S. colleges.

Outside of the Upper East Side kids, who do the American kids hang out with? Is it mainly with other Americans or is there a good mix of internationals in your social clubs?

DS is from Texas and deferred entry to 2026.

American kids at St Andrews hang out with people across all kinds of social circles- it really just depends on the person. When I was there, the most social students usually came from cities or suburbs in the U.S., and also places like London, Oslo, Stockholm, Munich, Madrid, and Toronto. The Scandinavian and German societies threw some of the best events. Social events in general had a great mix of internationals, which made things pretty fun and diverse. I had a few friends from Texas- almost all from private schools, and they were super social.

Americans at St Andrews are spread across all kinds of social groups: some are extroverted, others introverted; some are more edgy or alternative, others more mainstream. The school is fairly small but diverse, the social scene has a lot of different vibes. There was even an underground house music scene. While Americans do often spend time with each other, it’s less about just being from the same country and more about shared traits. A lot of Americans who choose to study in the UK tend to be independent, open-minded, adventurous types- that’s usually what brings them together.

One thing a lot of us Americans noticed was how much faster we felt we were growing up and maturing. When we went back home during the summer, it often felt like our friends in the U.S. were still kind of immature and behind. That’s something people don’t always consider about St Andrews- the graduating students tend to be more refined, mature, and worldly compared to a lot of U.S. colleges.

I have heard the Americans are always traveling every chance they get. Was this the case when you were there?

It's hard not to travel considering you have most of Europe just a couple hours away and a cheap flight. Munich Oktoberfest is a big one, trips to London, Paris, and Amsterdam are also common. I took about one weekend trip a semester, some Americans take more. Those that are more academically inclined or don't want to miss events on campus travel less.

Not sure that is a fair statement. DS went to St Andrews. Not sure when you graduated, but he graduated last year. He was very academically inclined (graduated with a first on his Double Honours program) and is now at LSE for graduate school. He travelled a lot. He basically visited every country in Europe plus Morroco, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, SA, Israel, Lebanon and also visited some of his friends from St Andrews in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. So no, you can travel and STILL be academically inclined….

Sounds like an exceptional student. My statement before was generalized- of course there are exceptions. I studied the sciences (Chemistry/Physics/Mathematics/Statistics)- the workload for those subjects are significantly higher than other popular subjects (IR/Economics/Art History/Management), which didn't allow many of my classmates to travel a lot. Especially if you're spending the weekend doing research for a professor. It also depends on your involvement in societies- if you're the director of a club you're not going to have the flexibility to travel as often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the culture elitist in general? How about racism? It’s 77% white. It sounds like a great school, but I wonder how the experience is for blacks and asians. Honest observations?

The social culture at St Andrews can feel somewhat elitist, but it really depends on your circle. It’s not as overt as the kind of exclusivity you might see in U.S. fraternity or sorority systems. For instance, I was part of one of the “secret societies” or drinking clubs- not many people on campus knew about it, and its influence was more subtle. It mostly translated to priority invites to specific parties/events, access to VIP events, and easier entry into certain academic societies (investing/banking).

There is a lot of wealth and people from aristocracy, however, its discrete. People generally don’t flaunt their wealth or status, but social groups do tend to form along similar background. For example, a lot of the Upper East Side NYC students stuck together and were close with wealthier international students. That said, most of them still interacted with the broader student body socially.

Interestingly, someone I knew from my city in the U.S. was also at St Andrews, and I only saw him once in four years. Given the size of the school, that’s kind of wild- but it just shows how distinct social circles can be.

I had a few Black friends, though the number of Black students on campus was small. Asian students were fairly represented in classes, but I didn’t often see them in the social scene. Had a couple friends from Singapore. Personally, I never experienced racism there- it’s probably more overt at some U.S. schools. St Andrews is also incredibly international, with students from over 140 countries, which is actually more diverse than many top-tier U.S. colleges.

Outside of the Upper East Side kids, who do the American kids hang out with? Is it mainly with other Americans or is there a good mix of internationals in your social clubs?

DS is from Texas and deferred entry to 2026.

American kids at St Andrews hang out with people across all kinds of social circles- it really just depends on the person. When I was there, the most social students usually came from cities or suburbs in the U.S., and also places like London, Oslo, Stockholm, Munich, Madrid, and Toronto. The Scandinavian and German societies threw some of the best events. Social events in general had a great mix of internationals, which made things pretty fun and diverse. I had a few friends from Texas- almost all from private schools, and they were super social.

Americans at St Andrews are spread across all kinds of social groups: some are extroverted, others introverted; some are more edgy or alternative, others more mainstream. The school is fairly small but diverse, the social scene has a lot of different vibes. There was even an underground house music scene. While Americans do often spend time with each other, it’s less about just being from the same country and more about shared traits. A lot of Americans who choose to study in the UK tend to be independent, open-minded, adventurous types- that’s usually what brings them together.

One thing a lot of us Americans noticed was how much faster we felt we were growing up and maturing. When we went back home during the summer, it often felt like our friends in the U.S. were still kind of immature and behind. That’s something people don’t always consider about St Andrews- the graduating students tend to be more refined, mature, and worldly compared to a lot of U.S. colleges.

I have heard the Americans are always traveling every chance they get. Was this the case when you were there?

It's hard not to travel considering you have most of Europe just a couple hours away and a cheap flight. Munich Oktoberfest is a big one, trips to London, Paris, and Amsterdam are also common. I took about one weekend trip a semester, some Americans take more. Those that are more academically inclined or don't want to miss events on campus travel less.

Not sure that is a fair statement. DS went to St Andrews. Not sure when you graduated, but he graduated last year. He was very academically inclined (graduated with a first on his Double Honours program) and is now at LSE for graduate school. He travelled a lot. He basically visited every country in Europe plus Morroco, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, SA, Israel, Lebanon and also visited some of his friends from St Andrews in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. So no, you can travel and STILL be academically inclined….

But you have to have the money to pay for tuition AND the travel. My scholarship kid at Oxbridge has taken only two trips - lots of hard work and no travel money. The St. Andrews kids tend to come from the tony NE boarding schools so have the money for travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the culture elitist in general? How about racism? It’s 77% white. It sounds like a great school, but I wonder how the experience is for blacks and asians. Honest observations?

The social culture at St Andrews can feel somewhat elitist, but it really depends on your circle. It’s not as overt as the kind of exclusivity you might see in U.S. fraternity or sorority systems. For instance, I was part of one of the “secret societies” or drinking clubs- not many people on campus knew about it, and its influence was more subtle. It mostly translated to priority invites to specific parties/events, access to VIP events, and easier entry into certain academic societies (investing/banking).

There is a lot of wealth and people from aristocracy, however, its discrete. People generally don’t flaunt their wealth or status, but social groups do tend to form along similar background. For example, a lot of the Upper East Side NYC students stuck together and were close with wealthier international students. That said, most of them still interacted with the broader student body socially.

Interestingly, someone I knew from my city in the U.S. was also at St Andrews, and I only saw him once in four years. Given the size of the school, that’s kind of wild- but it just shows how distinct social circles can be.

I had a few Black friends, though the number of Black students on campus was small. Asian students were fairly represented in classes, but I didn’t often see them in the social scene. Had a couple friends from Singapore. Personally, I never experienced racism there- it’s probably more overt at some U.S. schools. St Andrews is also incredibly international, with students from over 140 countries, which is actually more diverse than many top-tier U.S. colleges.

Outside of the Upper East Side kids, who do the American kids hang out with? Is it mainly with other Americans or is there a good mix of internationals in your social clubs?

DS is from Texas and deferred entry to 2026.

American kids at St Andrews hang out with people across all kinds of social circles- it really just depends on the person. When I was there, the most social students usually came from cities or suburbs in the U.S., and also places like London, Oslo, Stockholm, Munich, Madrid, and Toronto. The Scandinavian and German societies threw some of the best events. Social events in general had a great mix of internationals, which made things pretty fun and diverse. I had a few friends from Texas- almost all from private schools, and they were super social.

Americans at St Andrews are spread across all kinds of social groups: some are extroverted, others introverted; some are more edgy or alternative, others more mainstream. The school is fairly small but diverse, the social scene has a lot of different vibes. There was even an underground house music scene. While Americans do often spend time with each other, it’s less about just being from the same country and more about shared traits. A lot of Americans who choose to study in the UK tend to be independent, open-minded, adventurous types- that’s usually what brings them together.

One thing a lot of us Americans noticed was how much faster we felt we were growing up and maturing. When we went back home during the summer, it often felt like our friends in the U.S. were still kind of immature and behind. That’s something people don’t always consider about St Andrews- the graduating students tend to be more refined, mature, and worldly compared to a lot of U.S. colleges.

I have heard the Americans are always traveling every chance they get. Was this the case when you were there?

It's hard not to travel considering you have most of Europe just a couple hours away and a cheap flight. Munich Oktoberfest is a big one, trips to London, Paris, and Amsterdam are also common. I took about one weekend trip a semester, some Americans take more. Those that are more academically inclined or don't want to miss events on campus travel less.

Not sure that is a fair statement. DS went to St Andrews. Not sure when you graduated, but he graduated last year. He was very academically inclined (graduated with a first on his Double Honours program) and is now at LSE for graduate school. He travelled a lot. He basically visited every country in Europe plus Morroco, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, SA, Israel, Lebanon and also visited some of his friends from St Andrews in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. So no, you can travel and STILL be academically inclined….

But you have to have the money to pay for tuition AND the travel. My scholarship kid at Oxbridge has taken only two trips - lots of hard work and no travel money. The St. Andrews kids tend to come from the tony NE boarding schools so have the money for travel.

Not the PP. I also had two kids, one at St Andrews and one at Oxford. Both are in their mid 20s now. And they both travelled a lot. My Oxford kid (Econ) travelled a lot more than my St Andrews Kid (Math/Physics), but they both travelled a lot.

[Anonymous]

Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles (which as many of us know is one of the top private high schools in the US) has a detailed handbook on college admissions where they publish admissions statistics for individual colleges. Here are the percent of students admitted to UK universities from Harvard-Westlake over the last three years:

Kent: 100 percent (1 applied)
Manchester: 100 percent (1 applied)
St Andrews: 75 percent (40 applied)
Exeter: 50 percent (2 applied)
Edinburgh: 40 percent (10 applied)
LSE: 33 percent (3 applied)
UCL: 12 percent (8 applied)

Bristol: 0 (1 applied)
Cambridge: 0 (3 applied)
Glasgow: 0 (1 applied)
Oxford: 0 (7 applied)
Warwick: 0 (1 applied)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles (which as many of us know is one of the top private high schools in the US) has a detailed handbook on college admissions where they publish admissions statistics for individual colleges. Here are the percent of students admitted to UK universities from Harvard-Westlake over the last three years:

Kent: 100 percent (1 applied)
Manchester: 100 percent (1 applied)
St Andrews: 75 percent (40 applied)
Exeter: 50 percent (2 applied)
Edinburgh: 40 percent (10 applied)
LSE: 33 percent (3 applied)
UCL: 12 percent (8 applied)

Bristol: 0 (1 applied)
Cambridge: 0 (3 applied)
Glasgow: 0 (1 applied)
Oxford: 0 (7 applied)
Warwick: 0 (1 applied)

Wow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles (which as many of us know is one of the top private high schools in the US) has a detailed handbook on college admissions where they publish admissions statistics for individual colleges. Here are the percent of students admitted to UK universities from Harvard-Westlake over the last three years:

Kent: 100 percent (1 applied)
Manchester: 100 percent (1 applied)
St Andrews: 75 percent (40 applied)
Exeter: 50 percent (2 applied)
Edinburgh: 40 percent (10 applied)
LSE: 33 percent (3 applied)
UCL: 12 percent (8 applied)

Bristol: 0 (1 applied)
Cambridge: 0 (3 applied)
Glasgow: 0 (1 applied)
Oxford: 0 (7 applied)
Warwick: 0 (1 applied)

Wow

I have a close friend who went to Harvard-Westlake and St Andrews.

Harvard-Westlake is a major feeder school, one of the biggest in LA. The admit rate to attend Harvard-Westlake is about 25-30% and the tuition is $50,000 a year.

The students at Harvard-Westlake as a whole are brilliant and often get into competitive schools. Kids at Harvard-Westlake that are aiming for T10-20 schools apply to St Andrews as a backup if they don't get into one of their top choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles (which as many of us know is one of the top private high schools in the US) has a detailed handbook on college admissions where they publish admissions statistics for individual colleges. Here are the percent of students admitted to UK universities from Harvard-Westlake over the last three years:

Kent: 100 percent (1 applied)
Manchester: 100 percent (1 applied)
St Andrews: 75 percent (40 applied)
Exeter: 50 percent (2 applied)
Edinburgh: 40 percent (10 applied)
LSE: 33 percent (3 applied)
UCL: 12 percent (8 applied)

Bristol: 0 (1 applied)
Cambridge: 0 (3 applied)
Glasgow: 0 (1 applied)
Oxford: 0 (7 applied)
Warwick: 0 (1 applied)

Wow

I have a close friend who went to Harvard-Westlake and St Andrews.

Harvard-Westlake is a major feeder school, one of the biggest in LA. The admit rate to attend Harvard-Westlake is about 25-30% and the tuition is $50,000 a year.

The students at Harvard-Westlake as a whole are brilliant and often get into competitive schools. Kids at Harvard-Westlake that are aiming for T10-20 schools apply to St Andrews as a backup if they don't get into one of their top choices.

That was the case with my son. He is starting his 4th year at St Andrews now. He was rejected at Stanford, Wharton and waitlisted then denied at Columbia. Accepted to NYU and USC but decided to go abroad instead to study Finance/Econ. 1540 SAT. Great ECs and high GPA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles (which as many of us know is one of the top private high schools in the US) has a detailed handbook on college admissions where they publish admissions statistics for individual colleges. Here are the percent of students admitted to UK universities from Harvard-Westlake over the last three years:

Kent: 100 percent (1 applied)
Manchester: 100 percent (1 applied)
St Andrews: 75 percent (40 applied)
Exeter: 50 percent (2 applied)
Edinburgh: 40 percent (10 applied)
LSE: 33 percent (3 applied)
UCL: 12 percent (8 applied)

Bristol: 0 (1 applied)
Cambridge: 0 (3 applied)
Glasgow: 0 (1 applied)
Oxford: 0 (7 applied)
Warwick: 0 (1 applied)

Funny thing about this list. DS wanted St Andrews. Applied to Bristol, Warwick, Edinburgh, UCL and St Andrews. Was accepted to ALL of them but St Andrews. He was devastated. 3.75/4 UW GPA. 1480 SAT and 7 APs, 6 at 4 and 1 at 5.

[Anonymous]

Im the PP. This is the latest school profile with Matriculation Data for those who care….
Just look at some of the data. This is not some random school….St Andrews understands that. And yet, only 2 Matriculated from 2024 and 12 over the last 5 years.
DS thought he was a shoe in….oh well….

82% of the 2025 graduating class had 4 or 5’s on AP tests.
33 Avg ACT,
727 CR SAT Avg
737 Math SAT Avg

https://www.hw.com/Portals/28/Harvard-WestlakeProfile2024-25.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles (which as many of us know is one of the top private high schools in the US) has a detailed handbook on college admissions where they publish admissions statistics for individual colleges. Here are the percent of students admitted to UK universities from Harvard-Westlake over the last three years:

Kent: 100 percent (1 applied)
Manchester: 100 percent (1 applied)
St Andrews: 75 percent (40 applied)
Exeter: 50 percent (2 applied)
Edinburgh: 40 percent (10 applied)
LSE: 33 percent (3 applied)
UCL: 12 percent (8 applied)

Bristol: 0 (1 applied)
Cambridge: 0 (3 applied)
Glasgow: 0 (1 applied)
Oxford: 0 (7 applied)
Warwick: 0 (1 applied)

Wow

I have a close friend who went to Harvard-Westlake and St Andrews.

Harvard-Westlake is a major feeder school, one of the biggest in LA. The admit rate to attend Harvard-Westlake is about 25-30% and the tuition is $50,000 a year.

The students at Harvard-Westlake as a whole are brilliant and often get into competitive schools. Kids at Harvard-Westlake that are aiming for T10-20 schools apply to St Andrews as a backup if they don't get into one of their top choices.

That was the case with my son. He is starting his 4th year at St Andrews now. He was rejected at Stanford, Wharton and waitlisted then denied at Columbia. Accepted to NYU and USC but decided to go abroad instead to study Finance/Econ. 1540 SAT. Great ECs and high GPA.

Here are the 3-year admit rates for Harvard-Westlake for the top USA universities more perspective.

First, again, St Andrews: 75 percent

Boston College: 26 percent
Boston University: 27 percent
Brown: 13 percent
Carnegie Mellon: 25 percent
Columbia: 14 percent
Cornell: 22 percent
Dartmouth: 12 percent
Duke: 9.5 percent
Emory: 18 percent
Georgetown: 27 percent
Harvard: 19 percent
JHU: 8 percent
MIT: 6 percent
NYU: 35 percent
Northwestern: 8 percent
Northeastern: 33 percent
Princeton: 9.5 percent
Rice: 18 percent
Stanford: 12 percent
Tulane: 23 percent
UC-Berkeley: 26 percent
UCLA: 14 percent
UChicago: 29 percent
UMich: 25 percent
UNC: 7 percent
UNotre Dame: 7 percent
UPenn: 18 percent
USC: 18 percent
UVA: 31 percent
WashU: 22 percent
Yale: 14 percent

In addition to those schools, the following small top schools admitted far fewer than half and typically fewer than a thirdof H-W applicants:

Amherst
Bates
Bowdoin
Bucknell
Colby
Colorado College
Davidson
Hamilton
Harvey Mudd
Haverford
Howard
Lehigh
Middlebury
Pitzer
Pomona
Swarthmore
Tufts
Vassar
Wellesley
Wesleyan
Williams

Finally, here's a good sampling of schools with similar admit rates to St Andrews (60 to 80 percent) at Harvard-Westlake:

American
Brandeis
Fordham
GWU
Loyola Marymount
Occidental
Pepperdine
Purdue
Santa Clara
Scripps
Skidmore
Syracuse
TCU
Ohio State
Penn State
UC-Boulder
UMaryland
UPitt
UWashington
UW-Madison

You can draw your own conclusions from here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles (which as many of us know is one of the top private high schools in the US) has a detailed handbook on college admissions where they publish admissions statistics for individual colleges. Here are the percent of students admitted to UK universities from Harvard-Westlake over the last three years:

Kent: 100 percent (1 applied)
Manchester: 100 percent (1 applied)
St Andrews: 75 percent (40 applied)
Exeter: 50 percent (2 applied)
Edinburgh: 40 percent (10 applied)
LSE: 33 percent (3 applied)
UCL: 12 percent (8 applied)

Bristol: 0 (1 applied)
Cambridge: 0 (3 applied)
Glasgow: 0 (1 applied)
Oxford: 0 (7 applied)
Warwick: 0 (1 applied)

Wow

I have a close friend who went to Harvard-Westlake and St Andrews.

Harvard-Westlake is a major feeder school, one of the biggest in LA. The admit rate to attend Harvard-Westlake is about 25-30% and the tuition is $50,000 a year.

The students at Harvard-Westlake as a whole are brilliant and often get into competitive schools. Kids at Harvard-Westlake that are aiming for T10-20 schools apply to St Andrews as a backup if they don't get into one of their top choices.

That was the case with my son. He is starting his 4th year at St Andrews now. He was rejected at Stanford, Wharton and waitlisted then denied at Columbia. Accepted to NYU and USC but decided to go abroad instead to study Finance/Econ. 1540 SAT. Great ECs and high GPA.

Here are the 3-year admit rates for Harvard-Westlake for the top USA universities more perspective.

First, again, St Andrews: 75 percent

Boston College: 26 percent
Boston University: 27 percent
Brown: 13 percent
Carnegie Mellon: 25 percent
Columbia: 14 percent
Cornell: 22 percent
Dartmouth: 12 percent
Duke: 9.5 percent
Emory: 18 percent
Georgetown: 27 percent
Harvard: 19 percent
JHU: 8 percent
MIT: 6 percent
NYU: 35 percent
Northwestern: 8 percent
Northeastern: 33 percent
Princeton: 9.5 percent
Rice: 18 percent
Stanford: 12 percent
Tulane: 23 percent
UC-Berkeley: 26 percent
UCLA: 14 percent
UChicago: 29 percent
UMich: 25 percent
UNC: 7 percent
UNotre Dame: 7 percent
UPenn: 18 percent
USC: 18 percent
UVA: 31 percent
WashU: 22 percent
Yale: 14 percent

In addition to those schools, the following small top schools admitted far fewer than half and typically fewer than a thirdof H-W applicants:

Amherst
Bates
Bowdoin
Bucknell
Colby
Colorado College
Davidson
Hamilton
Harvey Mudd
Haverford
Howard
Lehigh
Middlebury
Pitzer
Pomona
Swarthmore
Tufts
Vassar
Wellesley
Wesleyan
Williams

Finally, here's a good sampling of schools with similar admit rates to St Andrews (60 to 80 percent) at Harvard-Westlake:

American
Brandeis
Fordham
GWU
Loyola Marymount
Occidental
Pepperdine
Purdue
Santa Clara
Scripps
Skidmore
Syracuse
TCU
Ohio State
Penn State
UC-Boulder
UMaryland
UPitt
UWashington
UW-Madison

You can draw your own conclusions from here.

This post is highly misleading—some cherry-picked statistics paired with uninformed takeaways.

For context: I studied Statistics at St Andrews, went to a top 3 MBA program in the U.S., and currently work in portfolio analytics at a Fortune 100 company. I also have close friends who went to Harvard-Westlake and attended St Andrews. I’m not usually one to list credentials, but given the prestige-obsessed tone of this forum, I hope it adds some weight to what follows.

Here’s what’s missing from the discussion:

1. Different Applicant Pool

Harvard-Westlake graduates about 300 students per year. Over the past three years, around 40 students from HW applied to St Andrews—that’s roughly 13 students per year, or just about 4% of each graduating class. This is a very small subset relative to the number applying to U.S. colleges.

And importantly, that subset is extremely competitive. These are students applying to Stanford, Harvard, Penn, Columbia, Dartmouth, etc.—and they view St Andrews as a strong international alternative, not a fallback. They're not typically applying to schools like Bates, Fordham, or Purdue. So when someone claims “60–80% of HW students are accepted to St Andrews,” they’re referring to a self-selecting group of high-achieving applicants, not the broader HW student body.

That’s very different from U.S. schools like Syracuse or Santa Clara, which may attract a wider range of applicants from HW and therefore show a lower admit rate. And the matriculation data backs this up: only 2 HW students enrolled at St Andrews in 2024, and just 12 in the past 5 years. Many of the students who are accepted ultimately choose T10–20 U.S. schools instead.

2. Different Admissions Philosophies

U.S. colleges are highly sensitive to school context. They track how many students they admit from each high school and may cap the number of offers to elite private schools like Harvard-Westlake—even if more students are qualified—in order to maintain geographic and institutional diversity.

By contrast, UK universities—including St Andrews—don’t limit offers by school. If 10 HW students meet the criteria, they’ll admit all 10. There’s no quota. This explains why a small, high-achieving subset of HW applicants might enjoy a seemingly high admit rate—but that says nothing about the school's overall selectivity.

3. Selective Doesn’t Mean Everyone Gets In

Even exceptionally qualified students are sometimes rejected. One HW student, for example, had a 1540 SAT, top extracurriculars, and a high GPA—was accepted to NYU and USC—but rejected by St Andrews. The average SAT score at HW is already high (1464), and this student was well above that. So no, it’s not a guarantee, even for the best applicants.

Final Thought

Statistics aside, some of the commentary on St Andrews in this forum is frankly disappointing and sad. St Andrews isn’t the right fit for everyone, but it's a world-class university that offers an outstanding academic and personal experience for the right student.

I come here to provide helpful, informed insight for students and parents who are genuinely curious about the school. It’s disheartening to see people bash it with dismissive and uninformed takes. For what purpose? It comes off like someone projecting their own insecurities onto an anonymous forum.

Students and families already deal with enormous pressure in the college process. Let’s not make it worse with baseless elitism or misplaced negativity. Use this forum to elevate and inform, not to tear down a school or diminish the hard work of those who choose a path outside the Ivy League bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles (which as many of us know is one of the top private high schools in the US) has a detailed handbook on college admissions where they publish admissions statistics for individual colleges. Here are the percent of students admitted to UK universities from Harvard-Westlake over the last three years:

Kent: 100 percent (1 applied)
Manchester: 100 percent (1 applied)
St Andrews: 75 percent (40 applied)
Exeter: 50 percent (2 applied)
Edinburgh: 40 percent (10 applied)
LSE: 33 percent (3 applied)
UCL: 12 percent (8 applied)

Bristol: 0 (1 applied)
Cambridge: 0 (3 applied)
Glasgow: 0 (1 applied)
Oxford: 0 (7 applied)
Warwick: 0 (1 applied)

Wow

I have a close friend who went to Harvard-Westlake and St Andrews.

Harvard-Westlake is a major feeder school, one of the biggest in LA. The admit rate to attend Harvard-Westlake is about 25-30% and the tuition is $50,000 a year.

The students at Harvard-Westlake as a whole are brilliant and often get into competitive schools. Kids at Harvard-Westlake that are aiming for T10-20 schools apply to St Andrews as a backup if they don't get into one of their top choices.

That was the case with my son. He is starting his 4th year at St Andrews now. He was rejected at Stanford, Wharton and waitlisted then denied at Columbia. Accepted to NYU and USC but decided to go abroad instead to study Finance/Econ. 1540 SAT. Great ECs and high GPA.

Here are the 3-year admit rates for Harvard-Westlake for the top USA universities more perspective.

First, again, St Andrews: 75 percent

Boston College: 26 percent
Boston University: 27 percent
Brown: 13 percent
Carnegie Mellon: 25 percent
Columbia: 14 percent
Cornell: 22 percent
Dartmouth: 12 percent
Duke: 9.5 percent
Emory: 18 percent
Georgetown: 27 percent
Harvard: 19 percent
JHU: 8 percent
MIT: 6 percent
NYU: 35 percent
Northwestern: 8 percent
Northeastern: 33 percent
Princeton: 9.5 percent
Rice: 18 percent
Stanford: 12 percent
Tulane: 23 percent
UC-Berkeley: 26 percent
UCLA: 14 percent
UChicago: 29 percent
UMich: 25 percent
UNC: 7 percent
UNotre Dame: 7 percent
UPenn: 18 percent
USC: 18 percent
UVA: 31 percent
WashU: 22 percent
Yale: 14 percent

In addition to those schools, the following small top schools admitted far fewer than half and typically fewer than a thirdof H-W applicants:

Amherst
Bates
Bowdoin
Bucknell
Colby
Colorado College
Davidson
Hamilton
Harvey Mudd
Haverford
Howard
Lehigh
Middlebury
Pitzer
Pomona
Swarthmore
Tufts
Vassar
Wellesley
Wesleyan
Williams

Finally, here's a good sampling of schools with similar admit rates to St Andrews (60 to 80 percent) at Harvard-Westlake:

American
Brandeis
Fordham
GWU
Loyola Marymount
Occidental
Pepperdine
Purdue
Santa Clara
Scripps
Skidmore
Syracuse
TCU
Ohio State
Penn State
UC-Boulder
UMaryland
UPitt
UWashington
UW-Madison

You can draw your own conclusions from here.

I just did….omg…DS graduated from HW. I will repeat again since you seem to be a little dense….: “That was the case with my son. He is starting his 4th year at St Andrews now. He was rejected at Stanford, Wharton and waitlisted then denied at Columbia. Accepted to NYU and USC but decided to go abroad instead to study Finance/Econ. 1540 SAT. Great ECs and high GPA.”

SO please. Spare me the BS about HW acceptance rates….this is not some random public school in the VA area….