U of St Andrews - Admissions per State

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t realize how small St Andrews is relative to the other Scottish unis (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde).

1st year’s class of about 2000 is the smallest of any of the top 20 UK unis.

Of which 20% will be American. At Oxford only 1.7% of the undergrads are American.

And your point is?

[Anonymous]

I read it in the Student Room UK forum that 45% of students at St Andrews graduate with a different degree to the one they applied for.

is this true? That is a big number? I do like the Scottish flexibility with a 4-y degree, but I’m surprised at that number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t realize how small St Andrews is relative to the other Scottish unis (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde).

1st year’s class of about 2000 is the smallest of any of the top 20 UK unis.

Of which 20% will be American. At Oxford only 1.7% of the undergrads are American.

And your point is?

not PP but as everyone knows St Andrews courts American full-pay students. It has a dedicated staff of 12 that do nothing but tour New England privates to find full-pay students. Oxbridge doesn’t need to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t realize how small St Andrews is relative to the other Scottish unis (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde).

1st year’s class of about 2000 is the smallest of any of the top 20 UK unis.

Of which 20% will be American. At Oxford only 1.7% of the undergrads are American.

And your point is?

not PP but as everyone knows St Andrews courts American full-pay students. It has a dedicated staff of 12 that do nothing but tour New England privates to find full-pay students. Oxbridge doesn’t need to do that.

And still, what i the point? What does this have to do with the conversation? Who brought up Oxford in comparison? Nobody…..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t realize how small St Andrews is relative to the other Scottish unis (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde).

1st year’s class of about 2000 is the smallest of any of the top 20 UK unis.

Its also rural and 50 mins on a bus from the nearest city (Edinburgh)

Is that it? I just drove it and it took me longer.
Dundee on the other hand is about 25 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t realize how small St Andrews is relative to the other Scottish unis (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde).

1st year’s class of about 2000 is the smallest of any of the top 20 UK unis.

Its also rural and 50 mins on a bus from the nearest city (Edinburgh)

Is that it? I just drove it and it took me longer.
Dundee on the other hand is about 25 minutes.

DP. Most Americans would consider Dundee a small city. The train from Leuchars to Edinburgh is often faster than driving.

[Anonymous]

Interesting new article from the Courier in the UK.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/education/5337419/us-students-are-reshaping-uni-life-at-st-andrews/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting new article from the Courier in the UK.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/education/5337419/us-students-are-reshaping-uni-life-at-st-andrews/

Is there a gift link? Paywall prevents reading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like there was big clean up here in this thread.

At the end of the day, this is a fine school.
1) It has some truly great programs and others that are just ok.
2) Are there kids that forgo t25 offers to go to St Andrews? Yes there are.
3) Are there kids that could not get in t25 and selected St Andrews vs others in the t25-t50? Yes.
4) Are there kids whose best option was >t50 schools and ended up in St ANdrews. yes. Doesn’t make this any less of a great school.
Nobody here is pretending this is Harvard.

And then there are kids like mine, who didnt even apply to US schools despite a 1540 and 35 ACT and 3.9/4 uw GPA. Very Competitive recruited athlete and highly ranked in the US in a not to be mentioned sport. Could he have applied to t25s and squeezed an admission or two given he was also a recruited athlete highly ranked in his sport? I’m sure he could have. But he had zero interest in staying the US. He told 3 t25 coaches thanks but no thanks. He also has a EU passport, speaks 3 languages and wanted out. He only applied to schools in the UK and EU, but focused on the UK schools with great sports program on his specific sport.

When he was offered a spot at St Andrews along their performance sports program, he took it and never looked back.

Yea, that's all well in good but it's not typical.

His deal is not typical but he is there now and his group of performance athletes American friends were all coming from elite High Schools/boarding schools in the US and also excelled in Sports and academics. He does have friends who gave up schools like W&M or Tulane to come to St Andrews, but several of his athlete friends gave up programs at several t25 US colleges to come here (I’m at StA now as he starting his 2nd year and we plan to travel ). My point is, you will find a little bit of everything here. And criticize someone for doing so is ludicrous. People have their own motivations. Sure it is a back up for a lot of Boarding SChool kids who dont get in t25s and there is nothing wrong with that. This is a different environment and it takes a different kind of kid to succeed/survive here to begin with.

Is your 2nd year on uni accommodations? Or did he get a Flat with a couple of roommates? I have heard the costs for housing are astronomical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read it in the Student Room UK forum that 45% of students at St Andrews graduate with a different degree to the one they applied for.

is this true? That is a big number? I do like the Scottish flexibility with a 4-y degree, but I’m surprised at that number.

If true, then I suspect it is more often about adding a 2nd degree ("double major" in American) rather than completely dropping their initial degree. Adding a 2nd degree seems more common there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is your 2nd year on uni accommodations? Or did he get a Flat with a couple of roommates? I have heard the costs for housing are astronomical.

Open market housing in StA is visibly more affordable than in London. I would say StA market housing is expensive, but I would say London market housing is astronomical.

University accommodations in town are strongly desirable, of course. This can be done, but the student needs to take initiative and stay on top of it. The early bird catches the worm.

My understanding, possibly confused, is that U StA is building more university housing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read it in the Student Room UK forum that 45% of students at St Andrews graduate with a different degree to the one they applied for.

is this true? That is a big number? I do like the Scottish flexibility with a 4-y degree, but I’m surprised at that number.

If true, then I suspect it is more often about adding a 2nd degree ("double major" in American) rather than completely dropping their initial degree. Adding a 2nd degree seems more common there.

I dont know the numbers, but DD changed her initial degree from IR to Management and History. She took all 3 modules in the 1st year (you have to do that in order to “change” your degree) and 2nd year and in the end of the 2nd year she officially changed to the Joint Honours program and dropped IR. Her 1st year roommate did the same but went from Classics to Economics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read it in the Student Room UK forum that 45% of students at St Andrews graduate with a different degree to the one they applied for.

is this true? That is a big number? I do like the Scottish flexibility with a 4-y degree, but I’m surprised at that number.

If true, then I suspect it is more often about adding a 2nd degree ("double major" in American) rather than completely dropping their initial degree. Adding a 2nd degree seems more common there.

I dont know the numbers, but DD changed her initial degree from IR to Management and History. She took all 3 modules in the 1st year (you have to do that in order to “change” your degree) and 2nd year and in the end of the 2nd year she officially changed to the Joint Honours program and dropped IR. Her 1st year roommate did the same but went from Classics to Economics.

Good for your daughter. All 3 programs (IR, Management and History) are 3 of the top programs in the UK. Can’t go wrong with either. Glad she found herself. It is great Scottish unis give you that flexibility. My son started at UCL years ago and decided he wanted to go a different path with a different major. Changing majors or transferring between English unis is very difficult and a hassle.

[Anonymous]

DD didnt change her major, but she added a second one for a joint degree. I think this is pretty common and one of the 2 main reasons she selected St Andrews over UCL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your 2nd year on uni accommodations? Or did he get a Flat with a couple of roommates? I have heard the costs for housing are astronomical.

Open market housing in StA is visibly more affordable than in London. I would say StA market housing is expensive, but I would say London market housing is astronomical.

University accommodations in town are strongly desirable, of course. This can be done, but the student needs to take initiative and stay on top of it. The early bird catches the worm.

My understanding, possibly confused, is that U StA is building more university housing.

What is the average cost for housing rental in town? Say it is a 2 or 3 bedroom flat?