University of Edinburgh, Glasgow or St. Andrews

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. Andrews has become a U.S. private school favorite for kids who can’t get into top U.S. colleges.

This is true. It seems like a different and fun option

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For undergrad? I don’t understand why you’d elect to study in Scotland of all places if you’re trying to get a job in the states afterward.

Did I say he was trying to get a job in the states afterward? Though DH and I are here, I would be thrilled if he decided to live in UK or EU. He has citizenship in both.

Job prospects in the UK are super hot right now.

Are you being sarcastic?

[Anonymous]

I think the stereotype of St Andrews some of you are expressing is out-of-date. Our college counselor told us it is HIGHLY competitive for British kids and becoming much much more so year by year for US kids, especially ones willing to go overseas, as the US top 25 becoming almost impossible for smart but unhooked kids. Our counselor said it used to be super-posh elites and has become more much difficult to get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I think the stereotype of St Andrews some of you are expressing is out-of-date. Our college counselor told us it is HIGHLY competitive for British kids and becoming much much more so year by year for US kids, especially ones willing to go overseas, as the US top 25 becoming almost impossible for smart but unhooked kids. Our counselor said it used to be super-posh elites and has become more much difficult to get in.

yes, this is what we've heard from college counselor also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This exactly. The drinking culture in the UK is out of control.

Hmm, I wonder if this is more a reflection of a small sub-segment of American kids overseas with the novelty of a lower drinking age? My niece and nephew just graduated from UK universities and neither one drinks. In fact, drinking is down overall for Gen Z. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220920-why-gen-zers-are-growing-up-sober-curious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This exactly. The drinking culture in the UK is out of control.

Hmm, I wonder if this is more a reflection of a small sub-segment of American kids overseas with the novelty of a lower drinking age? My niece and nephew just graduated from UK universities and neither one drinks. In fact, drinking is down overall for Gen Z. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220920-why-gen-zers-are-growing-up-sober-curious

No, my Cambridge kid says it’s the entire drinking population at all ages. It’s the lifestyle of pubs, free beer in college, port of sherry after events, etc. he says it’s culturally wide

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I think the stereotype of St Andrews some of you are expressing is out-of-date. Our college counselor told us it is HIGHLY competitive for British kids and becoming much much more so year by year for US kids, especially ones willing to go overseas, as the US top 25 becoming almost impossible for smart but unhooked kids. Our counselor said it used to be super-posh elites and has become more much difficult to get in.

yes, this is what we've heard from college counselor also.

I know a family very well who is sending all of their kids there. They’re all good but not outstanding students who were not candidates for top 25 college admissions. They live in NOVA and let’s say they are all JMU type material at best - definitely not UVA or William & Mary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St. Andrews has become a U.S. private school favorite for kids who can’t get into top U.S. colleges.

This is true. It seems like a different and fun option

Plus you get to travel in Europe during breaks and your parents get to travel to Europe to visit.

[Anonymous]

Reject school for kids who can’t cut it at a top 30 school in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This exactly. The drinking culture in the UK is out of control.

Hmm, I wonder if this is more a reflection of a small sub-segment of American kids overseas with the novelty of a lower drinking age? My niece and nephew just graduated from UK universities and neither one drinks. In fact, drinking is down overall for Gen Z. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220920-why-gen-zers-are-growing-up-sober-curious

No, my Cambridge kid says it’s the entire drinking population at all ages. It’s the lifestyle of pubs, free beer in college, port of sherry after events, etc. he says it’s culturally wide

I thought you had an Oxford kid. My Cambridge undergraduate student speaks neither of free beer nor port or sherry after events. She does, however, speak of "pres" which is, I guess, what we would call "pre-gaming" in the US. Students pre-game in their dorms not because they can't acquire alcohol legally but because it is a lot cheaper than drinking at bars/clubs. As far as I can tell, the drinking she describes is largely analogous to what goes on on US college campuses. There are some that don't drink, some that prefer low-key pub drinking, and still some others that join "drinking societies," which are like fraternities/sororities without the veneer of service and scholarship. One notable difference, however, is the almost complete absence of weed from the party scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't speak loudly with an American accent in Edinburgh and especially Glasgow cities. Even if you had a London accent I would warn this. And avoid the town on Friday & Saturday nights it will be stuffed to the rafters with drunks.

This is only true if you're disrespectful and obnoxious, if you're a decent person, respectful, and kind, you'll have no issues as an American or Londoner in Glasgow, Edinburgh, or anywhere else in Scotland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St. Andrews. Its good enough for crown princess & princess of UK. Joking aside, its a life changing experience. I would rather do a semester or two there and rest here in states.

Not just the UK. Half of Europe's royalty goes there for college. So to answer a PP's question about looking for a job in the US, you might not need to ever work 😜

And the rest goes to Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am in the UK, my daughter is a junior and she will be applying to colleges next year incl Edinburg.
Edinburg is a much more academic and has historically been considered a top, difficult to get in uni. SA has a reputation of the place where old money send their kids to, lots of boarding schools kids (not the top academic ones like Eaton or Winchester, but Marlboro etc - you go there for good networking and connections. However in recent years SA has gone up in rankings and even beats E now in some rankings, so its academic reputation has been rapidly improving. Both places have dreary rainy weather most of the year.
Glasgo is not in the same league with the above two, not even close.

based on your spelling alone of Edinburgh, Eton, Winchester, Marlborough, and Glasgow, I'm not sure you know anything about Britain or British education.

But you're right on St Andrews' rise. Wrong on the weather: St Andrews bay micro climate makes it much more sunny than most of Scotland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I think the stereotype of St Andrews some of you are expressing is out-of-date. Our college counselor told us it is HIGHLY competitive for British kids and becoming much much more so year by year for US kids, especially ones willing to go overseas, as the US top 25 becoming almost impossible for smart but unhooked kids. Our counselor said it used to be super-posh elites and has become more much difficult to get in.

+1.

Current St Andrews student, for reference, here are some of the American schools which my American St Andrews peers & I got into:

NYU, UC Berkeley, USC, Dartmouth, Cornell, UChicago, Williams College, Boston College, UVA, Hamilton, Haverford, Kenyon, Colby, Middlebury, William & Mary, GWU, Connecticut College, Colorado College

People on DCUM act like we couldn't get in anywhere else, but every American I know here was a competitive candidate with 1400+ SATs or high 30s ACTs. Lots of my friends got near perfect scores on these.

Was every American here also getting into Dartmouth/Cornell? No, but some were. Many more of my peers were on Ivy waitlists. The biggest acceptance overlap, anecdotally, is NYU. I've met lots of kids who also got into NYU, and were choosing between there and St Andrews.

If you're a parent/student considering St A, I'm happy to answer questions, I can share the good and the bad, because there's definitely both aspects, but overall it's a great experience both in academics and student life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For undergrad? I don’t understand why you’d elect to study in Scotland of all places if you’re trying to get a job in the states afterward.

Did I say he was trying to get a job in the states afterward? Though DH and I are here, I would be thrilled if he decided to live in UK or EU. He has citizenship in both.

Job prospects in the UK are super hot right now.

Are you being sarcastic?

What do you think?