Tell me about St Andrews in Scotland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St Andrews has a strange reputation in the UK. I grew up in Scotland and went to a strong academic high school. I don’t know anyone from my school who applied there. The top students tried for Oxbridge, Edinburgh or Imperial Collage. That said, I had an old English friend who was very excited to go there. It’s almost as if it was outside the Scottish university system, and was seen as a place for English ‘Oxbridge rejects’ (public - in the British sense - school kids who couldn’t get into Oxbridge and who applied to other universities deemed prestigious). The fact that it was in this category puts amongst a strong peer group (Durham, Bristol, etc). Take this with a large pinch of salt, as I left high school 30 years ago, and it’s possible that it’s reputation has improved significantly, but I would still say that it’s seen in the UK as a significant step down from Oxford and Cambridge (everywhere is in reputation terms), and in Scotland as below Edinburgh, but it’s seen as a top 10 uni.

My DD is at Oxford. They definitely look down on St Andrews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm always a little concerned when I see parents thinking of sending their children to universities abroad. It is a long-term commitment. The best universities in America offer arguably the best undergraduate education, and at least for job prospects (particularly in North America), a U.S. degree will get you farther. I know it's not popular to say these kinds of things (I feel like I need to say that I am not remotely near a MAGA head), but I feel like it warrants mention.

Good grief. St. Andrews is very well known in the US. So is McGill, for that matter. So no, you are not going to lower your job chances at St. Andrews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St Andrews has a strange reputation in the UK. I grew up in Scotland and went to a strong academic high school. I don’t know anyone from my school who applied there. The top students tried for Oxbridge, Edinburgh or Imperial Collage. That said, I had an old English friend who was very excited to go there. It’s almost as if it was outside the Scottish university system, and was seen as a place for English ‘Oxbridge rejects’ (public - in the British sense - school kids who couldn’t get into Oxbridge and who applied to other universities deemed prestigious). The fact that it was in this category puts amongst a strong peer group (Durham, Bristol, etc). Take this with a large pinch of salt, as I left high school 30 years ago, and it’s possible that it’s reputation has improved significantly, but I would still say that it’s seen in the UK as a significant step down from Oxford and Cambridge (everywhere is in reputation terms), and in Scotland as below Edinburgh, but it’s seen as a top 10 uni.

I'm from the UK and agree with all of this, except that I wouldn't say it's seen as a top 10 uni. It's not Russell Group and certainly in my school, it was somewhere you would go if you couldn't get into a Russell Group uni. I'm baffled by any ranking that puts it at the top! For an American, though, probably it's an advantage that people have heard of it as I sense that more people know it than know say, Bristol University.

[Anonymous]

There has also been a student housing shortage in St. Andrews. The school has been over subscribed for a number of years and that has led to many stressed out families being unable to found housing on or off campus. You might want to join the St. Andrews parent group on FB to get the most accurate information about the current housing situation there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Andrews has a strange reputation in the UK. I grew up in Scotland and went to a strong academic high school. I don’t know anyone from my school who applied there. The top students tried for Oxbridge, Edinburgh or Imperial Collage. That said, I had an old English friend who was very excited to go there. It’s almost as if it was outside the Scottish university system, and was seen as a place for English ‘Oxbridge rejects’ (public - in the British sense - school kids who couldn’t get into Oxbridge and who applied to other universities deemed prestigious). The fact that it was in this category puts amongst a strong peer group (Durham, Bristol, etc). Take this with a large pinch of salt, as I left high school 30 years ago, and it’s possible that it’s reputation has improved significantly, but I would still say that it’s seen in the UK as a significant step down from Oxford and Cambridge (everywhere is in reputation terms), and in Scotland as below Edinburgh, but it’s seen as a top 10 uni.

I'm from the UK and agree with all of this, except that I wouldn't say it's seen as a top 10 uni. It's not Russell Group and certainly in my school, it was somewhere you would go if you couldn't get into a Russell Group uni. I'm baffled by any ranking that puts it at the top! For an American, though, probably it's an advantage that people have heard of it as I sense that more people know it than know say, Bristol University.

Agree, it's not considered a top uni in the UK. Baffled by all these Americans salivating over the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Andrews has a strange reputation in the UK. I grew up in Scotland and went to a strong academic high school. I don’t know anyone from my school who applied there. The top students tried for Oxbridge, Edinburgh or Imperial Collage. That said, I had an old English friend who was very excited to go there. It’s almost as if it was outside the Scottish university system, and was seen as a place for English ‘Oxbridge rejects’ (public - in the British sense - school kids who couldn’t get into Oxbridge and who applied to other universities deemed prestigious). The fact that it was in this category puts amongst a strong peer group (Durham, Bristol, etc). Take this with a large pinch of salt, as I left high school 30 years ago, and it’s possible that it’s reputation has improved significantly, but I would still say that it’s seen in the UK as a significant step down from Oxford and Cambridge (everywhere is in reputation terms), and in Scotland as below Edinburgh, but it’s seen as a top 10 uni.

I'm from the UK and agree with all of this, except that I wouldn't say it's seen as a top 10 uni. It's not Russell Group and certainly in my school, it was somewhere you would go if you couldn't get into a Russell Group uni. I'm baffled by any ranking that puts it at the top! For an American, though, probably it's an advantage that people have heard of it as I sense that more people know it than know say, Bristol University.

Agree, it's not considered a top uni in the UK. Baffled by all these Americans salivating over the school.

+1 another PP put it well when they said it's for kids who were obsessed with HP and Hogwarts growing up (I know a few of those who went to St. Andrews for that reason). The "cultural enrichment" argument from studying in Scotland also seems silly and self-serving. It's a fine school, but it's not that big of a deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went as an ADHDer and it was perfect. Got to study what I wanted…received international experience which helped later in my career. Transferred back to an Ivy. St A is (like anything) what you make of it. Kids generally all just missed Oxbridge - often bombing the interview it seemed. Only regret: never learned to play golf!

If this poster wouldn’t mind sharing a little bit more— I am asking for my daughter who might not want to spend 4 years there. What was the experience of transferring back to US college? Her high school stats are great ( 4.0 boarding school 1550 SAT) did your US school want only St. Andrews grades or also high school and what was your experience of missing the freshman year at your school w/r/t meeting people and making friends. And how did your “ major” transfer back

Sorry for delayed response. I was a late bloomer. Learned to argue at St. A and read history/terrorism (RIP: Paul Wilkinson). Credits transferred fine but this was 35 years ago. St. A was on a three term system (now they are on two) so I seem to recall some issues with that. Ivy never looked at high school then / I was crushing the GPA. (Well had good recommendations since there aren’t really grades until you sit the exam in senior year). That’s why I left. My favorite professor said ‘these UK kids have been sitting specialized exams since grammar school - you will likely only get a second result in your degree. Did spend a summer at Ivy focusing on language exam. I am an extrovert so had no problems with social group/girlfriends. This era would be harder with Core I think? Ivy trusted American high schools then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did my masters there in International Relations. Great program and close knit student body. It is a small town and the university community is even smaller so that works for some but not for others. Good number of Americans there and other international students— I left with good friends all over the world. As an American you can fit in anywhere (ie the class divide there between the British students is quite real, which was very different for me, but Americans can slot in anywhere). I enjoyed the more in depth study of material versus the more broad American system. Would definitely recommend visiting to get a feel given the small size of the town.

To add on to my post above, social life is very different than US universities— ie dinner parties, bars, and charity balls versus house parties with kegs. One is not better than the other— just different.

I was going to comment. There's lots of drinking in the UK, and the drinking age is lower.

and there's very little drinking on US college campuses. rarely do we hear about keg parties and the like, or that students on US campuses binge drink or anything like that

seriously, the issue is that in the UK, college age drinking is legal; in the US it is illegal (except for Louisiana, where the legal drinking age is 18)

[Anonymous]

Birthplace of Golf. That’s St Andrew’s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did my masters there in International Relations. Great program and close knit student body. It is a small town and the university community is even smaller so that works for some but not for others. Good number of Americans there and other international students— I left with good friends all over the world. As an American you can fit in anywhere (ie the class divide there between the British students is quite real, which was very different for me, but Americans can slot in anywhere). I enjoyed the more in depth study of material versus the more broad American system. Would definitely recommend visiting to get a feel given the small size of the town.

To add on to my post above, social life is very different than US universities— ie dinner parties, bars, and charity balls versus house parties with kegs. One is not better than the other— just different.

I was going to comment. There's lots of drinking in the UK, and the drinking age is lower.

and there's very little drinking on US college campuses. rarely do we hear about keg parties and the like, or that students on US campuses binge drink or anything like that

seriously, the issue is that in the UK, college age drinking is legal; in the US it is illegal (except for Louisiana, where the legal drinking age is 18)

I’m not sure if you are trying to argue that because it’s lower the brits are more responsible or the reverse. What I can tell you from my Oxford’s kid’s experience is that the drinking culture is huge there, much much worse than her experience at UVA for undergrad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi My DC is OBSESSED with St Andrew's in Scotland, based on pictures online, the website and anecdotal info. He is a junior so we have a little time. Hopefully, maybe we can visit it things calm down with Covid.

Can you tell me the good, the bad, the ugly, the unexpected etc. THANKS!

It’s amazing but he can do it for semester of year abroad if you don’t want him to go for 4 years.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if others have mentioned it, but William and Mary offers a fun program w St Andrews where you split your time between the 2 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did my masters there in International Relations. Great program and close knit student body. It is a small town and the university community is even smaller so that works for some but not for others. Good number of Americans there and other international students— I left with good friends all over the world. As an American you can fit in anywhere (ie the class divide there between the British students is quite real, which was very different for me, but Americans can slot in anywhere). I enjoyed the more in depth study of material versus the more broad American system. Would definitely recommend visiting to get a feel given the small size of the town.

To add on to my post above, social life is very different than US universities— ie dinner parties, bars, and charity balls versus house parties with kegs. One is not better than the other— just different.

I was going to comment. There's lots of drinking in the UK, and the drinking age is lower.

and there's very little drinking on US college campuses. rarely do we hear about keg parties and the like, or that students on US campuses binge drink or anything like that

seriously, the issue is that in the UK, college age drinking is legal; in the US it is illegal (except for Louisiana, where the legal drinking age is 18)

I’m not sure if you are trying to argue that because it’s lower the brits are more responsible or the reverse. What I can tell you from my Oxford’s kid’s experience is that the drinking culture is huge there, much much worse than her experience at UVA for undergrad

I went to a British university. British students drink a LOT. To the extent that most of the other nationalities in Europe would rather hang out with each other or Americans. They will drink to the point where they are throwing up or getting in bar fights. They do this thing could drinking in rounds where everyone in the group orders a round of pints for everyone else’s. So if you are out it’s five wool that’s five pints each. It’s expensive and excessive.

[Anonymous]

But as an American at least when I was there I was able to navigate the half pints just fine / you are supposed to drink a pint to ‘prove’ you can hold your drink. It was a really cool experience to be treated like an adult and simply go to a bar at 18. US is such a nanny state!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm always a little concerned when I see parents thinking of sending their children to universities abroad. It is a long-term commitment. The best universities in America offer arguably the best undergraduate education, and at least for job prospects (particularly in North America), a U.S. degree will get you farther. I know it's not popular to say these kinds of things (I feel like I need to say that I am not remotely near a MAGA head), but I feel like it warrants mention.

Good grief. St. Andrews is very well known in the US. So is McGill, for that matter. So no, you are not going to lower your job chances at St. Andrews.

I know a Cambridge grad who has lived in US for nearly 30 years and has been very successful in business. He strongly discouraged his kids from applying to Cambridge as he thinks the networking and job prospects are just too difficult. And this guy has a great career.