Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone with experience at University of Edinburgh (undergraduate), bonus points for specific knowledge about studying politics, philosophy, and economics? Ability to make friends? Access to professors? Difficulty with summer opportunities? Challenges with US graduate programs? Understand that requires an independent and motivated student. Thank you!

Recent grad, studied in Scotland:

PPE - will be good at Edinburgh.
Make friends - up to DC. Socially adept or willing to join clubs/activities? Easy times. If not, possible challenges. Your DC's high school track record is a possible indication, though the friendship options will be wider in any college/uni.
Access to professors - less access in a UK uni vs. a US uni. No hand holding in the UK. Up to DC to handle themself, go to office hours.
Summer opportunities - you can work/intern in the UK unlimited outside of term time on your student visa, so good opps. UK unis will not hand out BS internships though. The best internships are awarded via nepotism.
US grad programs - no challenges. Scotland-educated Americans I know got into Ivy League grad programs for law, public policy, IR, etc. Many to Oxford/Cambridge as well. Med a bit more challenging as the UK does not do "premed" undergrad.

"Understand that requires an independent and motivated student." -- yes, absolutely. I loved my Scottish undergrad experience (St Andrews). Wouldn't trade it for the world, made amazing friends and it prepared me well for a very fulfilling and incredibly interesting job in London after graduation. But it's not for a student that needs hand holding. You need to have a good degree of independence and self-reliance.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone with experience at University of Edinburgh (undergraduate), bonus points for specific knowledge about studying politics, philosophy, and economics? Ability to make friends? Access to professors? Difficulty with summer opportunities? Challenges with US graduate programs? Understand that requires an independent and motivated student. Thank you!

Anonymous wrote:Have kids that went/attend another UK university that gets mixed reviews on DCUM. As others have said, freshers week helps with making friends. Housing is a challenge at many UK universities past freshman year. If studying economics, you won’t get multiple choice tests like in the US and UK universities have a much higher expectation for math skills for incoming students. Also, few graded assignments, with students essentially “reading” for their degrees.

Good luck on the decision process.