Anonymous
Post 01/28/2026 12:54     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:She heard back from St Andrews today. She was rejected. She is crushed…..Durham might be it. We will be visiting both of them next month. Any suggestions?


Personally, I would prefer Durham. The history courses are closely ranked (StA 3rd and Durham 4th in Complete University Guide league tables) but Durham is only 3 years. In terms of student life, Durham is a much larger town situated situated very close to Newcastle. I know some students find 4 years in StA too long given its size and isolation. I imagine it depends on the student.


I hear you. That is what I’m trying to tell her. But she thought she was going to be an easy admit after Durham accepted her. She also was starting to become interested in Politics and IR and St Andrews with the extra year, would have given her at least the possibility to add a second major, while she is basically set at Durham. Anyhow. We are going to tour it and see how it goes.


Durham offers combined honours degrees in social sciences and liberal arts. Might be worth investigating.
Anonymous
Post 01/28/2026 03:22     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:She heard back from St Andrews today. She was rejected. She is crushed…..Durham might be it. We will be visiting both of them next month. Any suggestions?


Personally, I would prefer Durham. The history courses are closely ranked (StA 3rd and Durham 4th in Complete University Guide league tables) but Durham is only 3 years. In terms of student life, Durham is a much larger town situated situated very close to Newcastle. I know some students find 4 years in StA too long given its size and isolation. I imagine it depends on the student.


I hear you. That is what I’m trying to tell her. But she thought she was going to be an easy admit after Durham accepted her. She also was starting to become interested in Politics and IR and St Andrews with the extra year, would have given her at least the possibility to add a second major, while she is basically set at Durham. Anyhow. We are going to tour it and see how it goes.


Aren’t you waiting for UCs? When are these results out?
Anonymous
Post 01/28/2026 01:51     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Anonymous wrote:Oxford and Cambridge were the most known schools before internet but St Andrews and LSE went up on radar of international students since 2000 and now all four schools are in same tier.



Total rubbish.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2026 23:43     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:She heard back from St Andrews today. She was rejected. She is crushed…..Durham might be it. We will be visiting both of them next month. Any suggestions?


Personally, I would prefer Durham. The history courses are closely ranked (StA 3rd and Durham 4th in Complete University Guide league tables) but Durham is only 3 years. In terms of student life, Durham is a much larger town situated situated very close to Newcastle. I know some students find 4 years in StA too long given its size and isolation. I imagine it depends on the student.


I hear you. That is what I’m trying to tell her. But she thought she was going to be an easy admit after Durham accepted her. She also was starting to become interested in Politics and IR and St Andrews with the extra year, would have given her at least the possibility to add a second major, while she is basically set at Durham. Anyhow. We are going to tour it and see how it goes.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2026 22:11     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Anonymous wrote:She heard back from St Andrews today. She was rejected. She is crushed…..Durham might be it. We will be visiting both of them next month. Any suggestions?


Personally, I would prefer Durham. The history courses are closely ranked (StA 3rd and Durham 4th in Complete University Guide league tables) but Durham is only 3 years. In terms of student life, Durham is a much larger town situated situated very close to Newcastle. I know some students find 4 years in StA too long given its size and isolation. I imagine it depends on the student.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2026 21:49     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Since pandemic, my stance on overseas undergrad changed. I would rather not send a 17, 18 year old to another continent but advise them to go for grad school as they'll be more mature, experienced and educated to handle unexpected. For all we know, world very well could be on verge of another world war or pandemic.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2026 21:45     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Not any different than rise of non-ivy T20 in USA.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2026 21:45     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Oxford and Cambridge were the most known schools before internet but St Andrews and LSE went up on radar of international students since 2000 and now all four schools are in same tier.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2026 21:30     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
She heard back from St Andrews today. She was rejected. She is crushed…..Durham might be it. We will be visiting both of them next month. Any suggestions?
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 14:24     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
That is a huge advantage if money is an issue. 25% savings right there. If money is not an issue, then you need to go visit both Durham and St Andrews. Both are phenomenal places to spend 3-4 years studying History. Can’t go wrong with either.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 23:01     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Congrats! Those 2 are both great options!


Thanks….At this point, unless she gets in one of the UCs, she will likely end up in either Durham/Exeter….


Both excellent schools. What major? They are both well regarded on several subjects. Exeter will be warmer if that matters…..


History with an interest in potentially adding IR if she gets in St Andrews


between these 3 unis, St Andrews has the better History department. Always #1 or #2 in the UK subject rankings. Then Durham and then Exeter.
The advantage for Durham is that it is a 3-yr program vs 4 at St Andrew’s.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 15:27     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What if the family decided they couldnt afford Brown?


When you apply ED, you run the NPC to get an estimate of what Brown would give you as financial aid. Then if the actual offer is lower, you can back out of ED for financial reasons. That does not seem to be the case here, given what the Brown/St. Andrews PP had said.

To put it differently, if you know that you would choose the no-ED school that is 30k cheaper, why apply ED (as opposed to RD) to Brown?


Because the NPC is is what it is….an Estimate….not a binding agreement…..very simple.


most people here don’t really understand what a NPC is….
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2026 11:11     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Durham’s history is definitely better than Exeter. Not sure if they even have IR or Political Science.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 17:41     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Congrats! Those 2 are both great options!


Thanks….At this point, unless she gets in one of the UCs, she will likely end up in either Durham/Exeter….


Both excellent schools. What major? They are both well regarded on several subjects. Exeter will be warmer if that matters…..


History with an interest in potentially adding IR if she gets in St Andrews
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2026 08:03     Subject: Final UK undergrad ranking is out as if last night (The Times)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Congrats! Those 2 are both great options!


Thanks….At this point, unless she gets in one of the UCs, she will likely end up in either Durham/Exeter….


Both excellent schools. What major? They are both well regarded on several subjects. Exeter will be warmer if that matters…..