DS selected St A vs UCL and LSE. After spending 2 weeks at each with friends, she realized the London lifestyle while in College would be much much much tougher and different than at a small town.

She just graduated from St A and is now starting at LSE in the Fall for her masters.

Anonymous wrote:Housing is tight at several universities, including StA, but housing in London for any college is a wholly different animal.

London housing is very tight and very expensive. Further, many colleges there unavoidably feel like a commuter school. The entire federated University of London has a huge shortage of student housing - KCL, UCL, Imperial, LSE, or wherever.

Honestly, I was glad when my DD made her Cambridge offer so that she didn't have to contend with the housing issues at UCL (her insurance choice).

Housing is tight at several universities, including StA, but housing in London for any college is a wholly different animal.

London housing is very tight and very expensive. Further, many colleges there unavoidably feel like a commuter school. The entire federated University of London has a huge shortage of student housing - KCL, UCL, Imperial, LSE, or wherever.

My daughter’s best friend is at St Andrews now. She told us last night that the avg American student at St Andrews is wealthy and this rubs some of the English and Scottish kids the wrong way. Every other weekend of so flying to EU countries while 50% of the UK kids there have a hard time with rents.

I think you meant 18 year old and not 1 year old.

London unis are a different animal. UCL/LSE/Imperial. Tough for a non city kid to adapt.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A friend of my DS in a CA public (urban) HS was offered a place at St. Andrews / Edinburgh and LSE

They chose LSE

DS also got in LSE. Phenomenal school. But after we toured it for the second time, it became clear that the environment is just not great. Sure, the education is top notch and the location, while great, makes this a tough spot for a 18 yr old. We spoke to a dozen undergrads while there. The common theme was that there is zero campus environment, feels like a commuter school. There are tons of internationals and the “college experience” for a freshman coming from the US is juts not there.

DS got in LSE, UCL, St Andrews and Durham. He is finishing up his first year at St Andrews and absolutely loves it. His cousin lasted 1 year at UCL in that big city environment. He managed to transfer to Exeter and just graduated.

City living takes a certain kind of kid, I'm sure.

it wasn’t just City living. The 5th school DS got in was Edinburgh. I’m not comparing the cities of London and Edinburgh, but U of Edinburgh is definitely a city environment. But it is still different than UCL or LSE. There is a university feel about it. While London is,…..London …it is awesome and terrible at the same time if you are an 1 yr old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A friend of my DS in a CA public (urban) HS was offered a place at St. Andrews / Edinburgh and LSE

They chose LSE

DS also got in LSE. Phenomenal school. But after we toured it for the second time, it became clear that the environment is just not great. Sure, the education is top notch and the location, while great, makes this a tough spot for a 18 yr old. We spoke to a dozen undergrads while there. The common theme was that there is zero campus environment, feels like a commuter school. There are tons of internationals and the “college experience” for a freshman coming from the US is juts not there.

DS got in LSE, UCL, St Andrews and Durham. He is finishing up his first year at St Andrews and absolutely loves it. His cousin lasted 1 year at UCL in that big city environment. He managed to transfer to Exeter and just graduated.

City living takes a certain kind of kid, I'm sure.

Anonymous wrote:A friend of my DS in a CA public (urban) HS was offered a place at St. Andrews / Edinburgh and LSE

They chose LSE

DS also got in LSE. Phenomenal school. But after we toured it for the second time, it became clear that the environment is just not great. Sure, the education is top notch and the location, while great, makes this a tough spot for a 18 yr old. We spoke to a dozen undergrads while there. The common theme was that there is zero campus environment, feels like a commuter school. There are tons of internationals and the “college experience” for a freshman coming from the US is juts not there.

DS got in LSE, UCL, St Andrews and Durham. He is finishing up his first year at St Andrews and absolutely loves it. His cousin lasted 1 year at UCL in that big city environment. He managed to transfer to Exeter and just graduated.

A friend of my DS in a CA public (urban) HS was offered a place at St. Andrews / Edinburgh and LSE

They chose LSE

Öh boy…. https://www.tatler.com/article/st-andrews-royals-kate-middleton-prince-william-lady-louise-windsor


“It’s not just the British royals who have been making their way to St Andrews. Countess Luana of Orange-Nassau followed in the footsteps of Prince William, Kate Middleton and Lady Louise Windsor as she joined the list of blue-blooded alumnae. The 19-year-old is the daughter of Princess Mabel and Prince Friso of the Netherlands, the brother of King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands. The Countess has strong ties to Britain, however. After Prince Friso and Princess Mabel were married, they moved to Kew, where they lived for a number of years. Luana and her sister Countess Zaria were both born in London and grew up in the city.”

These numbers will likely increase for 2025-26.

This is interesting. I wonder what HS Counselors are doing there vs other states. I becomes a self fulfilling endeavor here….more kids apply from CT, therefore StA visits those schools more often and then get more applicants…

Wonder what the strategy from admissions is. The focus is clearly on NE states and CA somewhat….a huge state like Texas barely get one of their admissions counselor there.

Anonymous wrote:I get DC, but CT? They basically have double the enrollment rate per capita than the rest….

I went to St Andrews- many CT Private/Boarding school students.

Many from Choate Rosemary, Hotchkiss, and Pomfret. A good amount of the kids who went to MA/NH boarding schools (St Pauls, Middlesex, Deerfield) lived in CT.

I get DC, but CT? They basically have double the enrollment rate per capita than the rest….

When looking at the per-capita numbers as PP mentioned, we can clearly see that DC and CT are the number one feeders:


Rank State / D.C. St Andrews students HS enrollment (’22) Rate / 100k
1 District of Columbia 37.0 12,000 308.3
2 Connecticut 160.5 160,000 100.3
3 Massachusetts 143.0 309,000 46.3
4 Rhode Island 19.0 42,000 45.2
5 New Hampshire 28.0 62,000 45.2
6 New York 253.5 722,000 35.1
7 Virginia 93.5 403,000 23.2
8 New Jersey 83.0 381,000 21.8
9 Vermont 5.5 28,000 19.6
10 Washington 60.0 334,000 18.0
11 Maryland 46.5 262,000 17.7
12 Colorado 45.0 257,000 17.5
13 Delaware 8.0 46,000 17.4
14 Maine 9.5 55,000 17.3
15 California 269.5 1,989,000 13.6
16 Pennsylvania 59.0 575,000 10.3
17 Oregon 17.0 192,000 8.9
18 Illinois 36.0 602,000 6.0
19 North Carolina 28.0 478,000 5.9
20 Tennessee 16.5 306,000 5.4
21 Minnesota 13.0 276,000 4.7
22 Texas 70.0 1,523,000 4.6
23 Ohio 23.0 551,000 4.2
24 Florida 32.0 828,000 3.9
25 Georgia 18.0 504,000 3.6
26 South Carolina 8.5 242,000 3.5
27 Kentucky 7.0 233,000 3.0
28 Arizona 10.0 369,000 2.7
29 Louisiana 6.0 228,000 2.6
30 Utah 6.0 236,000 2.5
31 Missouri 7.0 297,000 2.4
32 Michigan 11.0 479,000 2.3
33 Indiana 6.0 317,000 1.9
34 Wisconsin 5.0 296,000 1.7