Getting into Oxbridge/Ivy League

[Ragamuffin_artist]

Has anyone graduated from St. Andrews and gone on either to Oxbridge or an American Ivy League? What sort of stuff did you have on your CV? And what were your St. Andrews grades like? (You don't have to be real specific...I just want a general idea).

[Edinburgh Boy]

You usually need a II/1 for admissions purposes, and then fuding depends entirely on the subject and the institution. UK Arts postgraduate studies will require a good 1st, while in some subjects you can even get doctoral funding with a II/2. Some subjects have industry based funding, but I suspect this is highly competitive.

[Dickie]

Quoting ragamuffin_artist from 16:21, 15th May 2008
Has anyone graduated from St. Andrews and gone on either to Oxbridge or an American Ivy League?

Yes loads and more each and every year..

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[maj]

I'm going to Oxford for a masters next year. I did IR and got a 2.1. I didn't get funding.

[rodney]

Do you get funding for a masters? I was under the impression you only got funding for PhD and up, and a masters is not post-grad technically as you can do a straight masters at quite a few english uni's these days without having done a BA/BSc

Quoting maj from 17:55, 15th May 2008
I'm going to Oxford for a masters next year. I did IR and got a 2.1. I didn't get funding.

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[maenad]

I know someone waiting to find out if they have AHRC funding for their Masters, but they were put forward for it by one specific uni (they're now leaning towards going to a different uni, and so would have to cancel their funding application - you can't transfer it). So you can get funding for a Masters, but I don't know the exact details. The uni who put him forward also had his PhD programme practically planned out for him.

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[donkey]

I speak only about arts...

Ivy League/Oxbridge:

Getting into an Ivy League school is very difficult. This is because of the sheer number of domestic US and international applicants, and because of the funding situation. If you get into an American school for a PhD, you'll get funding to go with your place. Expect to apply to lots of different US schools (10 or so), and to pay application fees to each. You'll also have to sit the GRE, a standardised test, which plays a large part in the admission process (UK applicants generally don't give nearly enough time to this, and don't appreciate how important it is). I think you can probably still only do this in London, at set dates throughout the year.

Oxbridge isn't nearly so difficult to get into. A decent 1st, some good references, and a well-informed research proposal, will generally secure you a place. Places don't come with funding, though, and it can be (oddly) more difficult to secure funding for Oxbridge than anywhere else. This is because of the departmental ranking system, together with the fact that there are so many well qualified candidates. It's worth noting that St A usually sends a handful of graduates off to Oxbridge each year.


Masters Degrees:

The AHRC do offer full (ie fees + stipend) masters funding, for those who can show that they are intending to do a PhD afterwards. As with PhD funding, you can only apply for funding for one course. You'll have to apply for PhD funding separately, the next year. The ESRC also offer masters funding, though this is tied to PhD funding.


Separate funding:

Universities generally offer a few full scholarships and a few more fees scholarships. Oxbridge colleges also offer these, and Oxbridge has a few University awards to (see the Pirie-Reid Scholarship, for instance). Generally, these are on the basis that you apply for AHRC funding, and you'll receive them if you don't get this. They're quite competitive.

Totally external funding (ie charitable trusts etc) is also available, though is very rare.

Hope this helps...

[munchingfoo]

Quoting rodney from 11:41, 19th May 2008
Do you get funding for a masters? I was under the impression you only got funding for PhD and up, and a masters is not post-grad technically as you can do a straight masters at quite a few english uni's these days without having done a BA/BSc

I'm pretty sure there's a difference between an undergrad masters and a postgrad masters. We offer an undergrad masters in Physics here (St Andrews).

I know that it is possible to get funding to do a postgraduate masters, but I guess the source and quantity various from course to course and country to country.

SAAS certainly fund some for Scottish students up here.

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