acceptance to St. Andrews question

[meagain]

I'm not familiar with the U.K. Uni system...ok, if you apply to St. Andrews, does it matter what subjects you say you want to study? I mean, if you say you'd like to study Chemistry but perhaps your grades from high school in chemistry weren't as good as your history ones, but you don't want to study history, would it affect whether you get in or not? Basically, are they (tutors) going to look at what you want to study, and then see if you have a good enough foundation to work with, or does the overseas admissions office just accept applicants based on academic scores, etc in general? I hope this had made sense. I'm just confused.

[Miss Maryland]

if you're american (i assume you are), and you SAT score is close to 1300, stop worrying- you'll get in. it's pretty easy for americans to get accepted here. the best advice i can give is make sure that you really want to come to st. andrews, and that you know what subject you want to study. the uni system is very different here, so don't expect a liberal arts education.

[hr]...and there was much rejoicing.

[cheimon]

yeah, REALLY make sure it's what you want. I loved my first year here in almost every way, but academically it was absolute shit-- I was bored sick in all my classes. If you've had a decent amount of preparation in what you want to study and/or you're very bright, be aware that you're probably not going to be challenged at all your first two years, if at all.

[Miss Maryland]

[s]cheimon wrote on 21:28, 5th Dec 2003:
yeah, REALLY make sure it's what you want. I loved my first year here in almost every way, but academically it was absolute shit-- I was bored sick in all my classes. If you've had a decent amount of preparation in what you want to study and/or you're very bright, be aware that you're probably not going to be challenged at all your first two years, if at all.



that's quite a broad generalization you just made there. i think that depends upon the subjects you are taking.


[hr]
...and there was much rejoicing.

[PurelySynthetic]

Plus what are you gonna do instead - not go to uni because the first year might cover work you've allready gone over? So for the sake of an EASY year you would choose to not get a degree?
Bit of a stupid comment there me thinks!

[meagain]

ummm is 1200 close to 1300? probably not. Have you all ever heard of an american who was rejected from St. Andrews and why?

[meagain]

Yea, I've been wanting to go to St. Andrews for a long time, and am familiar enough with the place to know that i'll like it!! Getting in is the part I'm worried about.

[Guest]

Everybody finds first year a walk over. That's the whole point. First year is to get you into the social life of university and to help you find your feet if it is your first time away from home etc.

If you want to be challenged academically then you go straight into second year - unless of course you are too busy "not being challenged" to have bothered to find out you can do this.

First year also offers you the chance to do random modules to see if you are on the right degree path etc.


And yes it's easy for Americans to get in here, because they have to pay a lot more in fees.... possibly because if we are going to have to put up with them for 4 years and spend extra time educating them (in things like how to speak english and not be annoyingly loud and arrogant etc) we should be compensated for it.

[Thackary]

PurelySynthetic, don't forget that many American students here are self funded - an extra year here would cost rather a lot, and if it's unnecessary, then perhaps it could be avoided?

[PurelySynthetic]

My response to that would be - if they cant afford it and are going to slate our academic system then they should bloody well stay in their own country and study there! P
But anyway lol i was responding to the person who said it was a waste of time coming here coz first year went over stuff they had done previously. And my point to that was correct - would u rather have a degree or not have one.
If the person applying is clever enough to get straight into second year then they can always use that option - you have to be clever to skip a year remember not just rich.

[lucycath]

I couldn't help but be a little insulted by this comment. I'm sorry you feel that way, and perhaps you've been in the company of some very obnoxious Americans, but I wish you wouldn't automatically assume that we're all so awful. I'm coming to St. Andrews because I want to get a good education, and I'm damned if I'm going to be steriotyped and made to feel like crap by you before I've even arrived on Scottish soil.

I'm sorry if that seemed like a rant, but your comment kind of hurt me.

[Eliza]

And yes it's easy for Americans to get in here, because they have to pay a lot more in fees.... possibly because if we are going to have to put up with them for 4 years and spend extra time educating them (in things like how to speak english and not be annoyingly loud and arrogant etc) we should be compensated for it.

Wow, that was a lovely sweeping generalization. Do they teach you to be that rude in whatever subject it is you're taking, or is it a natural gift?

In any case, meagain -- I was worried about getting in as well, but grades aren't as important as test scores in terms of entrance requirements, and if you did decently on your SATs or ACTs (the university accepts both) you should be fine. Good luck.

[AThinkingGuy]

I know UK schools generally don't accept AP tests from american applicants as university credit, but how many of you Americans-turned-Scots sent in your AP scores anyway when you applied?

[Miss Maryland]

i did. i'd suggest sending them- if you don't they might see you took a course in your school record and think you didn't submit the scores because you got a low grade.

[hr]...and there was much rejoicing.

[cheimon]

I'm sorry if what I said was taken as an anti-Scottish/UK uni system thing, because it wasn't really meant that way. I just think it's very easy to do what I did, which is to look at all the great things about St Andrews and listen to the people who tell you it's fantastic, and not really get a balanced idea of what the place is like. It's not very much fun to have to deal with transferring to another university, especially because it doesn't seem to be possible at many UK places, and many American universities make it really difficult to transfer from an overseas institution.

PurelySynthetic: The option of skipping a year isn't always available, as I found out, particularly in the case of overseas students. I had done the coursework to skip first year but was told my department did not allow it. Naturally, since I was enjoying myself I tried to work out other ways to make things more interesting, but every possible option I thought of was immediately forbidden by my advisor, the head of my department, and the Dean of the Arts faculty. Maybe other departments and/or faculties are different, but the impression I got was of overwhelming bureaucracy to the point of idiocy, and that's not the right environment to be in.

Your other comment, about not going to uni because first year might be easy, just doesn't make sense. Obviously I'm not throwing in the towel on university in general; I'm presently in the process of applying to several other places.

Mainly I just wanted to present the other side of the story concerning St Andrews, because it is so fantastic in a lot of ways that it's easy to assume it's fantastic in all ways. Whether or not you agree is up to you, but jumping down somebody's throat because they've got a different opinion isn't the most logical response.

[meagain]

Yes it's me again--By the way, yes, I am sending in my AP scores with all of my stuff. I still have no idea whether I'll get in or not though. I hear conflicting reports, like, some people say it's so difficult to get in, and that only got in because their scores were over 1300, and others said tons of people got let in with mediocre grades and SAT scores. I mean, if they have a quota for American students they are going to accept, they can't just except pretty much everybody?

[meagain]

Sorry to keep posting, but i was just looking at some previous posts from americans with gpas of like 4.3 and SAT's of 1400 and above...geez, I took difficult classes, but I got a 1200 on my SAT's. I think I haven't got a hope in hell?

[Wandering]

Anyone know about American transfer students? My grades aren't the best, horrid actually, but I left high school two years early to attend university here. The schools weren't well known and I've transferred once already, but my high school grades were good, and I got a 1350 on the SATs. Anyone think I've got a prayer of getting in?

Oh and about those comments about Americans being loud and not speaking English properly... it's like when you're a Northerner and you go down South and they call you a damn Yankee, you have to just not let it bother you.

[Miss Maryland]

[s]Unregisted User meagain wrote on 03:22, 7th Dec 2003:
Sorry to keep posting, but i was just looking at some previous posts from americans with gpas of like 4.3 and SAT's of 1400 and above...geez, I took difficult classes, but I got a 1200 on my SAT's. I think I haven't got a hope in hell?


unlike american universities, st. andrews expresses clearly what qualifications they are looking for. this is from the direct enrollment application, which i am sure you have looked at.

'Candidates whose combined SAT score is in excess of 1300 may expect to be successful but students with lower scores will be considered if they are achieving good grades in a rigorous high school curriculum (including honours and AP classes). All test and school performance data will be considered i reaching a decision. In addition, applicants will need to demonstrate that they possess the iniative and independence to profit from the experience of studying in another country.'

The reason why they say '1300' is because they are indicating that anyone with an SAT score higher than that WILL get in. They aren't saying that anyone with lower scores won't get in. Just try and make up for your SAT score (which is still quite good) with a good personal statement and good teacher reccommendations- it's a bit too late to work on grades.


[hr]
...and there was much rejoicing.

[paleblue9162]

I've followed this thread closely, trying to assess what St. Andrews is like for Americans. I just got my acceptance letter and I'm thrilled, but am also a bit skeptical about some of the praise concerning the prestige of the school. Is it all admissions office rhetoric, just suppose to appeal to my sense of ego when in reality the school isn't very selective? I feel a bit snobby and missing the point about university by purely judging it by statistics, but I'm curious about how difficult it is to get in for the British. Can anyone illuminate this for me? I know you shouldn't judge a school on its selectivity but rather the quality of its programs, but these too I'm a bit concerned about with all this debate about the value of the first year. I have a 1440 and am in the top 10% of my class, and I can challenge myself independently if need be, but I'd like to be challenged by the students and school also...sorry if this is muddled thinking, but I'd love some opinions on the rigor of the English, IR, and History Depts. Also Social Anthropology!! If I go to Scotland it will be my first foray into cultural studies haha

thank you very much!

oh...also, do you think overseas fees will keep going up by about 1000 pounds as they have in the past two years? It seems that the uni just wants my $, and I want to be sure that it's worth it to give it to them. I'm enthusiastic about the town, and the social scene I think, but if anyone can discuss the rigor of the school in terms of the above depts. I'd be happy...