Living in southern England - Scottish University?

DH doesn't know about open days, I'm afraid - I reckon it'll be autumn before the next ones. He like the students at St A, and is very un-rah himself. I think if you just went to an open day you would hear a number of v posh accents, but spending longer there it's a huge mix, with loads of Americans, tbh. I thought when applying myself it would be terribly snotty, but having lived in both Cambridge and St A (when DH worked in both) St A definitely less snotty, more friendly and inclusive. I was slightly dreading St A after Cambridge, but was really pleasantly surprised.

Chaotica, I'm a Glasgow grad too. It makes me laugh when people talk about snotty Russell Group unis - are they really thinking about Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, etc?

fwiw there are plenty of proper scottish sounding people there. Not as many as Glasgow, mind.

I went to Glasgow Uni from England and loved it. IMHO (and I am an academic) Scottish 4 year degrees are way better than english ones.

(Not rah at all, as you might imagine. Don't think I'd have liked St A's or even Edinburgh.)

In spite of a strong family association with St A, DD2 didn't use her place for history last year, put off by the rah factor above all. Certainly when I came down to London from my own quite rah university in the 80's, the St A brigade seemed even more opressively rah.

I don't think St As has summer open days but def has early autumn ones. 2 of my 6 DCs studied there-loved every minute ! Another studied at Edinburgh-again she loved the city and the uni.

I went to Dundee and loved it. Generally got the train up for interview/open day, and at the start/end of term and it was fine. I visited about 8 universities for open days and it was by far the best one - really welcoming, made you feel they were interested in you (compared to open days at others unis where you generally arrived, were given a map and left to get on with it).

There weren't that many English students there at the time (mid 90s), but loads of Scottish, Northern Irish and Irish. I also really liked that it was a four year course - gave you two years to study different subjects to get a broader overview, then two years of specialisation

DH has just told me that St A doesn't interview for most subjects - he's not sure of any that do, but doesn't want to be categorical. Loads of American accents in St A! But I've found it a happy mix, managing to retain Fife fishing town charm amongst all the fame.

I went to St Andrews from London. Loved it. Loved only having 3 streets after living in London all my childhood, loved the beach, the sea. Also feel so lucky I had the chance to live somewhere so lovely so 4 years. Just glorious. And have made wonderful friends - am 40 now and just had two to stay for the weekend. Nowhere better I'd say! Also mum and dad loved visiting! Great places to eat, walk, wander, theatre etc. Pubs aren't as good as when I was there though! Very English public school in in-take (after all - look who met there!) and several of the Scottish students barely have any sort of Scottish accent. Plummy. But never snobby - not in any nasty way I found. And me a little East Ender.

St Andrews is much smaller than Durham. I did an MSc at Aberdeen, and there were quite a lot of English students (but it was before the fee issue).

It wouldnt surprise me if st andrews had a higher proportion of english people than london.

fwiw, I was put off applying to St A years ago by all the guff about it not having a station, but the only difference between it and a university not bang in the centre of a city is that you see fields and the river/sea on your bus journey, not buildings. It takes me about 8-10 mins to drive to St A from Leuchars.

DH teaches at St A - this area is an unbelievably lovely place to live. I'm pretty sure they don't interview, at least not in his subject. he's out atm, but I'll ask him later. St A most assuredly does not discriminate against the English!

I went to Glasgow and loved it - am English, though from the north - had no problems at all, and Glasgow prob has a greater proportion of home students than other Scottish unis.

DS & two of his friends all started at different Scottish unis last year and are loving it - we live in London. Journey not too bad or too expensive if you get organised, they can fly or take the East Coast line (with a student rail card it can be just over £20 each way). Fees currrently £1800 for English students (full rate) & I think they are reviewing the situation. One warning, the Scottish students get their Higher results before A Levels so can be a pain trying to get a place in hall if it's your reserve but they all got a nice hall in the end. Certainly his uni has an international feel with students from Finland, Sweden etc. Would agree with the point about not going straight into second year unless you are really strapped for cash - gives them a chance to settle down and take other courses.
Definitely visit on an open day, DS visited all the five that gave him offers and then some!

My DH lived in Hertford and went to Edinburgh. No problems at all.

I went to Edinburgh and enjoyed it. However that was a long time ago and Edinburgh now does try to ensure that local applicants are not squeezed out by applicants from a long way away, especially if at private schools. They are very serious about their mandate to be the university for the area and about their widening access policy - have a careful look at their admission criteria before your DC applies as it might be that an application to another Scottish uni would have more chance of success. This is done for good reasons - ie to help local applicants who don't have anyone in the family who's been to uni, and to help level the playing field but if your DC is wanting to do a very popular course I'd advise reading the propospectus very carefully.

I went to St Andrews as well, loved it. On my landing in halls in first year were people from Scotland, Surrey and the USA. Second year I shared with two Scottish people, two from the home counties and a guy from NI. You get the picture.

The bonus of St Andrews is that your child may well meet their spouse there - I did and so did many of my friends. DH was from Surrey and used to drive up and down in a knackered beetle each term time. I used to get driven or get the train to Leuchars.

One of the high points is the availability of skiing in the winter and then fabulous beach parties in the summer....happy days.

My son plays the tuba! It's a while off yet but I have occasionally spared a thought for how much more complicated it will make the travelling to and from university, when the time comes, if he wants to take it with him. It's bigger than I am.

We live in the South East. DS is at Durham (not quite in Scotland, I know). The only pain in the butt is that the Colleges don't let you leave stuff over the vacation. DS has got a baritone sax (huge), guitar etc. No way he can bring it all home on a train or bus. So that's six 500 mile roundtrips a year for DH and/or me.
Still, he's having a ball at Durham.

My DS went straight in at second year. The tutor told him afterwards that was the worst thing he could have done. First year is easy and gets you used to being away from home. Second year is really hard. Had we known then what we know now we'd have insisted he start in the first year.

Not a wasted year, I agree - but another year of tuition fees. With three dc, I'm not sure that any of them will have the luxury of doing a 4-year university course, even though I did. I realise how lucky I was now.