St Andrews

[Innisfree]

Happy new year to all 2024 St Andrews hopefuls!

Gearing up for a few months worrying about DS’s UCAS Uni offers. His first choice is St Andrews, then Exeter, Durham, Glasgow and he has had an offer from Newcastle. All for Classical Studies (always small cohorts). He’s at an independent school in Scotland on a scholarship, and predicted 3 As. He’s also contextual as a young carer, helping to look after me (I have MS and, this year, breast cancer). I desperately want him to get some good offers as I am feeling terribly guilty about the level of impact the caring has had on him and his studying both practically and emotionally.

Hoping St Andrews might give us an early ish offer as a home contextual, but nothing yet, though they have been in touch late Dec to say his carer status has been verified. There are so many applying with A star grades though, so not sure how his application will go.

Would love to hear of any St As offers coming through.

@Dotdashdash bus travel is free for under 22’s in Scotland. My son has managed to see a lot of Scotland by bus and train. St Andrews is so small you can easily walk to most places if you are able.

i’m hearing of so many fantastic friends of DC applying with great grades in hand being rejected this year - a few are still holding out for an Edinburgh offer as well. It’s really tough to get into St Andrews.

@Dotdashdash my DS1 is going into 3rd year at St As. I can tell you what his experience has been.
First he absolutely loves it and is ridiculously busy with extra curricular. It has been wonderful for him. Met so many interesting people from interesting/influential backgrounds. Networking wise, I would imagine it is much better than Edinburgh. He has taken very actives roles in a number of societies and has a girlfriend. There is also a theatre at The Byre with lots of student productions, pubs, the union, the sea!!

There are a lot of Americans (admissions said it is about 40% although they are trying to reduce this according to the union) which gives the uni a very international, unusual (and not v Scottish) feel. Even so, it is an isolated small town and judging by the Parents page each Semester 1 some kids really struggle during the dark months leading up to Xmas. In St As I think is very important to throw yourself in from the start. The nature of some of the Halls of Residence (but not all) is that they don't lead themselves to socialising and meeting people. Others like DRA and the old, small colleges are the opposite.

Because it is a small, insular student town, my son says there are also distinct cliques that don't mix. He's quite happy with his clique and indeed he moves across a few but he has certainly experienced some unpleasant behaviours - with one club he joined peopled by the very (and I mean very) rich that he attended, where he was made to feel small because we don't have a ski chalet or a vineyard! One arrives by helicopter. They've since accepted him because he stuck it out and is excellent at the sport. He has also been trying to get into certain other societies like Carnegie over the last two years (which limit entrance) and has been unsuccessful because he doesn't know the board, so it can be exclusionary. Nevertheless there are many very inclusive groups that are super friendly - so just pick right!

In terms of getting out of St As - a regular bus to Dundee via Leuchars. You can get off at Leuchars and take the train to Edinburgh for the bright lights.

Finally, accommodation. It's a total nightmare. But again, the uni has promised to reduce undergrad numbers until new halls are built (planning granted). It might ease up. So much so, we are actually in the process of buying DS a flat as we can't take it anymore.

If you want to find out more, it is worth joining the Parents of St Andrews FB page to get a feel - if you read backwards.

Oh and there are always famous people there - playing golf or at the film festival. Tonight DS sat in a small room with Tom Holland and Steven Soderberg and the guy that directs the Marvel films!!

@Innisfree can I just say that on the facebook page I am on, it appears that unconditional offers have just been coming in since march and are still coming in. perhaps they are only now getting round to conditional and contextual offers. I live 12 miles away and my family including my hubby all went there. it is a lovely place for students and far safer than the bigger towns, for the students out at night.

Thanks very much - he has unconditional offers to Edinburgh and Glasgow so will probably see if he can defer one of them. Interestingly at the open day the admissions tutor for maths at St Andrews said he looks favourably on a gap year. My son isn't too bothered - I thought it would be a good fit as he is v quiet and would suit a small environment.

He has 5 As at Higher - predicted AAA for maths chem and physics at adv higher and tutors maths/does competitions etc so it must be a pretty tough year. They do love their $$ though 😉

That’s great news, @TanginaBarrons

Well deserved but also yes they love their $$

Best wishes to DS

@poetryandwine they are restricted on the numbers of home students admitted by the Scottish government that's why the competition is tough, it's nothing to do with the internationals, galling as it is to see them being ushered in more easily.

Thanks, @Wbeezer - wrong symbol

Been a while since any posts on here. My dd has almost finished now. Exams over and will hand back her house keys at the end of the month. Thank you all for the early advice and support in that awful covid year when they started. She’s loved it and it was a great place for her. Good luck to any new potential student parents, about to do exams, and hope they have a great time wherever they go

@Newgirls Four years has certainly flown! DS is staying in St Andrews over the summer (has a summer job there) but will then go to Leeds for a masters. It will certainly be a change! (And finding accommodation in Leeds was a breeze!)

My DS is coming home next month after six years in St Andrews! He's giving up his flat and will finish his Masters dissertation at home, then he'll have to find a job...

Ah Leeds is a cool city - and so different from tiny beachy St A

six years… they are going to miss it aren’t they

That's my Dd basically finished too. Has her flat until grad ball.
She is off to London in September as has a grad job there. Big changes but exciting for them all. Wishing all the Dc well for their exam results and their future adventures.

If the students are graduating this summer, do they have their degree classifications yet?

Yes my dd received hers by email last week@Newgirls

Thanks. I wonder if same for all courses…

@Newgirls I think it should be as graduation is next week.
Dd got exam results on the 23rd( including dissertation mark) and degree classification on the 29th if that helps at all.