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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

State school kids at Edinburgh university- how bad is it for them?

242 replies

StartingAgainFGS · 05/04/2025 22:35

I keep hearing reports of state school kids not fitting in at Edinburgh uni (at best) and at worst some real bullying going on. Heard it described on here as "pony club bullying". We are very far away from the private school demographic and I wonder how my DD would cope. We would be scraping by to send her there in the first place and I would not like her to feel so out of place that she's uncomfortable/unhappy.
Are these reports exaggerated? Does anyone have a state school DC there?
Thanks!

OP posts:
Longhotsummers · 05/04/2025 22:53

I know 5 young people who have all gone to Edinburgh. All were state school and all have had a good experience. One told me that there was a posh element at the uni but that’s no different to anywhere else.

Original poster
StartingAgainFGS · 05/04/2025 22:56

Thank you @Longhotsummers
I just want her to have a positive experience and not feel out of place.

OP posts:
Sealanes · 05/04/2025 22:57

DD found it fine. Tricky in halls at first but she soon found her people. It's worse elsewhere I have heard (StAndrews/Exeter/Bristol have been mentioned by friends as disappointing).

Sunshineat5pm · 05/04/2025 22:59

Many, many years ago (matriculated c.15 years ago) I went to St Andrews from a state school comprehensive. It was absolutely fine. I’d say as long as she is comfortable and confident in herself, she will be absolutely fine.

Grimbeorn · 05/04/2025 23:03

A significant element of posh kids (known as "the Yas" because they said "ya, ya" a lot) some years ago. May have changed now? Certainly much posher than eg Glasgow, and a significant proportion of these were posh English folk. Edinburgh seems much more popular with English students than Glasgow for some reason.

BUT all the people I knew who went there just rolled their eyes at the Yas, and found good friends who weren't posh. This was ten years ago to be fair, so it may have changed. But if it hasn't, I'd say you'll be fine. There's a mix of people like anywhere else; it's just that the mix is more biased towards posh, but non-posh people are there too!

Ted27 · 05/04/2025 23:06

My goddaughter went to Edinburgh, she's Cornish, both parents teachers. State school all the way.
She had a great time, came out with a first.

Original poster
StartingAgainFGS · 05/04/2025 23:14

@Sunshineat5pm this is my worry, she's not confident or sure of herself! But does well when she has the security of friends. Wouldn't last a second if mean girls had a pop at her. Or maybe I'm underestimating her!

OP posts:
Lazycatsitsonthemat · 05/04/2025 23:16

My cousin went from a state school, also many friends from my school which was a state school, and a friend of my husbands, also a state school. All had a great time. I think you’re massively over thinking it.

Sunshineat5pm · 05/04/2025 23:21

StartingAgainFGS · 05/04/2025 23:14

@Sunshineat5pm this is my worry, she's not confident or sure of herself! But does well when she has the security of friends. Wouldn't last a second if mean girls had a pop at her. Or maybe I'm underestimating her!

A few ‘starter for 10’ q’s to get context: What in particular does she like about Edinburgh? Is she sporty or passionate about anything extra curricular? What will she be studying?

I honestly think you find your people wherever you go but it can take a minute. (I doubled down on ‘rah’ and went to Durham post St A’s which I found significantly less welcoming in many ways but still found ‘my’ people).

ScentOfAMoomin · 05/04/2025 23:22

DS was absolutely fine

murasaki · 05/04/2025 23:24

It is odd how it seems ok to think like this but if you questioned fitting into the demographic of London Met, you'd be pilloried, and rightly so.

Labraradabrador · 05/04/2025 23:25

Edinburgh university has a higher than average private school intake, but even so 70% are from state?

Parrish · 05/04/2025 23:31

Massive overseas student intake...so no, 70% of students are not from state schools if you mean UK state schools...

Labraradabrador · 05/04/2025 23:49

Why does that matter? Overseas students is a different way of segmenting the student population - some overseas students will fall in the privately educated category and some will not. It still stands that the proportion from private education will be the minority of the student body.

Hazel665 · 06/04/2025 07:45

murasaki · 05/04/2025 23:24

It is odd how it seems ok to think like this but if you questioned fitting into the demographic of London Met, you'd be pilloried, and rightly so.

Do the state school students at London Met indulge in bullying of private school students?

PearlStork · 06/04/2025 08:36

My DD has been fine (about to graduate but would choose Edinburgh again no question). Has had more problems with misogyny.

There is a 93% club for the state educated and a sticker for your laptop so you can recognise each other. Useful for the library if feel you've been dropped in on an episode of Made in Chelsea. Says since Edinburgh EUSA let Napier students join their clubs etc things have much improved . My DD has made friends thru work in the city too which has helped.

Original poster
StartingAgainFGS · 06/04/2025 08:56

Apologies but I don't even know what London Met is.
I'm not private school bashing, just responding to what I've read on here and other places about it being an environment where students from financial backgrounds very unlike ours are in the majority. Presumably the overseas students pay fees too, so that's a whole other demographic, again I have no problem with that, the whole point of going is to widen your experiences and horizons.
I am specifically concerned with reports of bullying against state school kids.

DD is sociable but not sporty, would be in the art school.

OP posts:
Kneidlach · 06/04/2025 08:58

Grimbeorn · 05/04/2025 23:03

A significant element of posh kids (known as "the Yas" because they said "ya, ya" a lot) some years ago. May have changed now? Certainly much posher than eg Glasgow, and a significant proportion of these were posh English folk. Edinburgh seems much more popular with English students than Glasgow for some reason.

BUT all the people I knew who went there just rolled their eyes at the Yas, and found good friends who weren't posh. This was ten years ago to be fair, so it may have changed. But if it hasn't, I'd say you'll be fine. There's a mix of people like anywhere else; it's just that the mix is more biased towards posh, but non-posh people are there too!

This was pretty much my experience at Edinburgh fifteen years ago. A loud noticeable contingent of ‘yahs’ especially around George Square - the arts campus.

But they were relatively easy to ignore and I very quickly found my tribe. Which mainly consisted of a mix of lower middle class / upper working class state school educated English and Scottish students.

Original poster
StartingAgainFGS · 06/04/2025 09:04

Good to hear people have been able to find friends!

OP posts:
minnienono · 06/04/2025 09:04

Many of the pre 92 universities have elements of private school cliques, there was a significant equestrian group when I was at university 35 years ago as in the brought their horses to the stables the university had an association with! But all universities including Oxford and Cambridge are majority state educated these days, please don’t worry

Stegochops · 06/04/2025 09:08

A sticker for your laptop? I don’t know about this. Personally I’m state educated with parents who left school at 16. I went to a University with lots of people from private school and most people were generally nice! Nicer than most who went to my state comp anyway.

Blackcordoroys · 06/04/2025 09:10

There have been a LOT of problems with this, so much so that the university have brought in training for staff about not mocking students for having working class accents. It’s in the paper today. I would be cautious if your dd is not outgoing.

StoorieHoose · 06/04/2025 09:12

My dis at Glasgow Uni (which seems to be the choice of school for Edinburgh private school kids). Few of her friends from state school have gone to Edinburgh and have said is Scottish State School pupils who seem to be at the butt of the joke ( see the Edinburgh tab controversy)

GetMeOutOfMeta · 06/04/2025 09:14

She will meet people from all walks of life, which is the point of university, so she may need to accept that wherever she goes. I think you are underestimating her totally, or perhaps you have taught her to fear any one who sounds "posh" for some reason? Why do you think they are more likely to bully her than someone from a council estate?

Blackcordoroys · 06/04/2025 09:16

GetMeOutOfMeta · 06/04/2025 09:14

She will meet people from all walks of life, which is the point of university, so she may need to accept that wherever she goes. I think you are underestimating her totally, or perhaps you have taught her to fear any one who sounds "posh" for some reason? Why do you think they are more likely to bully her than someone from a council estate?

Because there have been years of stories of state school pupils being bullied by students at staff at Edinburgh.