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St Andrews - good university?

I am thinking of applying there to do history and was wondering whether it has any worldwide reputation or excellence in teaching?

Reply 1

jamz0770

15

Well maybe worldwide you'd be struggling a bit although no doubt its known in some places, but certainly in the UK it has a very good reputation.

Reply 2

xnatalie01x

16

It's a really good uni for history, I don't see why it needs to be reputable worldwide for you to study there. I don't think it is known outside the UK though :s-smilie:

Reply 3

yellowmeringue

2

It's got a really good UK reputation, not sure about international.

I heard it's probably the best uni in Scotland.

Reply 4

JB Johnstone

xnatalie01x

It's a really good uni for history, I don't see why it needs to be reputable worldwide for you to study there. I don't think it is known outside the UK though :s-smilie:

Surely it must be reasonably well known with so many international applicants?

Reply 5

Alex-jc123

OP

13

Hmm I heard that lots of Americans apply there haha. So perhaps it is famous in the UK and USA :smile:

Gordon Brown did history there so it must be very good.

Reply 6

Stressworthy

14

Alex-jc123

Hmm I heard that lots of Americans apply there haha. So perhaps it is famous in the UK and USA :smile:

Gordon Brown did history there so it must be very good.

Gordon Brown went to Edinburgh btw.

But yeah, it's a great uni, for your course too. Its reputation seems to have shot up in the last decade (since Prince William went there, really). But now it attracts some of the best brains, and I'd definitely say it's up there.

Reply 7

EricOfficial

World university ranking at 87 in 2009
UK university ranking at 4, recently updated.
It explains all :smile:

Reply 8

Alex-jc123

OP

13

Cool. If Oxbridge reject me (which is likely) I shall certainly consider St Andrews :smile:

Although the fact that Prince William went there does not influence my decision much, considering that both of the princes are not even that smart compared to their predecessors haha

Reply 9

jusjes

Its a pretty dam good uni. They have a small intake so the quality of teaching is a lot better and on par with Oxbridge. And hey, it'll be cheaper.

Reply 10

0404343m

17

jusjes

Its a pretty dam good uni. They have a small intake so the quality of teaching is a lot better and on par with Oxbridge. And hey, it'll be cheaper.

Eh? The rent there is probably higher than it is in Oxford. Small intake doesn't have a jot to do with the quality of teaching either. For history, it takes in as many students as much larger universities- it's a very big history department.

OP- yes, it's a very good university. It's reputation among school leavers really has shot up in the last fifteen years, I'm not convinced at all it's better than Edinburgh or Glasgow for instance at what it does- or that it's any better than it was when it was ranked 30 places lower in the mid-90s, but that shouldn't enter your thinking. It's one of, if not the, best history department in Scotland, and certainly one of the UK's top ones. They've marketed themselves heavily in the last decade in N.East America, and their applications have quadrupled in under fifteen years. But that didn't make it better or worse back in the eighties, so if you think the department/lifestyle is for you then go for it.

Reply 11

ChemistBoy

16

0404343m

Eh? The rent there is probably higher than it is in Oxford.

But no college fees though. You are right the private rental market, especially around the 'three streets' is often at close to London prices.

Reply 12

0404343m

17

ChemistBoy

But no college fees though. You are right the private rental market, especially around the 'three streets' is often at close to London prices.

Aye, it's silly money. First year in halls is a bit cheaper, and the fees are 4,500 less over the course of the degree, so you'd be 5-6k up in once sense. A couple of my mates are paying £75 more than the private rental market here in Oxford, so that's taking £1k a year back off of you- so by the end of your time, plus the extra year of paying living costs, means it's really not any cheaper in St Andrews. If you go to Dundee for 2-3 years though, then you're probably £200 a month better off, which does become significant. Undoubtedly the reason behind this is the rapid expansion in student numbers, up from 5,000 to 8,000 total between 1999 and 2009. There has been nothing like 3,000 extra rooms though, so the prices go up in the town and more have to commute from afar.

Reply 13

L i b

19

Alex-jc123

Hmm I heard that lots of Americans apply there haha. So perhaps it is famous in the UK and USA :smile:

Yes, they've spent a lot of money appealing to American students over the years. Outside of the Oxbridge-London axis, it's probably one of the best known UK unis in the US.

JB Johnstone

Surely it must be reasonably well known with so many international applicants?

Ever uni has that, doesn't it?

Reply 14

Mittalmar

10

St Andrews is pretty hench for History they also have a cool modular system probably going there when I fail out Maths. That reminds me must revise C4...

Reply 15

Alex-jc123

OP

13

Nice. So, if I get into St Andrews for a BA in history and excel, do you think I could apply to Oxford for postgraduate study? The current head of history at St Andrews did so but there may have been complications of some sort... I don't know :s

Reply 16

Sambo2

10

Alex-jc123

Nice. So, if I get into St Andrews for a BA in history and excel, do you think I could apply to Oxford for postgraduate study? The current head of history at St Andrews did so but there may have been complications of some sort... I don't know :s

certainly it's very common to do postgraduate studies at oxbridge having done undergrad at st andrews or vice-versa.

Reply 17

Alex-jc123

OP

13

Ah, thank you so much! I am relieved lol. I have been fearing rejection from Oxbridge for a while haha :biggrin:

overrated

0404343m

Eh? The rent there is probably higher than it is in Oxford. Small intake doesn't have a jot to do with the quality of teaching either. For history, it takes in as many students as much larger universities- it's a very big history department.

OP- yes, it's a very good university. It's reputation among school leavers really has shot up in the last fifteen years, I'm not convinced at all it's better than Edinburgh or Glasgow for instance at what it does- or that it's any better than it was when it was ranked 30 places lower in the mid-90s, but that shouldn't enter your thinking. It's one of, if not the, best history department in Scotland, and certainly one of the UK's top ones. They've marketed themselves heavily in the last decade in N.East America, and their applications have quadrupled in under fifteen years. But that didn't make it better or worse back in the eighties, so if you think the department/lifestyle is for you then go for it.

Really? (and that's leaving rankings aside)

St Andrews - good university?

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