University of Edinburgh
How respected is Edinburgh?
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Original post by tite23
On a side note, how do you guys pronounce Edinburgh? Americans tend to say "Edin-boro", I used to call it "Edin-burg", and I've been hearing various British people say "Edin-brah" or some other thing which I can't quite catch. What is the correct pronunciation?
There is no "correct" pronunciation; but in Scotland, people tend to say "Edinbrah". "Edinborough" - as in "Edin" and "borough" - are also fine.
Don't worry about it too much though - noone will be impelled to brutally attack you in the street if you say it with a slight accent.
University of Edinburgh
Original post by PagowenTheGreat
There is no "correct" pronunciation; but in Scotland, people tend to say "Edinbrah". "Edinborough" - as in "Edin" and "borough" - are also fine.
Don't worry about it too much though - noone will be impelled to brutally attack you in the street if you say it with a slight accent.
Don't worry about it too much though - noone will be impelled to brutally attack you in the street if you say it with a slight accent.
Haha alright, thanks
Original post by tite23
Original post by tite23
On a side note, how do you guys pronounce Edinburgh? Americans tend to say "Edin-boro", I used to call it "Edin-burg", and I've been hearing various British people say "Edin-brah" or some other thing which I can't quite catch. What is the correct pronunciation?
Edinbruh...
I just said it out loud about 5 times and I definitely say it like Edin-bruh.
Don't know if it's correct though... you'd think I'd know being Scottish...
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by tite23
On a side note, how do you guys pronounce Edinburgh? Americans tend to say "Edin-boro", I used to call it "Edin-burg", and I've been hearing various British people say "Edin-brah" or some other thing which I can't quite catch. What is the correct pronunciation?
Edin brugh = a bit like your Edin brah
Original post by JayTeeKay
I'd say one of the above London colleges or universities, Manchester or a uni of a big city like Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds etc.
In terms of international reputation Edinburgh is leagues ahead of most of the University of London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds.
Liam_G
I'm not sure what the requirements for international students are, but for students in England they specify grades BBB, however, for some subjects (such as English) they wont even look at your application if you aren't predicted at least AAA (they even say so in the prospectus).
Self-funding international students are given a free pass if they meet entry requirements, basically.
Original post by nearlyheadlessian
In terms of international reputation Edinburgh is leagues ahead of most of the University of London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds.
I'll take your word for it because of the little Swedish flag at the top of your post
But I thought Manchester was the big name outside of the UK (Oxford and Cambridge aside), because they do a LOT of good research and the university's population is huge.
Original post by tite23
On a side note, how do you guys pronounce Edinburgh? Americans tend to say "Edin-boro", I used to call it "Edin-burg", and I've been hearing various British people say "Edin-brah" or some other thing which I can't quite catch. What is the correct pronunciation?
I'm from Edinburgh and say it like Edinborough, like Edin-burra if that makes sense. That's how the majority of my mates say it too
Original post by BritainPersonified
I'm from Edinburgh and say it like Edinborough, like Edin-burra if that makes sense. That's how the majority of my mates say it too
Original post by ninja-lewis
Definitely Edin-burra or maybe Embra if you say it quickly. Anything else is just wrong.
I've heard it said Edimbra by someone before. I mentioned that there was no 'm' in Edinburgh and they said 'I thought it was pronounced like the French do.'
That was just strange.
.
Original post by tite23
I'm an American student applying to Edinburgh. Long story short, my parents and family are betting on my getting into Oxford, there's about a .000000000000001% chance I can get in, and I'm looking at other "prestigious" universities in the UK.
So, I checked the requirements for Edinburgh and I already have far above everything they ask - but how "prestigious" is this university in comparison to Oxford? Is it a respected school to go to? I know this seems superfluous, but I've got to sell my case to my parents
Anyways, is Edinburgh a school parents could be proud of? Like, does it sound impressive to say "Oh, my daughter is attending Edinburgh,"?
P.S. - Any other top universities I should consider? Majoring in either English Language/Literature or International Relations and Politics. Thanks!
So, I checked the requirements for Edinburgh and I already have far above everything they ask - but how "prestigious" is this university in comparison to Oxford? Is it a respected school to go to? I know this seems superfluous, but I've got to sell my case to my parents
Anyways, is Edinburgh a school parents could be proud of? Like, does it sound impressive to say "Oh, my daughter is attending Edinburgh,"?P.S. - Any other top universities I should consider? Majoring in either English Language/Literature or International Relations and Politics. Thanks!
While Edinburgh is definitely a good university I think you Americans place too much focus on Scottish universities and it's a classic mistake I've seen made time and time again. There are a few very good Scottish universities, but there are a lot more good universities outside Scotland worth considering. Some incredibly prestigious unis which are often neglected by you guys. There was a list mentioned in this thread but to reiterate roughly speaking; Imperial, LSE, Durham, UCL, Warwick, Bath, Bristol, York, Exeter, KCL, Nottingham, Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Leeds, Sheffield
EDIT: I'm not sure what your GPA is but from what I've gathered from my limited knowledge a 3.3 or 3.4GPA will often meet the requirements of a good portion of the list I've just mentioned save maybe 6 of those - it's hard to tell. Durham has been known to ask for 3.3 I believe for Law and Durham can be INCREDIBLY competitive but so can the rest in those first 7. It may get to a point with some of those unis where qualifications are less important and passion, experience etc are more imporant. Once you get your foot in the doorway with your qualifications you've pretty much just got to pray. A 3.5GPA would probably cover that if I had to guess.
EDIT 2: There was also a mention of the age of a university correlating with prestige and while this is generally true there are some newer universities which defy this. Warwick, I believe, is 50 years old, yet has come a long way very quickly. In fact, for my field, it's in the top 4 universities in the country; often considered third but sometimes disputed.
EDIT 3: Pronunciation - I personally say it Edin-bruh, some of the Scots seem to say Edin-burra so I think we can gather either is safe to use.
(edited 12 years ago)
I say it Edinbra.
It is a very well respected university in the UK and overseas. It is very good for English Literature as well.
Like others have said, for UK applicants the BBB requirement is a lie in many cases. This is one of the things I don't like about the university - these entry requirements are simply misleading to many applicants who end up wasting a UCAS choice. Edinburgh basically wants AAA from UK applicants for many competitive subjects. However, I'm not so sure if this applies to Scottish applicants. Edinburgh is probably easier on them. Anyway, in your case the BBB requirement (or American equivalent, whatever that is) probably is about right as obviously more international students means more money for the university. Assuming you're an alright student, you're likely to get in.
Very much agree. I'm assuming it's because the Scottish 4 year system has similarities with the American undergraduate system. And possibly because Prince William went to St. Andrews.
It is a very well respected university in the UK and overseas. It is very good for English Literature as well.
Like others have said, for UK applicants the BBB requirement is a lie in many cases. This is one of the things I don't like about the university - these entry requirements are simply misleading to many applicants who end up wasting a UCAS choice. Edinburgh basically wants AAA from UK applicants for many competitive subjects. However, I'm not so sure if this applies to Scottish applicants. Edinburgh is probably easier on them. Anyway, in your case the BBB requirement (or American equivalent, whatever that is) probably is about right as obviously more international students means more money for the university. Assuming you're an alright student, you're likely to get in.
Original post by alexs2602
While Edinburgh is definitely a good university I think you Americans place too much focus on Scottish universities and it's a classic mistake I've seen made time and time again. There are a few very good Scottish universities, but there are a lot more good universities outside Scotland worth considering. Some incredibly prestigious unis which are often neglected by you guys. There was a list mentioned in this thread but to reiterate roughly speaking; Imperial, LSE, Durham, UCL, Warwick, Bath, Bristol, York, Exeter, KCL, Nottingham, Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Leeds, Sheffield
Very much agree. I'm assuming it's because the Scottish 4 year system has similarities with the American undergraduate system. And possibly because Prince William went to St. Andrews.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by alexs2602
x
Original post by yabbayabba
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I've got a 3.9 GPA (might be 4.0 now) unweighted, 4.3 weighted. I won't list all of them, but my SAT/AP/SAT II scores are all above what is asked for.
However, I'm unsure of this foreign language requirement.
Do you prove you know a foreign language through your A-levels (our APs), or through 3 high school semesters studying the language? Right now all I have are high school credits in Spanish, no APs or SATs.
Original post by tite23
I've got a 3.9 GPA (might be 4.0 now) unweighted, 4.3 weighted. I won't list all of them, but my SAT/AP/SAT II scores are all above what is asked for.
However, I'm unsure of this foreign language requirement.
Do you prove you know a foreign language through your A-levels (our APs), or through 3 high school semesters studying the language? Right now all I have are high school credits in Spanish, no APs or SATs.
However, I'm unsure of this foreign language requirement.
Do you prove you know a foreign language through your A-levels (our APs), or through 3 high school semesters studying the language? Right now all I have are high school credits in Spanish, no APs or SATs.
we don't do semesters here, in England you have to have a GCSE in a foreign language for scottish unis- you do GCSEs for two years (years 10 and 11). I dunno what the equivalent is in america.
Original post by tite23
I've got a 3.9 GPA (might be 4.0 now) unweighted, 4.3 weighted. I won't list all of them, but my SAT/AP/SAT II scores are all above what is asked for.
However, I'm unsure of this foreign language requirement.
Do you prove you know a foreign language through your A-levels (our APs), or through 3 high school semesters studying the language? Right now all I have are high school credits in Spanish, no APs or SATs.
However, I'm unsure of this foreign language requirement.
Do you prove you know a foreign language through your A-levels (our APs), or through 3 high school semesters studying the language? Right now all I have are high school credits in Spanish, no APs or SATs.
Oh right, well, academically there doesnt seem to be anything stopping you however due to the way of entering qualifications you couldnt formally prove it, BUT I'm sure you could do something else to prove it(get a teacher to vouch for you, for example) or sit an AP or SAT in the year ahead. What subject do you want to do? Most unis don't have a foreign language req unless it's part of the degree and if I remember correctly the ones that do only require a 'low level' qualification. Either way I would email international admissions offices explaining your situation, I couldnt guarantee it but I'm sure they'll try their best to accommodate you.
Technically speaking I'd say you can apply to wherever you want to and for whatever you want to. HOWEVER I'm not sure with your GPA that I would apply to Edinburgh, it's good just not you good if that makes sense. You're a top 5 uni applicant, no doubt. From my experience of maths applicants who have your ability they tend to stick to the top 10 unis, in regards to their subject, based on their 5 choice unis and then when places have been handed out they will tend to firm a top 3 or 4 uni. Edinburgh's good but don't let these people deceive you; depending on what subject you're doing it could be anything from top 10 to top 20, maybe slipping out of that window.
So to reiterate; what subject do you want to study? I'll see if I can point you in the right direction for uni choices.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by alexs2602
Oh right, well, academically there doesnt seem to be anything stopping you however due to the way of entering qualifications you couldnt formally prove it, BUT I'm sure you could do something else to prove it(get a teacher to vouch for you, for example) or sit an AP or SAT in the year ahead. What subject do you want to do? Most unis don't have a foreign language req unless it's part of the degree and if I remember correctly the ones that do only require a 'low level' qualification. Either way I would email international admissions offices explaining your situation, I couldnt guarantee it but I'm sure they'll try their best to accommodate you.
Technically speaking I'd say you can apply to wherever you want to and for whatever you want to. HOWEVER I'm not sure with your GPA that I would apply to Edinburgh, it's good just not you good if that makes sense. You're a top 5 uni applicant, no doubt. From my experience of maths applicants who have your ability they tend to stick to the top 10 unis, in regards to their subject, based on their 5 choice unis and then when places have been handed out they will tend to firm a top 3 or 4 uni. Edinburgh's good but don't let these people deceive you; depending on what subject you're doing it could be anything from top 10 to top 20, maybe slipping out of that window.
So to reiterate; what subject do you want to study? I'll see if I can point you in the right direction for uni choices.
Technically speaking I'd say you can apply to wherever you want to and for whatever you want to. HOWEVER I'm not sure with your GPA that I would apply to Edinburgh, it's good just not you good if that makes sense. You're a top 5 uni applicant, no doubt. From my experience of maths applicants who have your ability they tend to stick to the top 10 unis, in regards to their subject, based on their 5 choice unis and then when places have been handed out they will tend to firm a top 3 or 4 uni. Edinburgh's good but don't let these people deceive you; depending on what subject you're doing it could be anything from top 10 to top 20, maybe slipping out of that window.
So to reiterate; what subject do you want to study? I'll see if I can point you in the right direction for uni choices.
Hey, thanks for your thorough answer. I'm planning on studying Politics and International Relations, which Edinburgh seems to be pretty renowned for. I thought it was a well-respected university, but I'm very open to suggestions at this point
Original post by tite23
Hey, thanks for your thorough answer. I'm planning on studying Politics and International Relations, which Edinburgh seems to be pretty renowned for. I thought it was a well-respected university, but I'm very open to suggestions at this point
I think it's only fair to point out that alexs2602 is talking a load of crap
It is a really good uni, their archery team is sponsored by Hoyt. Lucky people.
However some of them were really up themselves at the pub afterwards when I was talking away to them.
There are loads of foreign students there according to what I've seen and been told by my friend from Edinburgh.
However some of them were really up themselves at the pub afterwards when I was talking away to them.
There are loads of foreign students there according to what I've seen and been told by my friend from Edinburgh.
Original post by tite23
Hey, thanks for your thorough answer. I'm planning on studying Politics and International Relations, which Edinburgh seems to be pretty renowned for. I thought it was a well-respected university, but I'm very open to suggestions at this point
It's respected, yes but obviously you want to go for the very best which arguably Edinburgh isn't. Don't get me wrong; for someone less academically able than yourself it's a great choice but you've got an excellent GPA which puts you head and shoulders above most Edinburgh uni applicants. I'm not going to pretend to be a fountain of knowledge with regards to this topic but in addition to Oxford/Cambridge I'd heavily encourage one or more of the following London unis - LSE or UCL, then you want to go for a university outside London where it gets more difficult but I'd probbably suggest Warwick, Bristol, Bath, Durham, Exeter, York, St Andrews, maybe Edinburgh too BUT I warn you that this is quite rough while probably relatively accurate I couldnt give you much more info than this. You do want to think about LSE and/or UCL though. Apart from their international reputation and academics they're both situated in London which will be excellent for your course. So what am I telling you? Look into the unis I just mentioned but also seek out further information. You MIGHT be able to ask people in the politics (and international relations) department from Oxbridge/LSE/UCL to help you choose your other unis as they will obviously know best.
Edit: Get off your high horses, Edinburgh's good but OP needs to consider other options.
(edited 12 years ago)
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