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Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh

The Edinburgh FAQ and 'Ask a Student' thread

Hi!

This is a follow on from last years FAQ thread. Some of the information has been copied and some of it is new - please read it. I have helped people with their UCAS applications for the last 6 years both on TSR and in my day job. This thread contains answers to the questions I see year in year out and it is incredibly frustrating if I have spent time making a thread such as this and people continue to ask the same question elsewhere. If your question has been covered in this thread do not expect a helpful reply if you ask it again. I have spent time making this thread for YOUR benefit, not just for a bit of fun on my part. I already know the answers and have my degree, I don't need it.

However, if you have any additional questions then please do post them in the thread and we'll do our best to answer them for you :smile:

If you've already applied to Edinburgh, then good luck with your application. Hopefully you'll love the city and University as much as I did :love:

Applying and UCAS

Do I need to have any special Standard Grade/Higher/AH or GCSE/A level subjects?

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I am English/go to a private school/from the SE of England/applied to Oxbridge, does this mean I will be automatically rejected?

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I want to apply but I’m not predicted 10 million As in my final exams, should I bother?

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I’m an international (non EU) student, will this affect my application?

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I'm from the UK or the EU, are there quotas and restraints on how many students Edinburgh can admit?

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I really want to go to Edinburgh should I apply for more than one course?

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After making your application to Edinburgh


My application status on EUCILD/MyEd has gone blank. What does this mean?


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I applied 10 million years ago, when will I hear back?

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Edinburgh has not sent me a welcome letter/accommodation information/open day details/anything in the post should I contact them?

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I’ve just realised that the degree I’ve applied for is an MA surely that’s a postgraduate course!! I want to do an undergraduate degree!

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I was rejected despite meeting the minimum entry requirements what is going on?

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I’m a medicine applicant, when will I find out if I have an interview?

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Post offer issues

Who else on TSR has applied/been given an offer for my course?

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Edinburgh is my firm or insurance choice, now what?

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I want a current student’s opinion of course X, please!

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I've realised I want to study course X instead of the one I have an offer for, can I change it?

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Which accommodation is the best? Shall I pick catered or self catered? Do I apply for a small or large size room? When do I need to apply?

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Disclaimer:

I do not work for the University of Edinburgh - I was a student here and completed my undergraduate studies in July 2010. Any advice given in this thread by me (or any of the other Edinburgh students) is not given as a representative of the University of Edinburgh. Therefore, what we say is not given in an official capacity and you are advised to check with the University if in doubt at any point during your application.

Remember: I am a graduate, not a staff member. This means I can not check the progress of your application or comment on when you will be given an offer. Please do not PM me as I am unable to help you. I receive several PMs a week during the UCAS cycle relating to Edinburgh applications. If you need to contact the University, I am not the person to need to be speaking to at all!
(edited 10 years ago)

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Reply 1
Hello, I wanted to see if there are any students at University of Edinburgh - Architecture ? I would really like to know about the classes, program, how are the teachers and especially how do you work up your schedule, how does a architecture student's schedule look like ?

I want to apply and would like to know what to expect of it ...

And if you could give me some tips concerning the portfolio...I would be in debt for life.
Thank you
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Reply 2
Hello. So I saw a really similar thread to this on the Bath forum and wanted to repeat it here... (and also on the Bristol forum haha) basically a load of annoying questions from someone considering applying to Edinburgh...

- What's the campus / university atmosphere like? Quiet, loud, active, community feel etc.

- What are halls like? Do different halls have different reputations, and if so, what are they? Do they have an atmosphere of everyone mixing together, or do people keep to themselves?

- Which are the local haunts and hangouts for the student body? (The ones which are most popular.)

- What are the prices like? I am also considering London but I am soooo put off by how expensive everything is !

- Are the winters really bad? This may sound idiotic but I know someone who got really depressed at Edinburgh simply because of how awful the weather was.. ie. windy and rainy etc. and she is quite a positive person so I took heed. But feel free to give me your own opinion if you disagree

Just gives you more of an idea of the place than the prospectus can ! (PS. sorry to the original author of the Bath thread... I completely copied your idea lmao.)

Thank you
Reply 3
Original post by phiddy23
Hello. So I saw a really similar thread to this on the Bath forum and wanted to repeat it here... (and also on the Bristol forum haha) basically a load of annoying questions from someone considering applying to Edinburgh...


- What's the campus / university atmosphere like? Quiet, loud, active, community feel etc.


Hard to say. Edinburgh is not a particularly campus based university. The arts buildings are scattered around the George Square area, but there's not a campus as such. Science is largely based on a real campus at King's Buildings, while ve medicine and medicine are separate again.

The university is what you make of it. If you want to go to loud events, go out clubbing, then fine. If you want to go to debates by candlelight, then fine. If you want to do both, then fine. There's not one overriding atmosphere.

- What are halls like? Do different halls have different reputations, and if so, what are they? Do they have an atmosphere of everyone mixing together, or do people keep to themselves?


There are dozens of individual halls, with the main distinction between the catered halls at Pollock and the self-catered halls scattered throughout the city.

In general, the halls are nice enough. They're basic, but they provide everything you need for the year. Some of the extremely expensive ones offer more luxuries, though.

Again, it's hard to say what the atmosphere in halls is like. People make the atmosphere, and there are different people every year. If you want to mix with loads of people, there's certainly plenty of opportunity to do so. If you like to keep to yourself, fine too.

- Which are the local haunts and hangouts for the student body? (The ones which are most popular.)


Continuing the pattern... hard to say. There are hundreds of pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants within 10 minutes walk of the university. You'll always find plenty of people in the nearest pubs and cafes, though. The Unions are always packed as well. But it depends on what you were looking for. Some events, like the Big Cheese at the union are entirely student, and some club nights are mostly student.

- What are the prices like? I am also considering London but I am soooo put off by how expensive everything is !


High, but not London high. Average monthly rent for a flat is £300 - £400 per person. A pint is between £2 at the union and £5 at really expensive pubs. Food is what you make of it - can be high or low.

- Are the winters really bad? This may sound idiotic but I know someone who got really depressed at Edinburgh simply because of how awful the weather was.. ie. windy and rainy etc. and she is quite a positive person so I took heed. But feel free to give me your own opinion if you disagree


Not really, no. Where did your friend move from, exactly? They're not much worse than the rest of the UK, and they're certainly better than north of Edinburgh. We had a LOT of snow last year, but that was a bit of a fluke. It is windy and rainy, but I always assumed that you expected that during the winter... :smile:

Just gives you more of an idea of the place than the prospectus can ! (PS. sorry to the original author of the Bath thread... I completely copied your idea lmao.)

Thank you
Reply 4
Original post by NeoNerd
Hard to say. Edinburgh is not a particularly campus based university. The arts buildings are scattered around the George Square area, but there's not a campus as such. Science is largely based on a real campus at King's Buildings, while ve medicine and medicine are separate again.

yourself, fine too.


Not really, no. Where did your friend move from, exactly? They're not much worse than the rest of the UK, and they're certainly better than north of Edinburgh. We had a LOT of snow last year, but that was a bit of a fluke. It is windy and rainy, but I always assumed that you expected that during the winter... :smile:


Thanks :smile: Not entirely sure actually prob somewhere in the midlands but tbh she was probably just exaggerating and blaming all her woes on the weather
Reply 5
Hello,

is anybody studying scottish studies or another historical subject?
I have some questions...

Greedings
Reply 6
How common is this? Their website states that this is indeed included in their average offers but is a total rarity, would be grateful if anyone who has experience with this could help.
Original post by YahRah
How common is this? Their website states that this is indeed included in their average offers but is a total rarity, would be grateful if anyone who has experience with this could help.

I have no idea about your question, but you might find something useful here:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1805509
I'm applying for Veterinary Medicine at Edinburgh got an email today (my application only got sent yesterday) saying thanks for applying, and that i should use the MyEd thing to do everything I need with regards to continuing the application process.

They gave me the username and password and I copy and pasted them to the site, but it says "Unfortunately the username you entered was not recognized. Please click back and try again and check that the username is entered correctly. Usernames should be all lower case and made up of only alphanumeric characters"

So I tried again, typing it in etc done this 10 times or so, still no luck.. What should I do?
Reply 9
Well I don't know anything about MyEd but i'd say call them or send them an email about it
Thats seems like a really good offer for Edinburgh.
Law?

I'd say it's highly unlikely. Even lower ranked places like City and Reading ask for AAB-AAA.

BBB is more standard for places like Oxford Brookes and Nottingham Trent.
Original post by VintageJasmine
Law?

I'd say it's highly unlikely. Even lower ranked places like City and Reading ask for AAB-AAA.

BBB is more standard for places like Oxford Brookes and Nottingham Trent.

Edinburgh's offer policy is a bit different to those places you've listed above. It does indeed give BBB offers for lots of its courses, but that does not mean it gives them to BBB predicted candidates. To get an offer from Edinburgh, you are going to need AAA predictions to be considered on most courses. Look at the link I posted above, which answers a lot of FAQs about applying to Edinburgh, which is a law unto itself in this respect.
Original post by emknowsaunicorn
So I tried again, typing it in etc done this 10 times or so, still no luck.. What should I do?


Wait. It takes a day or two for your account to clear through and activate.
55% of people who apply to electrical engineering get offers - I'm pretty chuffed with that. :tongue:

Thanks oxymoronic. :biggrin:
Reply 15
Original post by Electronica
55% of people who apply to electrical engineering get offers - I'm pretty chuffed with that. :tongue:

Thanks oxymoronic. :biggrin:


Engineering still has quite high offer rates. But the current rates are astounding compared to the 2007/2008 intake. Offer rates in the high 80% to 90% band happened for science applicants.

No more, sadly.
Reply 16
Last year I got ABBBC in my highers. I am applying for business management and politics, and I am fairly confident of getting an offer in atleast three of my four choices right now. It says on the prospectus that the minimum requirements are BBBB, but then it says in the small print that students must have achieved, or be predicted to achieve atleast AAAA. Is there any point, or if I could convince my current teachers to predict me A's ( I am taking three more highers and an advanced higher) Would I stand any chance of an offer? Please be honest!!!
I got an offer of BBBBB (over two sittings), and many other average students also got similar offers from my school. This was for electrical and electronics engineering, so not the most competitive of courses mind you.

When I applied (2007) they also took into consideration the school you attended and whether your parents went to university. I went to an absolutely horrible school and none of my parents have an honours degree so perhaps they adjusted my offer down.
Cool thread!

Does anyone else have any input on what the atmosphere/campus feel is like? I understand there isn't a campus really for humanities/art, but are there like grounds that a lot of people go to? Or are they just public parks?
I'm hoping to apply to law at Edinburgh for 2013 entry
So my GCSE grades this summer came out like:

A*-History
A*-ICT (2010)
A*A*A* BTEC Level 2 in Public Services - done in spare time.
AA-Dual Science (IGCSE)
A-English Literature,
A-English Language,
A-Geography (IGCSE)
A-Classical Civilisation,
A-French
C-Maths (retake 2012, predicted A*-sat wrong paper by mistake. CLERICAL ERRORS FTW)(IGCSE)

And yes I realise they're more likely to look at Higher/AS grades but I do the IB which is examined at the end of the 2 years so I have no fall back. I also have s**t loads of work experience in law in many high end firms and spear head the law society at school. Will I possibly get an offer?

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