[TheHQ]

I live in North London and I'm going to the Uni of Glasgow to study Dentistry

[0404343m]

(Original post by looneylamb)
Just read your 'about me', you can ignore my previous question about your personal experience. You seem like you know your stuff.

Thanks again

Sorry, I've been travelling back from the US and thus didn't check this. Well, since you know, no need repeating it. I've been around though and between places I've applied to for UG/Masters/PhD and studied/taught/been to for conferences & workshops over the last eight or nine years I've got a good bit of experience, especially within my own field(s) of history, politics, economics.

As I said: from what I've heard (which has usually but not always been accurate in the past) the AAA was a filtering process and it was a bit lazy, because there have been some grumbles that the AAA crowd didn't involve much selection, rather they were 'left' with people that had those grades and wanted/had to go to go there. It's been AAB for a while (still far higher than the actual level you need to be at to cope with a Scottish first year), but the new fees had two schools of thought in Scotland: one was that people that still wanted to would apply anyway, so they might as well make it 36k, and the other was that they'd have to be attracted to Scotland, so they made it 26k and dropped entry reqs. So far, it's got a lot of applicants and ironically, despite what you might think on TSR, a lower acceptance rate for this year with ABB than previous years at AAA. That's all inner admissions workings though and they're never good at publishing why they did X or Y because they always want to present the admissions process in the best possible light.

Usual things you'll hear about Glasgow (and you have already): It's wet, it's dangerous, it's grim. It's only wet. Weather there can be terrific, but don't expect it to be all that often. Even in summer lots of average greyish days are the norm. The stereotype of a council estate in the East End with a life expectancy of 60 being what the whole city is like is totally, totally wrong though: most people that peddle that idea tend to either have a problem with somewhere or just don't know better (they've heard it from their dad who was there in 1981): in the last couple of decades the city has been transformed and the West End has always been the richest, safest, and nicest part of that. You will encounter no more problems at Glasgow than you will at any other city university. Crime rates were below the average for peer universities in the places around campus (where students spend most of their time). There are bad parts of the city, but then, I've never known anyone that has/had to go there.

Compared with my US university, Glasgow is a far nicer and safer city on the whole for a student.

[looneylamb]

(Original post by 0404343m)
Sorry, I've been travelling back from the US and thus didn't check this. Well, since you know, no need repeating it. I've been around though and between places I've applied to for UG/Masters/PhD and studied/taught/been to for conferences & workshops over the last eight or nine years I've got a good bit of experience, especially within my own field(s) of history, politics, economics.

As I said: from what I've heard (which has usually but not always been accurate in the past) the AAA was a filtering process and it was a bit lazy, because there have been some grumbles that the AAA crowd didn't involve much selection, rather they were 'left' with people that had those grades and wanted/had to go to go there. It's been AAB for a while (still far higher than the actual level you need to be at to cope with a Scottish first year), but the new fees had two schools of thought in Scotland: one was that people that still wanted to would apply anyway, so they might as well make it 36k, and the other was that they'd have to be attracted to Scotland, so they made it 26k and dropped entry reqs. So far, it's got a lot of applicants and ironically, despite what you might think on TSR, a lower acceptance rate for this year with ABB than previous years at AAA. That's all inner admissions workings though and they're never good at publishing why they did X or Y because they always want to present the admissions process in the best possible light.

Usual things you'll hear about Glasgow (and you have already): It's wet, it's dangerous, it's grim. It's only wet. Weather there can be terrific, but don't expect it to be all that often. Even in summer lots of average greyish days are the norm. The stereotype of a council estate in the East End with a life expectancy of 60 being what the whole city is like is totally, totally wrong though: most people that peddle that idea tend to either have a problem with somewhere or just don't know better (they've heard it from their dad who was there in 1981): in the last couple of decades the city has been transformed and the West End has always been the richest, safest, and nicest part of that. You will encounter no more problems at Glasgow than you will at any other city university. Crime rates were below the average for peer universities in the places around campus (where students spend most of their time). There are bad parts of the city, but then, I've never known anyone that has/had to go there.

Compared with my US university, Glasgow is a far nicer and safer city on the whole for a student.

When I visited Glasgow, it seemed like a glorious place. Especially the University. Living in London and a few other places in the past years, I can appreciate the risks of living in a fairly dangerous city. It doesn't really bother me too much, and like you said, it doesn't really effect the West End area.

It's interesting to hear the current statistics of offer rates, etc. The fact that my predicted grades were ABB and although many were rejected, I was still given an offer within about a week of putting through my applicaton, I feel fairly blessed! I've spoken to a few current students at Glasgow University and they seem to be easily convincing, as are you, so I get the feeling that the place must be pretty darn good. You were the one that actually finally convinced me to firm Glasgow, so thanks very much.

It's great that you're able to be at a US University. I've got a friend currently doing a PhD over there and managed to attain himself a grant to do one there for free. Whilst at the same time I've got another friend paying the full fees as of next year ^_^. Perhaps in the future I'll give an American University a try.

Thank ye for the help.

[0404343m]

(Original post by looneylamb)
When I visited Glasgow, it seemed like a glorious place. Especially the University. Living in London and a few other places in the past years, I can appreciate the risks of living in a fairly dangerous city. It doesn't really bother me too much, and like you said, it doesn't really effect the West End area.

It's interesting to hear the current statistics of offer rates, etc. The fact that my predicted grades were ABB and although many were rejected, I was still given an offer within about a week of putting through my applicaton, I feel fairly blessed! I've spoken to a few current students at Glasgow University and they seem to be easily convincing, as are you, so I get the feeling that the place must be pretty darn good. You were the one that actually finally convinced me to firm Glasgow, so thanks very much.

It's great that you're able to be at a US University. I've got a friend currently doing a PhD over there and managed to attain himself a grant to do one there for free. Whilst at the same time I've got another friend paying the full fees as of next year ^_^. Perhaps in the future I'll give an American University a try.

Thank ye for the help.

Yikes, no pressure then! Well, I hope the place can live up to the recommendations you've been given- I tried to give as balanced a view of the pros of both the Scottish and English systems as I could, so here's hoping my advice turns out to be good! I don't think very many people regret choosing Glasgow. I didn't, and I think it's a very fine city and institution that's compared favourably with the other places I've studied (Oxford, Yale). Student satisfaction was top amongst large city (250,000+) universities in the UK and something like sixth overall, and the student experience survey has also come out well. Fifth a couple of years ago, ninth this year out of 200+ places. It also ranked top in the UK for international student satisfaction, so despite the big problems I have with ranking systems, it's clear they're a happy bunch of students so the university is doing something right. You'll also get the benefit of the new nightclub/bar venue and extended gym that's being built, but it won't open until the start of your second year. I doubt you'll run out of places to go in a hurry though...

With regards to your app: I've no idea about the timing/predictions and so on, I just know the raw figures. In short, they'll only be making about 9,000 offers for 4,000 places out of 30,000 applications. Some people will choose other universities, some will not make the grades. It's a very inexact science, but the main thing is that the number of offers made is a small fraction of the total applications received, so well done!

Come back to me in four years time, talk about postgrad then. Until that point, there is a lot of fun to be had with a sprinkling of hard work for good measure. I don't think I thought about masters and PhDs until I was nearing the end of my third year- just as well, as I don't think I'd have hit my liver quite so hard if I had been...

[looneylamb]

(Original post by 0404343m)
Yikes, no pressure then! Well, I hope the place can live up to the recommendations you've been given- I tried to give as balanced a view of the pros of both the Scottish and English systems as I could, so here's hoping my advice turns out to be good! I don't think very many people regret choosing Glasgow. I didn't, and I think it's a very fine city and institution that's compared favourably with the other places I've studied (Oxford, Yale). Student satisfaction was top amongst large city (250,000+) universities in the UK and something like sixth overall, and the student experience survey has also come out well. Fifth a couple of years ago, ninth this year out of 200+ places. It also ranked top in the UK for international student satisfaction, so despite the big problems I have with ranking systems, it's clear they're a happy bunch of students so the university is doing something right. You'll also get the benefit of the new nightclub/bar venue and extended gym that's being built, but it won't open until the start of your second year. I doubt you'll run out of places to go in a hurry though...

With regards to your app: I've no idea about the timing/predictions and so on, I just know the raw figures. In short, they'll only be making about 9,000 offers for 4,000 places out of 30,000 applications. Some people will choose other universities, some will not make the grades. It's a very inexact science, but the main thing is that the number of offers made is a small fraction of the total applications received, so well done!

Come back to me in four years time, talk about postgrad then. Until that point, there is a lot of fun to be had with a sprinkling of hard work for good measure. I don't think I thought about masters and PhDs until I was nearing the end of my third year- just as well, as I don't think I'd have hit my liver quite so hard if I had been...

I hold you, and you only, completely responsible if my life goes haywire once I join Glasgow University. Kidding of course. Are there any places or things you recommend me doing/seeing once I get there?

I'll let you know my next life-changing decision once I get out of Glasgow and you can help determine that one too, ^_^.

[racheeeeee]

(Original post by TheHQ)
I live in North London and I'm going to the Uni of Glasgow to study Dentistry

I'm going to study in Glasgow Caledonian and from north london too
well i think its north.. north west or west... LOOL