1) I didn't read all of this thread, but I just took a year out in Cairo, working in human rights, and I don't think I would have got the job if it wasn't for SOAS. I also met many internationals there, from America and Europe, and always got a very positive reaction when I said I came from SOAS. Ditto when I went to interviews and met people working in the development feild. Ie, I think SOAS's international reputation is much better than it's UK reputation.
2) Alot of the degrees at SOAS, you can't do anywhere else. Or other universities which have departments like 'middle eastern studies', from the looks of them, they're quite small, and in my personal opinion, they have a relitively narrow focus.
3) Also, even with the standard politics or economics degrees, they are quite different to doing economics or politics at durham for example. Because you focus on a different area of the world, and left wing bias is ok. SOAS attttempts to teach you more from an international perspective, 'post colonial' If you're not into that, then just don't come here!
4) There's a high drop out rate at SOAS....because the degrees are actually quite difficult. And the drop out/fail rate doesn't neccisarly correspond with A level results. I got crap A levels and got in through clearing, but got pretty good results, even in Arabic. Friends of mine who got straight As have struggled. So please, stop the clearing snobbery. And last year, they had no places in clearing - that has probally got to do with the fee changes/allocating more places ect this year.