Which is better, UCL or St Andrews?

I've been completely torn between the two recently, anyone have an opinion on which is better? I'm applying for history

Pheasant2000

Have you already applied and have/are waiting for offers for both? Or is this for an application you intend to submit in the future?

Reply 2

zadown

Original post by Pheasant2000

Have you already applied and have/are waiting for offers for both? Or is this for an application you intend to submit in the future?

Yeah I applied back in October and I'm still waiting for both

Reply 3

Pheasant2000

So this is you trying to decide once offers are in.

Assuming you get offers for all your choices, you will be given a date by which you need to pick your first and second choices (early June, most likely). Ideally, your first choice is your favourite university and has a higher conditional offer that your second (insurance) choice, which would ideally be your next favourite. It is impossible to say which is the best university out of St Andrews and UCL, as it is the one that suits you best. Things you should be considering over the next few months:
1. Look at the units for both courses; does any course suit you better with its content? And do any of your courses offer something alternative during the programme, such as a term or year abroad (this may really appeal to you)
2. How will you be assessed on each course? One may be more coursework/assignment-based than exam-based, and you may have a preference as to how you are assessed
3. Are they the same number of years? If not, do you mind that?
4. Location - have you visited both? Most learners know as soon as they visit a university if it's somewhere they can live for several years (or more importantly, it's somewhere you would struggle to live). I have not been to St Andrews, but suspect it is quite different to UCL. In my experience, learners are more likely to drop out of university because they dislike the place, not the subject they have chosen to study. If you cannot commit to visit in person (it would be worth a long weekend to visit each), check out virtual online tours (not quite the same, but better than nothing)
5. In this tough economic climate, where everything else is pretty much equal, some learners may be swayed by the cost of the location. Prices for halls/accommodation may vary wildly and this may make one location much more attractive than another
6. You can check out the ranking tables for learner satisfaction etc but remember, everyone is different, so something that generated a low ranking from one person may be exactly what you love.
Good luck with choosing; it is a difficult decision but invest the time in the research and you should be fine