Hi! I've got unconditional offers for history at Edinburgh and York, conditional (I'm absolutely certain I'll meet the conditions) at Glasgow, and unconditional for modern history at St Andrews. I'm mostly split between Edinburgh and St Andrews. I know St Andrews is ranked much higher on league tables, though it seems like that's because student satisfaction is dragging it down. Here's the thing: I'm from the US. It seems like St Andrews has a better rep in the UK and Edinburgh is better respected internationally. But honestly, I want to go to the place where I'll have the best learning experience.
So let's say St Andrews has the best formal degree program for history. Edinburgh's in the city, so there are a lot of cultural institutions and resources that St Andrews doesn't have as easily, which I know can have an impact. It's like studying a great history course at a small town in the US vs a good one in the middle of NYC/DC.
Do you have recommendations for where I should go?