St. Andrews History Applicants - 2011 Entry

Dreading this decision :-(

Yup, we can help each other compare

Hey cool, that's a crazy good deal!! I've booked train tickets too but not quite as good a price as you managed to secure, maybe coming from London is more expensive. We (my mum and I) are getting in to St Andrew's fairly late on the Tuesday evening, we'll be staying the night at a hostle called St Andrew's Tourist Hostel (Inchape House, St Mary's Place) so that we can get to the open day early, then leaving at around 5pm for the long journey home. Doesn't give me much free time to look around unfortunately but hopefully it'll be enough to get a feel for the place.

Kate Thackery

Just got a rejection too, they said my personal statement was not strong enough.

Just got a rejection too, they said my personal statement was not strong enough. This i am highly miffed about as when my school contacted oxford to ask why i got rejected from there they said it was merely because of the sheer numbers of people applying and that my personal statement was a particularly strong one. So clearly St Andrews are looking for something Oxford are not, but life goes on. Really wanted to go to st andrews but clearly not meant to be i am sure i will have an amazing time at York. Well Done to all those who have got offer BTW :-)

I am also staying there! But i'm getting there at about dinner time (setting off at 6).

QUOTE; Beetlebum421
Re: St. Andrews History Applicants - 2011 Entry
Hey is anyone else doing Medieval history (V130)? Just got an offer



Hi,
Well done on the offer I just got an offer aswell for Medieval History and International Relations, LV21, so happy!
Are you going on any of the open days?

Ok, i know that you are all going to hate me for asking this but here it goes... I have been having some trouble getting my head around the modular system and i cant work out wether Medieval History and Modern history count as two separate subjects which i can take modules of in my first year much like an English student might take IR as another subject. In other words can i spend my first year taking only history modules if i take them from Modern, Medieval and Ancient history as separate subjects?

Thanks and i'm sorry if its a stupid question

Yep. this is exactly what I am doing right now (and really enjoying it btw). Medieval and Modern are seperate modules and ancient is a seperate module, in a seperate school. different modules do not have to mean different subjects. I have friends who do two maths modules.
However, you are required to take 40 non history credits at subhonours so you would have to change at least one of the history modules each semester in second year. and your adviser might moan abit about it but if you just say theres nothing else you want to do then they'll let you.

Thats great information, thank you! It's put my mind at ease since I was struggling to find another few subjects I would really want to study for another year. I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying it, SAs looks like a lovely place to be. Do you mind me asking whether the small size of the town and univeristy impact much on the university experience (for good or bad)?

Thank so much for your help

I'm going to be honest and say the uni experience is different. St Andrews wasn't my first choice. It was, in fact, my third choice. I was always very into music and imagined going to gigs and stuff at uni and that hasn't really happened. but that is perhaps one of the only things I feel that I've really missed out on But I defiently feel it has worked out for the best.
I never wanted to go to a massive city. I wanted to go to Oxford and Durham. so not massive places. but still a bit bigger than here.
I like that the town is small and that I literally meet so many people whereever I go. The uni experience is good. I still go out a lot and theres still lots of drunkeness and parties. and if you do feel it is too small, it's so easy going to Dundee. I like the laidback atmosphere of St Andrews. For example, I feel comfortable going out in flats, a skirt and a casual top here but I'd feel so underdressed at home and it really has become annoying to dress up all the time at home.
I guess what I'm trying to say is it depends who you are and what you like. There are negatives to a small town but there are so many positives and it really suits me. I went to visit my friend at a big city uni recently and I realised that just wouldn't have been me. most people I know here love it. there are some who don't. but there are people at every uni who don't.

Ok cool, thanks for the honesty. Yeah i see what you mean about the gig thing but then i felt that even at Durham (one of my choices which i got rejected from) there wasnt that much by way of music culture? As you say, the small university atmosphere suits some people and repells others, i guess my concern is that i dont know which of those i am I have grown up in London but then i never did like the raving, out-on-the-town type parties so maybe the smaller pub feel would be fine. I guess i will see whether it is just too small when i visit myself next month.

Thanks again for all your help

I am applying for history on my gap year in October, 2011. I was seriously contemplating St. Andrews but I could not tolerate being so far away from London for so long

Instead, I am applying to:

Durham
UCL
King's College, London
Warwick
Cambridge

Oh, St. Andrews also has poor international rankings.

Yeah, I know what you mean about being very far away, its seems fairly isolated. I also applied to Durham and Cambridge, both are excellent universities. As for Kings and UCL, they are both great but St Andrews is of a similar level, though being in London those two are almost definitely closer to London than SAs

Just to say, one reason SAs ranks slightly lower on the international tables is because of the scoring criteria. Often internationally they measure the research on the quantity produced and for economic value rather than on quality, as a comparatively small university SAs will inevitably achieve lower markings in this respect while universities which are widely considered to be of a lower standard like Leeds score higher. Despite this it ranks within the top hundred in most world league tables and considerably higher in the arts and humanities tables; something which is commendable considering its small size.

It is an amazing university with a good international reputation and prestige, I doubt that I have convinced you to reconsider but that’s just my justification for having applied there

Well, I suppose the fact that Prince William and Kate Middleton went there has significantly enhanced its prestige. Also, it is almost as old as Cambridge.

I hear it is extremely hard to get into though!

I felt that about Durham too but thought that because Newcastle is so close it would be fine.
I grew up on a farm in the countryside so I guess St Andrews suits me because it's really alot bigger than the small village in Ireland were I spent most of my days. but I have to admit I was worried about it before I came. but it has worked out well.
Are you coming for a visiting day? If you need someone to show you around or anything I don't mind if I don't have too much on.