St Andrews Hopefuls 2017

I think it's just to do with equity tbh. My school is so waste they don't even have past A level results on their website aha. I think the concern is that those in independent schools will probably have access to better resources, better quality teachers and management of the school will be of a higher quality (essentially, their priorities are straight).

There's no doubt that you worked hard to get the grades you did most people would have to work hard to get As and A*s. It might just be to do with the contribution your effort made to your grades. For example, I know in some schools the teachers are so bad that you essentially have to teach yourself (I basically have to do this for 2 subjects out the three I'm doing now [The last lesson we had for one of them we spent 90 minutes cutting out and sticking statements on a piece of paper; the statements were already in order and it took 5 minutes, she went around the class doing nothing])

I'm not necessarily trying to complain I really don't care if I have to teach myself the specification it makes no difference but I'd rather not waste my time and I'd rather a teacher that actually IDK, wants to teach?

I don't know much about private schools apart from the fact that in my area, students in private schools often outperform those in state schools. I mean you might actually be in the same situation I am, but I think Uni's make the assumption that you are in a better position and the assumption might not be as irrational as you'd like to think; it's not impossible for Uni's to find Ofsted reports on your school or perhaps just go on the school website.

However, if the conditions you are in are better than those in state schools yet you get the same grades they might pick a state student over you because they can still prove their worth in a situation where proving their worth may be harder.

But hey, who knows.

Nah Human Sciences not PPE

Yeah psychology is pretty good in St Andrews

Yeah, i see where your coming from. Before you decide, you should have a clear plan of something productive to do because they actually want to know if you used your time wisely. If you cant think of any, theres still postgraduate studies and Oxbridge isn't running away, I plan on applying to their clinical course (Oxford) even though its all kinds of hard to get in there.

I'm looking at some of the physics applicants profiles........

Gods, there's no way I'm getting in. I can just see my chances plummeting........

I wouldn't rule yourself out! I'm physics as well and I'm not overly brainy. I think they are also looking for ambition and aptitude . Is St Andrews your first choice for physics?

Yup. Yours?

Anybody applied for BSc Sustainable Development or Geography?

I feel lonely

That's still essentially the same thing. If there's a bunch of people who are all around the same standard they're not going to pick the kid who goes to private school. Happens a lot to people at my school. Just makes you have to be even better. They do discriminate. It annoys me because I worked hard to get perfect grades and the school you attend doesn't take away any of the personal effort put in to get those grades. But I can't do anything about it, life can be unfair

I do think you honestly believe what you're saying, but to be honest you probably have gained a lot by going to a private school. Private schools outperform state schools, which is why universities generally expect private school students to do better, however each person's results are contextualised against their school, so by your definition students who go to good state schools are also 'discriminated against'.

You also don't know that a lot of people from your school got rejected for being from a private school, as I very much doubt they were actually told that by an admissions officer.

In response to your second point, I'm not saying you didn't have to work hard, but if you had gone to a worse preforming school you would have had to work a lot harder to get the same grades. And surely someone who was far less likely to get as good grades as you did yet still managed it shows more potential to do well at Oxbridge??

Finally, Oxbridge's acceptance rate is higher for private schools than state, so you might want to reconsider the extent to which there is 'discrimination' in the system.

I applied for Geography!
haha I was starting to think I was the only one...

They gave me an offer for theoeretical and i got ABB in As

.......omg, people are getting offers?

I applied for physics (f300)

Congrats, btw! Are you going to give A2?

I think the people with Physics offers right now applied before the Oxbridge deadline, could be wrong though.

I think the people with Physics offers right now applied before the Oxbridge deadline, could be wrong though.

Oh, yeah. I didn't apply to oxbridge, I sent my application on 7th. I've only received 2 offers by now

UGH, I'M DYING HERE. HURRY UP ST ANDREWS

why does nobody seemed concerned that St Andrews is in Scotland ?