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Advice please! SOAS or St. Andrews?

Hey! Im trying to decide to which uni to go (SOAS or St Andrews), and i hope maybe you people could give me some advice!
Im taking a gap year, working at the moment and then going backpacking through South America with a friend for 5 months (jan.-may 2008).
I did the IB and applied to quite a few unis through ucas and ended up choosing St. Andrews as my first choice (Social Anthropology with Spanish),
and SOAS as my second choice (Study of Religions). St Andrews wanted 32 pts, SOAS wanted 30. I ended up getting 30 pts in total and St. Andrews rejected me, saying that they would only take me if i get 2 more points. As i was pretty sure this wasnt going to happen, I got used to the idea of going to SOAS and am now really looking forward to it a lot. I confirmed my place at SOAS for 2008 (deferred entry).
Now i ended up getting 2 more points through regrading, because the IB coordinator at my school sent in my art and extended essay for regrading without me knowing. Now i really have no idea what to do - SOAS or St. Andrews? The problem i have with SOAS is the fact that its in London, which i know is really expensive. St Andrews "only" costs around 3000 pounds for the 4 entire years id be studying there, while SOAS would cost the usual 3000-something per year (i hope i got that right), without the additional living costs. But St. Andrews seems so isolated, whereas London is just so central, vibrant, exciting...
Im equally passionate about both courses (study of religions/ social anthropology + spanish), which doesnt make things easier!
My priorities are:
- quality of academics (obviously) (not to be confused with just prestige)
- international, open-minded environment
- interesting course

What would you do in my case? SOAS or St. Andrews? :confused:

Hope someone can give me advice. :smile:

Reply 1

Alexii

quality of academics will be great at both, but as far as i'm concerned soas destroys St Andrews with regard to the latter two. I've just finished a gap year in which I backpacked in S. America too, I learnt a fair amount of Spanish and would love to learn some more at some point but it's a fairly easy language to learn so I reckon you could leave that till a later date.

Go to SOAS!

Reply 2

Sarah989

Go to St Andrews if you want to be with stuck up posh people from private schools.
Go to SOAS if you want to be stuck with radically left wing socialists.
The choice is yours! :biggrin:

Reply 3

lolita is my boyfriend

go to soas

Reply 4

Betong Åsna

Yeh, Soas seems to suit your tastes better. St Andrews is nice and all, but just seems a bit ... calm, I suppose.

Reply 5

Exoskeletal

SOAS certainly has an undeniably international atmosphere.

and if your username is Jammin', then pick SOAS, because you'll hear bob marley a lot round here. :wink:

Reply 6

ma2k5

I would post this somwhere less bias - since it is a huge decision :smile:

Reply 7

cheesecakebobby

But SOAS students are the smartest people in the world, asking anywhere else would be foolish, whatever the question may be.

Reply 8

Betong Åsna

I imagine she posted it both here and in the St Andrews forum. If not, her mind is already subconsciously made up, and she just wants to make sure!

Reply 9

adriendlm

Sarah989

Go to St Andrews if you want to be with stuck up posh people from private schools.
Go to SOAS if you want to be stuck with radically left wing socialists.
The choice is yours! :biggrin:

The first is TRUE, but believe me, being a posh person from a private school, if you get into the vibe, you'll ****ing love it... :smile:

just a suggestion for the 2nd one : GO to SOAS if u want to be with mainly rich right winged capitalists who make others believe they are radically left wing socialists coz they have a poster of Che Guevara in their room. :biggrin:

anyways, I'm going to SOAS, and i'm absolutely not left winged... so don't believe all this rubbish... :wink:

Reply 10

Exoskeletal

adriendlm

GO to SOAS if u want to be with mainly rich right winged capitalists who make others believe they are radically left wing socialists coz they have a poster of Che Guevara in their room. :biggrin:

That is such a boring stereotype, and few fulfill it.

Most people at SOAS are really nice. Not everyone's minted, and many aren't outspoken left-wing activist types. (especially in language departments).

Don't go making assumptions about people you've never met.