<p>I'm undecided but leaning towards anthropology. I've toured BU but I haven't been to St. Andrews, and due to distance I probably won't be able to before making a decision. </p>
<p>Besides that, I'm not sure where I should go. Any advice?</p>
<p>Well St.Andrews is a far better school in terms of international rankings, but consider finances and also where you would like to be after college. As someone who took that leap only to realize half way through it wasn’t working out, I have a lot of experience in this field.
Are you a U.S. citizen?</p>
<p>Price difference?</p>
<p>I am a U.S. Citizen, but I don’t really know where I want to go afterward, probably grad school, then maybe foreign service? '</p>
<p>Due to financial aid and exchange rates, the costs are basically the same.</p>
<p>Bump</p>
<p>10bumps</p>
<p>Well if you’re an independent and savvy person, who has LOADS of common sense, than moving to a new country wouldn’t be an issue.</p>
<p>However, if you’re spoiled (like me) and have had your parents do your laundry etc. ( like me) then moving to a new country where you won’t know that many people AT ALL might be a shocking change.</p>
<p>It’s honestly up to you, but, know that St.Andrews is very prestigious. The campus is absolutely GORGEOUS, and Scotland is a lovely place.
Boston University has top notch food and it’s a great location to study, but it’s not the same opportunity as St.Andrews!</p>
<p>Collegeundecided: I doubt the costs are exactly the same. You are looking at international fees, and as a foreigner abroad you receive basically no aid (seriously, and don’t expect to find any once you get there). So unless you have been awarded scholarships by the university, the costs are going to be significantly higher.
You also have to factor in things like flights home during the holidays, higher cost of living, etc. etc.
Also, you would want to figure this out pretty soon, as the visa process is pretty arduous, you have to have some proof that you are able to pay in full before they allow you to even get on the plane to go.
BUT, if I’m just making a crap load of assumptions and money isn’t an issue for you, I would say take the opportunity if you’re definitely set on going abroad. Not only will it enrich you personally, but living in another culture is a great backdrop to any field of study, not to mention having Europe so accessible. </p>
<p>Do PM me if you have any questions, I wish I had someone who had been in a similar position when I was in your place.</p>
<p>^ This isn’t necessarily true. It really depends upon the school (StA is about $5000 cheaper currently than U of Sheffield), and it depends upon whether an American student would qualify for aid in the US. One can also figure out most of the cost of living vis a vis room and board costs which one can directly compare before making a decision.</p>
<p>I completely understand that going abroad is not for everyone, but I think the key is to work out the exact details for each situation (schools and student), rather than focus on generalizations.</p>
<p>Well I’m not sure about St. Andrew’s costs specifically, but my position on aid still stands. In the U.S., one may qualify for a lot of aid due to a low EFC, but this does not necessarily transcend across borders. In my experience searching around for scholarships (both merit and need-based), they are very hard to come by for undergraduates abroad (graduate is a different story). And I know this isn’t a generalization because I have spoken to other U.S. students in similar predicaments.</p>
<p>But cost might not even be a major factor for the OP, so I will stop rambling on about it. =]</p>
<p>^Oh we don’t disagree at all on this. I don’t think anyone should assume any financial assistance with going abroad, one has nothing to do with the other. I would hope students and their families would know this but maybe it’s not obvious so worth stating. </p>
<p>My point was simply it depends upon the student and school (but any financial comparison has to be like that-- even comparing two schools in the US-- you would have to take into account differing aid available at each). I assumed the OP had this figured out though. </p>
<p>Here is a great new table at St. Andrews, with the key parts being tuition and room and board (what one typically thinks of as COA), being $27,000. Your point about adding in airfare is there too, and a good one (that is one area people probably forget about):</p>
<p>[ugcoa</a> | Current Students | University of St Andrews](<a href=“http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/money/Internationalstudents/ugcoa/]ugcoa”>Undergraduate cost of attendance | Current Students | University of St Andrews)</p>
<p>How much wiggle room is there in your finances? Currency fluctuates. If year 3 the pound is back up to being almost $2, can you still afford it? Run some scenarios at different rates to make sure you and your parents can afford to keep you there. If the pound dips to being cheaper, can your family move a chunk of money over to take advantage of a good rate?</p>
<p>Many students at St Andrews move into flats with friends after the first year. Perhaps you could email a rental agent asking what the typical cost for a student will be.</p>
<p>The thing is, tuition at St. Andrews is a lot lower than tuition at BU, and I can still take federal student loans and aid. BU’s aid package just made the two equalish in price. (BU tuition and housing starts at $50,000 a year, vs. St. Andrews about $25,000)</p>
<p>And yeah, I don’t plan on coming home more than twice a year. (Summer and Christmas)</p>
<p>And one thing about St. Andrews is that 20% of its students are American, so I don’t think it will be too big of a culture shock, so I really just want to know if I should take the risk.</p>
<p>If I do go, I wouldn’t want to transfer back to the states, because then I wouldn’t know anyone in the school I transfer too, and all the cliques would have been formed already, so I’d be sort of an outsider.</p>
<p>Edit: Anyways, thanks for all your help, but after factoring in other expenses, it looks like Boston is a lot cheaper, since I would have to do things like getting a new phone, so I’m thinking Boston at this point.</p>
<p>You saved me and my parents a lot of money.</p>