Hi. I have applied to University of St. Andrews via the direct application. I applied for a joint honours degree in International Relations and Arabic. I submitted my application four days ago, but I have already received an email stating that they are processing my application. How much longer until I hear a response? I have heard that IR students receive acceptance letters faster than other majors.
Thanks.
App submitted in September, no response yet. In the other threads it was mentioned that last year they responded in March, later than other schools. Who knows…
If your applications are complete and they are not waiting for transcripts or verification of grades I suspect you will hear by Thanksgiving. St Andrews are notoriously slow with UK and EU applicants, the competition is stiff and they wait to see who are the best candidates available since some candidates will rule themselves out by firming other universities, usually the Oxbridge applicants who receive offers.
I am from the US so do you think it will be faster?
@montefiore have you received any email about processing your application?
Yes, two. One about getting it/tuition, and the other one was a request to submit a High school transcript + High School Profile
@montefiore, if you look at the St. Andrews website in the “After Your Apply” link, it states (at least for American applicants and perhaps all international applicants) that if you get your application in by 10/31, they should have an answer to you by the end of the third week of November. I sense that no decisions will be released until around mid-November. My son recently applied as well. @elguapo1 is correct that you should hear before Thanksgiving. Good luck to you!
MANVMom2016, thank you, that’s what I originally thought but then last year’s applicants in another thread said that in reality they got offers in March (and that St.Andrews was the last one to respond compared to other schools). My kid already got an offer from Bristol but the other four are still pending.
@montefiore, you bet. My son received an email that his application is Pending Decision, so I suspect we will hear early next week, before Thanksgiving.
Has your son heard back @MANVMom2016 ?
Hello @user251567 , not yet! Still waiting! It may be because he is applying to a department to which not many American applicants apply?
@MANVMom2016 I applied IR which is a very popular American major and still haven’t heard back 
they said the end of the third week of November and I’m assuming they won’t work over the weekend so wouldn’t today be the day?
Hello! I am also an IR applicant who applied in mid-October and have not heard back… They said it would be the third week in November, and when I emailed them about it they said that applications “will be released when they are released”. Very, very anxious past couple of days!
In the info session this week they said ir is receiving an unusual number of applications and they are gating acceptance rather than rolling.
@VickiSoCal what do you mean by gating admission?
@brismith215 me as well!!!
If all the St. Andrews chatter here on CC is any indication, applications are definitely up this year from American students. I haven’t seen this much talk on the school on this forum in the past few years.
Good luck to all of you!
@VickiSoCal what does “gating admissions” mean?
It means waiting until the deadline or another date before accepting. They don’t want to admit a bunch of people then get better apps next month.
^^what @VickiSoCal said.
Also, UK unis assume that any UCAS apps that come in before 15 Oct include people who are also applying to Oxbridge. In a heavy application year it makes sense that they would want to see who else is applying, before allocating too many places to people who are using them as a 2nd choice/safety.