<p>Ok, I am the dad about to make the trip to Scotland and the UK to do a preliminary evaluation of Universities for my son, entering 2013. I find the prospect of sending my son to the UK a no-brainer. Tuition seems to be half that of private schools in the US and he will get international exposure and unique resume/cv. Further, the UK universities are three years so he could go for a business degree and then get a masters at the London Business School for a fraction of what it would be (time and money) in the US. What am I missing?
He is interested in business and the following schools are on the list
St Andrews
Edinburgh
Durham
York
Warwick
Coventry.</p>
<p>Can anyone comment on the lifestyle (i.e, St Andrews a small town vs Edinburgh) or provide additional insight?</p>
<p>I love the UK, and love the feel of cambridge university etc… and I am aware it is somewhat trendy to go to schools like st andrews but, I will say it is not necessarily a good choice. there are a lot of reasons but, that is a personal choice. maybe a semester or summer abroad will do and find a school with a generous aid here in the US.</p>
<p>I’m particularly familiar with the first three places, although from multiple visits and not from living there as a student. Durham and York are in great locations for travel because they are right on the London-Edinburgh train line, York especially so because the cross-country trains to Birmingham and Bristol go through there as well. They are both very walkable. York is larger and has more cultural opportunities. Of course, both have magnificent cathedrals. A degree from Durham would probably carry more weight in the United States.</p>
<p>Edinburgh is a beautiful city, and there are so many things to do – lots of music, art, theatre year-round. Some people find it bleak – the grey stone buildings in the damp cold (and it can get quite cold there in winter, a bone-chilling cold) depress some people. Arthur’s Seat, a hill in Edinburgh, offers good hiking opportunities and great views (when it’s not socked in).</p>
<p>Scottish universities actually have 4-year bachelor’s degrees. Besides, although tuition in the UK may be cheaper than in US private schools, you normally get no financial aid as an international student. When financial aid and living expenses are factored in, it may be actually cheaper to study in the US than in many UK universities.</p>
<p>For us, the deal-killer is that you only study your major… no general ed. So my physics major son would not get any exposure to humanities, philosophy, social studies. From a science advancement standpoint, his bachelors would equal a masters here is the US, but at what cost? Is this not the time to explore and learn? Anyway, not for us.</p>
<p>if you want to study lots of unrelated subjects you should consider going back to middle school. university is for studying a degree which will be relevant for your future career</p>
<p>Ah, but that’s the very philosophical difference between American and British universities. I’ve been in both systems. For students who like to delve into one area and not take anything else, the British system is a strong one. Most students I know, however, relish the opportunity to take a variety of subjects. Some start out planning to major in one subject, take a course in a totally different area and find their love/calling. In universities that require applications to one particular college (for example, engineering schools), students often find that what they thought they wanted to study isn’t for them, and sometimes it’s very difficult to switch majors without going to school for extra semesters.</p>
<p>In college, I took courses in two languages, four sciences, math, and multiple other subject areas in humanities and social sciences. I was far better prepared for a career because I had a well-rounded education. The more one studies a variety of subjects, the more one understands that they are indeed related. Take four “unrelated” subjects – Astronomy, Classics, Psychology, and Geometry. There are more connections among them than I could even enumerate here. Part of being a well-educated person is understanding the connections.</p>
<p>OK, Im back from a week long tour of UK schools. I will not comment on rankings etc as their are others more qualified, instead I will simply post my observations.</p>
<p>I visited St Andrews, Edinburgh, Durham, York and Warwick. I travelled the equivalent of New York to Richmond.</p>
<p>St Andrews- beautiful town and campus. Y0u cant tell where the campus starts and the town ends. Seemed a little remote and there was no direct train service to London. International admissions staff friendly and helpful. Four year program.</p>
<p>Edinburgh- If your son or daughter would prefer a more city like environment to a small town, this is a gorgeous place to go to school. Kind of like Scotlands equivalent of Boston. 60,000 students in the city. </p>
<p>Durham. The main campus is beautiful but the queens campus (where the business chool is) seems a bit isolated and I got the feeling I was at a community college. Brand new buildings and a great reputation for business but not the most welcoming environment. It was my number 1 choice for my son based on reputation but is now out of te running based on its location.</p>
<p>York- winner winner chicken dinner. The most beautiful village in England, a three year degree (4th year for a masters) and a brand new, state of the art campus (they just invested $700 million and it shows. Great staff, great campus and if my wife visits York she may never come home. 2 hours to London by train or you can fly into Manchester.</p>
<p>Warwick- Great state of the art campus, about twice the size of York but lacking the quaint village. Near Coventry, which is not the greatest of all UK cities. Campus was US like. If your son is happy on campus and does not need a nearby town, this is a great option.</p>