<p>Before I worry about how the university is different from American colleges, I want to get information about how admissions work there. What factors are most strongly considered? I have checked and I exceed all of the grade/SAT requirements so what else should I worry about? Do they offer scholarships for international students?</p>
<p>Do you have the relevant APs for the course you want to take? In approx order of weight - for St. A’s, which takes so many Americans that they do consider GPA- it is relevant APs > SAT > GPA > recommendations & personal statement. The UK is much more straightforward, esp. for US students. If you have the numbers and don’t make a total mess of the PS you are likely to get an offer. Do consider that St As is deep in the heart of nowhere though. I would not hold out much hope of money from them though- US students are more a source of revenue.</p>
<p>Yes, I have 4’s and 5’s in relevant subject areas. But are you saying that they care more about AP scores than SATs and GPA??</p>
<p>Yes, blueduck, that is exactly what we are saying. Your AP test scores are the most important.</p>
<p>The British system is completely different. British students take exams called “A-levels” which are the main factor in which college they are admitted to (if any!). American AP tests are the closest thing we have in the US to A-levels, so this is what British colleges look at when they get an American applicant.</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>With 4 and 5’s on APs (3 or 4 of them), GPA>3.6 and SATs >2000 you are pretty much guaranteed a spot. I think there is now one scholarship for US students so no-don’t expect a cent. It is very expensive to live in St. A.</p>
<p>blueduck1122,</p>
<p>As I have done a fair amount of research about St Andrews, I thought I should share the following with you. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>St Andrews accepts slightly less than one of every ten applicants it receives. That makes its overall admit rate roughly comparable to Dartmouth (10.05%) but slightly more competitive than Penn (12.10%).</p></li>
<li><p>According to the London Times and the Guardian, St Andrews has the fifth most competitive admission standards in the UK behind only Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, and the London School of Economics. (As a rough rule of thumb, Cambridge and Oxford are to Britain what Harvard and Yale are to America, while Imperial College is the British MIT, and the London School of Economics is its Wharton.)</p></li>
<li><p>Both the London Times and the Guardian rank St Andrews as the fourth best university in Britain behind Cambridge, Oxford, and the London School of Economics.</p></li>
<li><p>While it is somewhat easier for American students to gain admission to St Andrews than it is for UK applicants, admission for American students to St Andrews is nonetheless demanding and subject to the same kind of vagaries one experiences when applying to top U.S. universities. Qualifications such as a 5 or a 4 on AP Tests in your area of study or a 1,950 on the SAT are minimum requirements. Thus, for example, St Andrews rejected otherwise highly qualified students from my top New England prep school with SAT scores above 2,300. </p></li>
<li><p>I don’t think there is a one size fits all answer to how St Andrews weighs disparate admission factors such as grades and test scores. At St Andrews, you are admitted to read one or two subjects. If you apply to “major” in a subject or subjects that feature AP tests and SAT II subject tests, my sense is that a candidate would be well served to have a 5 on those AP tests and/or a 700+ on those SAT subject tests. However, if you apply to major in a subject that does not have an AP test or SAT subject test, I would think that your grades, SAT scores, and the quality of your high school (St Andrews seems to favor top prep schools) would assume greater importance. </p></li>
<li><p>St Andrews is not ideally suited for American students who require full financial aid because the full scholarships it offers are very limited and difficult to obtain. Nevertheless, St Andrews offers every American student the functional equivalent of financial aid because it is roughly $25,000 to $30,000 (I believe) less expensive than a comparable private university in America. Moreover, it administers U.S. Stafford loans and offers international scholarships up to $5,000 GPB ($8,000 USD +/-) per year. As a result, St Andrews may be a good financial fit for American students who require the functional equivalent of substantial, but not full, financial aid.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I am an American and I applied to St. Andrews around a week ago using the common app. When is the earliest people have heard their admission decision? Will I find out pretty soon? It sounds like Europeans who can’t use the common app hear back later in the winter. Could I still hear fairly soon since its rolling?</p>
<p>Hi jazz1005! I’m an American student who applied (and accepted a place!) to St. Andrews. I applied over the UCAS system and found out exactly three weeks later. However, I applied to King’s College London through the CommonApp and I have yet to hear from them. I emailed them and they said that because the CommonApp is not as frequently used in the UK, it takes much longer for them to process all the information. My guess is that this possibly might be happening with you for St.A.</p>
<p>How competitive is st A’s admission for international applicants? I am a Chinese student studying in a US boarding school and planning to apply for its int’l relations degree. Am I likely to be accepted with a resonably relevant PS and good AP and SAT records (2170 supersocre in SAT and 5s on 8 APs)? </p>
<p>Also, did you send your SAT and AP scores directly to the university? Or did you just self reported them on UCAS’s education section? </p>
<p>Ths!</p>
<p>@Three263W It’s pretty competitive - you aren’t guaranteed an offer by any means. However, if you meet the state entry requirements, then it’s worth applying. </p>
<p>Are you applying anywhere else in the UK? If so, you’ll have to use UCAS, in which case you just self report them in the UCAS education section. Do be aware that they will ask for proof later on. </p>
<p>Do make sure that you understand what is required in a PS though - it should be at least 80% focused on why you want to study that subject, and the remaining 20% should be ECs, with a focus on relevant ECs. UK unis are looking for people who are a bit obsessed with their subject, not people with long lists of ECs and leadership positions. There’s a lot of info out there on the internet… use it!</p>