Short story short I’m committed to 2 colleges: On decision day I committed to university of Washington(Honors) but soon after I got into UCSB( my dream school) but turned it down due to being too expensive. At the end of June I got an offer from the university of St. Andrews in Scotland and accepted being one of my top schools. Due to covid I was unsure and need to make a commitment in the next few days so here is my pros and cons list.
University of Washington( environmental science and terrestrial resource management)
Cons:
- Close to home
- greek life
- “anti- social” school
- weather
- my major: environmental and
- housing expenses
Pros:
- Honors program
- American college experience(dorm life)\
- Large city= more job opportunity
- Cost (27,638) in total, high endownment
St Andrews( Sustainable Development)
- Cons:
- Cost! 29,000/ yr plus housing~ total cost around $51,476(possibility omg getting accommodation award)
- Never having left the country it is complicated going across the world
- town similar to my home town
- again, weather
- less flexibility in course work
- Brexit?
Pros:
- new experience, possibility of traveling around Europe.
- major aligns more withy career interest( Environmental policy)
- tight knit community & traditions (LAC feel)
- international campus
- cheaper living and houses expenses
- inclusivity in sports and societies
Covid plans: st Andrews is taking a hybrid approach while UW is going mostly online. At this point, I would likely go to St Andrews next semester(due to visa complications and covid) and go online for the first and at UW it would still be possible to dorm but no in person classes.
q: could I transfer out my credit if I couldn’t make St. Andrews work long term? How different is the circular / teaching approach at St. Andrews then a a U.S College? Is it worth the extra cost?
If you have insight on UW vs. St. Andrews that would be very helpful:)
With the $22k/year price difference, you can do a lot of traveling.
Academically these are both very good universities.
I think of being “close to home” as a plus. For one thing the travel will be much less. If you need help you can get it. Long flights and jet lag will get old. Also, U.Washington will have a study abroad program.
Would you need to take on debt for St Andrews?
I think that these are both really, really good choices as long as you do not need to take on any significant debt.
@jasminesky321, I agree that University of Washington has its shortcomings, but I believe during these times and with the current offer (honors program, acceptance for environmental science), you would be best served by attending UW. Transfer admission to UW is really tough, even for in-state students. It has become increasingly difficult to get into the first-year honors program as well.
As an aside: my daughter thought she wanted to attend college far away and did not like her UW info session and tour. She just switched from college in NYC to UW. She realized she wanted to live closer to home and her friends and missed the Pacific Northwest and all the great amenities here. And the students do not seem all that anti-social.
Wishing you the best with your choice!
@jasminesky321 In my opinion, you should go to UW. The cost difference between U of St. Andrews and UW is not worth it if you plan on going to graduate school, especially b/c you can save more money by staying at home this year due to online classes. Also, if you want to stay in the PNW, a UW degree will likely have more name recognition than U of St. Andrews, given that a lot of UW graduates end up working in Washington/Oregon.
Also, British universities (idk about U of St. Andrews) tend to be super focused on a singular field of study during your undergraduate degree, given that there isn’t much in the way of “general education” as is common here in the US. If your interests change (and they likely will,) UW will make it much easier to change your major or add another/minor than U of St. Andrews, where you’re likely be expected to dive right in from day one. The UW Honors program is also extremely good/competitive to get in, and the opportunities offered by the smaller classes would rival those of many private schools. Furthermore, as an in-state student, if you’re coming in with Dual-Credit/AP Credit, you can further decrease the amount of time/money you are spending on your degree (I believe UW does have a set tuition and doesn’t charge per credit hour until 18 credits though, so this would be more about graduating a quarter or two early.)
Idk if the department you’re interested in offers this option, but the Engineering departments at UW offer a combined Bachelors/Masters degree program for UW undergraduates, which can save time and money.
Given the current situation, there is no guarantee that the circumstances regarding international travel will be better by the Spring, and you may end up paying the 2-3x as much tuition as UW for online courses.
However, at the end of the day, it’s up to you and your family’s decision on affordability and whether or not it’s “worth it” to YOU. CC can only help provide you with feedback and opinions, not make the choice with you. Good luck with whichever choice you choose! 
Where would the cost difference come from? Can you even afford UW?
Given the pandemic, you might not be able to travel to Scotland for a while. UW is a decent option. Spend some time reading the study abroad info. at the UW website. You might be able to go to St Andrew on a semester or year exchange later on.