Each year, Options Solutions team members visit many, many post-secondary institutions. These visits allow us to learn beyond what is readily available on the internet and in print materials. While on campus, we often meet with admission staff and Options alumni who attend the institution. We love learning about the nuance and vibe of each place and about all the hidden opportunities that exist there.
Our Options on Tour series highlights some of our recent adventures and shares them with you. We’ll feature what we saw, who we met, and what neat things/hidden nuggets we learned.
University of St Andrews – St Andrews, Scotland
At the beginning of June, Melinda took a trip to the UK for the UCAS International Conference. While she was there, she popped in to several universities. Read on for the highlights from her visit to St Andrews.
The basics
- St Andrews is Scotland’s first university and the third oldest in the English-speaking world.
- The University’s Schools and Departments all belong to one of the four Faculties.
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Divinity
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Science.
- There are more than 150 student societies ranging from artistic and musical to religious and cultural.
- For the academic year 2023-2024, St Andrews had 10,234 students. 8388 of which were undergraduates.
- St Andrews is the most international of Scotland’s universities and one of the most international in the UK. There are more than 135 countries represented in the 2023-2024 student population.
Featured academic program
- St Andrews is known for their programs in the humanities, with internationally recognized strengths in divinity, philosophy, international relations, and economics.
- Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Conservation
- Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology
- Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Biology
- Master of Arts in Medieval History (equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts)
Interesting facts
- St Andrews has garnered numerous accolades. In 2020, it was named University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide. Additionally, the University was awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for its outstanding teaching and student satisfaction.
- St Andrews has many traditions. Academic families are a spontaneous tradition where third and fourth-year students can adopt first-year students as their ‘children’ to act as mentors and introduce them to student life.
- The “PH” initials set into cobblestones outside Sallies Quad mark the spot where Patrick Hamilton was burned at the stake in 1528. According to tradition, any student who steps on the PH will be cursed to fail their degree. The only cure for Patrick Hamilton’s curse is to participate in the annual May Dip. At sunrise on May Day, students make their way down to East Sands and collectively run into the North Sea.
Check out our Admissions category for all our Options on Tour posts!
