I am looking at Saint Andrews but I’m a bit confused about the admissions process. It looks like you apply directly into a major, so are some harder or easier to get into than others? I know they have good international relations and economics programs, so will those be harder to get into than other majors?
IR is one of the most popular majors, and as you know from basic economics, the higher the demand for something the more ‘expensive’ it tends to be - in this case the cost is in credentials (ie, test scores, essay, LoR) .
You are correct that in the UK you apply directly into a major. St A’s is arguably the closest UK uni to an American-style uni, in that you do have the option to take a few classes outside your major, but for the most part you study your subject. Each course will list the specific (minimum) admissions requirements; in general, as an international student your extra fees will help.
For example, there are 48 different courses that involve economics, but if you go to the [url=<a href=“http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/media/study/documents/ug/prospectus/economics-and-finance.pdf%5Dprospectus%5B/url”>http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/media/study/documents/ug/prospectus/economics-and-finance.pdf]prospectus[/url] page for Econ & Finance you will see that if you are interested in a BSc in Econ, your exams must include an AP score of 5 or SAT Subject score of 700+ in one of math, bio, chem, comp sci, geography, geology, physics or psych (the BA in Econ is only available through the joint William & Mary/St Andrews program). IMO, math is the most important- and useful- of those.
IR on the other hand only requires the SAT OR ACT, OR either 2 subject tests (700+) or 2 APs (5+) in history / government subjects. And that is an important clue: for such a selective course, applying with just the minimum SAT or ACT will not only make it less likely for you to get an offer, but (and this actually matters) leaves you starting from behind when you actually arrive to do the course if you do get an offer. Your peers will mostly have taken lots of history / politics courses, and even done a lot of reading/involvement outside the classroom- b/c they are genuinely interested in the course. Even St As- which minds you more than most UK unis- is not going to hold your hand if you find yourself behind from the get-go- you will be expected to have or get the necessary background.
Thank you for this response! Are programs such as modern history usually easier to get into?
Yes and no. I think you’ll need to have similar stats, but if you do, then you have a pretty good chance of getting in. St Andrew’s has a reputation for really wanting US students and their $$.