Prospective students

• I have applied to the University of St Andrews for September 2020 entry – will my application be affected?

  The University of St Andrews remains open and applications are currently being assessed within our normal timeframes. We will continue to make decisions as usual, and these will be communicated to applicants by email within normal timescales. We know you have worked extremely hard to get to this point, and we value all you have done. We are committed to making decisions on your application in a timely and evidence-based way.

  At St Andrews, we will adopt a model of dual mode delivery in teaching in Autumn 2020. For students and new entrants who can travel safely, we aim to provide a blend of online tuition with small-group teaching observing social-distancing requirements. For those who may be unable to travel to begin the new term on 14 September, we will provide comprehensive tuition remotely, and a smooth transition to teaching in St Andrews once travel restrictions are lifted.

  If you have specific questions related to your own circumstances, please get in contact with us by emailing admissions@st-andrews.ac.uk

• Can I still apply for SAAS funding?

  A guide to student finance in Scotland and up-to-date information relating to how to apply as well as how SAAS are addressing the ever-evolving situation with Coronavirus can be obtained from Student Information Scotland.

• Will dual delivery mean tuition fees for taught programmes are reduced?

  No. The University is committed to delivering parity in quality of study and student experience for all students. For any period of time that you may need to spend engaging with your learning remotely, parity of tuition fees will also apply and there will be no adjustment to tuition fees.

  The university’ s priority is to transition to face to face learning as soon as it is safe and possible to do. This may mean that for some of the learning activities students will engage remotely. As it is likely that various social distancing measures will be in place and students will be joining us at different stages, we have committed to dual delivery (both on line and face to face) as long as it takes to have all our students here.

  The university is committed to ensuring parity for students engaging remotely in terms of content, intensity, learning outcomes and academic development. Your access to academic staff is equivalent and where necessary, additional support has been put in place to support you academically.

  You will also be able to access essential Library materials as if you were studying in St Andrews, and we are currently enhancing access to on-line resources further. Regardless of where you are studying, full Student Services support is available to you across all aspect of university life. Additionally, as far as possible you will be able to engage with student societies, halls of residence communities and events.

  While we will support our students to transition effectively between the different methods of engagement, our objective is to integrate our community and ensure that as soon as it is safe and sensible to do, students can join us in St Andrews.

• My exams have been disrupted and I have a conditional offer – will my application be affected?

  We know you have worked extremely hard to get to this point, and we value all you have done. We are committed to making decisions on your application in a timely and evidence-based way.

  Your exam boards, high schools, college counsellor or teacher should be gathering any alternative evidence on your performance as they would do in the normal way, and as per their own internal guidance, to support any consideration of exceptional circumstances. This evidence should inform estimated grades, again as it should every year. If we require additional information, we will ask you to provide it to us by emailing myapplication@st-andrews.ac.uk and International Foundation programme applicants emailing ifpapplications@st-andrews.ac.uk.

  We are following our admissions policy for extenuating circumstances. You can find full details of how we consider extenuating circumstances in our admissions policy.

• If I miss my conditions and make the decision to sit my A level exams in Autumn will my place be automatically deferred to 2021 entry?

  We will be accepting the grades issued this summer by the relevant recognised authority. 

  If you do not meet the conditions set out in your offer and you choose to sit an exam in Autumn 2020, we will not be in a position to guarantee you an offer of a place in 2021. However, we would encourage you to submit a new application through UCAS in the normal way. 

• I have applied through UCAS – when do I need to accept my offer by?

  UCAS have extended their reply deadline meaning that all offer holders now have until the 18 June 2020 to make their decisions.

• As a result of disruption to exams, will you be making all conditional offers unconditional?

  We know you have worked extremely hard to get to this point, and we value all you have done. We are committed to making decisions on your application in a timely and evidence-based way.

  We will therefore be accepting the grades issued this summer by the relevant recognised authority. Providing you meet all of the conditions of your offer with us by the deadline stated on your offer letter, your offer will be confirmed and you will be accepted by the University. This applies to all offer holders who are holding a conditional offer, irrespective of qualification. 

• I have an International Foundation Programme offer. Will my deposit be refunded if I choose to decline my place due to Coronavirus?

  To accept and secure an offer of a place on one of our International Foundation Programmes, you are required to pay a deposit of £3,000. If Coronavirus affects your travel plans or our start date to the extent that you wish to decline our offer of a place on the foundation programme, we will refund your deposit in full.

• I have an offer to start studying in September, may I defer my place?

  For those who may be unable to travel to join us for induction on 7 September, and the start of teaching on 14 September, we will provide comprehensive tuition remotely, and a smooth transition to the classroom on joining us in St Andrews once travel restrictions are lifted.

  We realise however, that the ​Coronavirus crisis may have changed your undergraduate study plans. Requests for deferral will be considered sympathetically on a case by case basis. You ​​will need to give a good reason for deferral and support your request with as much evidence as possible, for example, cancellation or delay of exams at your previous institution or financial implications resulting from the crisis.

• I have a conditional offer, and I do not think I will make my conditions, what do I do?

  You should keep a record of any issues that could affect your academic results. Then, if your final grades do not meet our conditions, you can present a case to us with your evidence and we can fairly consider it at that time.  

  You should email myapplication@st-andrews.ac.uk when you know the outcome of your grades and qualifications and ensure that your school includes any details regarding your individual circumstance at that time. International Foundation programme applicants should do the same but email ifpapplications@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

  You can also find full details of how we consider extenuating circumstances in our admissions policy. 

• I would have liked to visit before accepting my offer, are there any virtual options?

  Until further notice we will be offering a virtual information session in place of our talk and tour, every weekday.  

  This session will be hosted by a member of Admissions staff and will cover our flexible degree structure, accommodation, student life and more. 

  You can also book an 'ask a student Q&A' as part of your virtual visit. This session is hosted by one of our summer student Ambassadors and provides an opportunity for you to ask all your student experience questions. If you do not have time for a session, you can meet more of our ambassadors on the ask a student page.

  You can also watch a virtual tour of St Andrews, led by a student Ambassador.

   

• I am booked on to a visiting day or talk and tour visit – is this still going ahead?

  Our Offer holder day, visiting days and talk and tour offerings have all been amended to be delivered virtually. Information on these events has been emailed to everyone booked (using the email address given when booking). If you have not received information or are unsure on next steps, please email visitingdays@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

• I am expecting to attend an Access & Widening Participation Outreach event and/ or Summer School – is this still going ahead?

  Until further notice we will be offering a revised programme of Access & Widening Participation activities and Summer Schools in a range of virtual formats. 

  Admissions staff have contacted all pupils involved in these programmes.  

  If you have further questions, please contact schools.access@st-andrews.ac.uk and we will provide you with more tailored guidance.

• I may be starting in September from a different time zone, will lectures be recorded for me to access at any time?

  Yes, all lectures will be recorded and available online through our online teaching platforms. You will be able to access these at any time.

• Are there delays expected in being able to obtain a visa?

  The Home Office has assured us that they are not expecting any delays to visa processing and it will be the same as previous years. Premium application centres will also be operating student Saturdays and there are also super priority and priority services available at an additional cost.

• Can I arrive 14 days early in order to quarantine in halls of residence before orientation week?

  Yes, students from outside the UK will be able to arrive from 24 August in order to complete a 14-day quarantine period before the start of orientation week on 7 September. This two-week stay will be free of charge, and students will not need to pay any additional accommodation costs. Food will be delivered to each student in their room during this quarantine period. We will do all we can to make your quarantine period as comfortable as possible.

• To meet the conditions of my offer I must give proof of my qualifications, how do I do this?

  We can accept scanned copies of original certificates, transcripts and test results from all qualifications. Please email them to us at myapplication@st-andrews.ac.uk to confirm your place with us.  

• I have accepted an unconditional offer to start studying with you in September. What are my next steps?

  You will receive an ‘Entrant’ email from us. You should receive this email once your offer has become unconditional and usually within two weeks if your offer was previously conditional with us.  

  This email will provide information to enable you to set up your St Andrews Computer Account, apply for accommodation as well as a whole range of other things.  

  Our Registry Team send these ‘Entrant’ emails out from June. 

  
  More information about your next steps can be found on the following webpage: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/new-students/ug/

• I have accepted an unconditional offer, when will I receive information about my CAS number?

  The CAS process commences early June for Overseas entrants and Registry will contact you by email requesting that you upload your passport and confirm your preliminary CAS information. You are unable to apply for your visa more than three months before the start date of your course.

• My university is changing how and when I will receive my current degree – will my application be affected?

  We appreciate that there are many circumstances that are out of your control.   

  If you firmly know that you will not receive your degree award in time to meet the conditions of your offer, please let us know about your specific circumstances by emailing us:

  • Taught programmes (most Masters programmes): pgt.application@st-andrews.ac.uk 
  • Research programmes: pgr.application@st-andrews.ac.uk  

• I have a conditional offer, and I do not think I will make my conditions, what do I do?

  You should keep a record of any issues that could affect your academic results. Then, if your final grades do not meet our conditions, you can present a case to us with your evidence and we can fairly consider it at that time. 

  Your university may wish to consider providing you with information on: 

  • When setting your assignments and examinations, did your university make consideration to the very unusual circumstances under which you have produced the work?  
  • Did your university adjust your assessments, examinations or overall grades in the academic year to make fair allowance for your individual circumstance? 

  When you firmly know the outcome of your degree award, you should let us know by emailing: 

  • Postgraduate taught (Masters) programmes: pgt.application@st-andrews.ac.uk 
  • Postgraduate research programmes: pgr.application@st-andrews.ac.uk 

  You can find full details of how we consider extenuating circumstances in our admissions policy. 

• I have an offer to start studying a postgraduate taught course in September, may I defer my place?

  For those who may be unable to travel to join us for induction on 7 September, and the start of teaching on 14 September, we will provide comprehensive tuition remotely, and a smooth transition to the classroom on joining us in St Andrews once travel restrictions are lifted.

  We realise however, that the ​coronavirus crisis may have changed your postgraduate study plans. Requests for deferral will be considered sympathetically on a case by case basis. You ​​will need to give a good reason for deferral and support your request with as much evidence as possible, for example, cancellation or delay of exams at your previous institution or financial implications resulting from the crisis.

• I need a Tier 4 visa – will Coronavirus impact this process?

  Globally all visa application centres are currently closed and travel restrictions are in place. The University is working on the basis that these measures will be relaxed in time for semester 1 to go ahead as expected. We intend to begin our CAS issuing process in June as normal, and once you receive your CAS you can apply for a Tier 4 visa. It is possible that the current shutdown may lead to a higher volume of visa applications in the Summer months and this may cause a delay in the visa processing timescale, but we do not know for sure. The UK Government should make any delay to standard timescales very clear on the application webpage, and you could then choose to pay extra for a priority service to ensure your visa is delivered in time. This FAQ will be updated as and when the official guidance changes.

• I was not able to take an English Language test due to Covid-19 restrictions. What should I do?

  In order to accommodate applicants who are not able to take IELTS or other similar tests during this difficult time, we are now accepting the following online tests of English language ability as a special measure for 2020 entry:

  • Duolingo English Test (DET)
  • LanguageCert
  • TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition  (not available in mainland China and Iran)

  Our English language requirements for postgraduate students page provides information about the scores needed for entry on these and other tests.

  We are also temporarily accepting IELTS and other listed tests taken within four years of an intended course start date as evidence of English language ability. These tests are normally only accepted if taken within two years of an intended course start date.

  If you have not achieved the required score for entry on one of the above English tests then you may be able to use your score to enrol on a pre-sessional course, through which you can meet English language entry requirements. Please see the pre-sessional course English language entry requirements for more details. If you have met English language entry requirements, you are still encouraged to take the 4-week pre-sessional course on an optional basis, to give you a solid foundation in using academic English before starting your postgraduate studies.