Applying from college
Welcome to our resource page to help you with your journey through the university application process. Below you will find a wealth of information and resources to ease you through the application timeline, including what to expect throughout the UCAS application process, making an application to St Andrews, our interview process and what life is like as a student at St Andrews from some current students.
The UCAS process
Most universities can be applied to through UCAS. Through this service you will fill out an application form with your details, previous qualifications and course choices, a personal statement and referee details. Give yourself enough time to familiarise yourself with the UCAS website and application form.
Start this by creating an account and looking through the different stages of the application. By doing this early, you will give yourself enough time to understand the process and be able to ask any questions that may arise.
Find out more about application guidelines and resources on the UCAS website.
Application deadlines
15 October at 6pm for courses at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, medicine, veterinary medicine or science, and dentistry (check these dates with the specific universities that you plan applying to).
15 January at 6pm for most other courses.
Key UCAS information
- You may apply up to five different courses (we recommend that you only apply to the one course at St Andrews).
- You only write one personal statement which is read by all the universities you apply to - avoid name dropping specific universities.
- There is a character and line limit for your personal statement: 4,000 characters and 47 lines.
- UCAS have an application fee: £20 for a single choice, or £26 for more than one choice.
Writing your personal statement
The personal statement is your chance to show universities what you will offer as a student. The personal statement is the main bulk of your application, and you should spend a good amount of time working on this. The character and line limit may seem like a large amount at first, but you will soon realise the difficulty in keeping to the set limits. The limit of 4,000 characters or approximately 47 lines does not surpass an A4 page on Microsoft Word.
Watch our short video for some hints and tips.
You can also find out more about writing a personal statement on the UCAS website.
The right course for you
Working out what course is right for you
Getting the course that is right for you is incredibly important, here are some tips on choosing a course:
- Understand what excites you – take note of what you enjoy academically in your current course.
- Narrow your criteria: arts or science (but could be both at university).
- Look at the websites and prospectuses from a range of universities – look at the content they cover and what modules they offer.
- Try and figure out the ‘personality’ of your chosen universities, and make sure they align with the experiences you would most engage with. For example, city life, extra-curricular activities, employment opportunities, specific modules.
What to start thinking about
- Allocating time within your current schedule to keep on top of your application.
- Your personal statement should reflect who you are whilst engaging with the subject you choose to apply to.
- The personal statement should not be a last-minute write-up.
Resources
- Choosing a course and university – UCAS advice on what to consider before delving into the search for specific courses and universities.
- UCAS university and course search tool
- What can I study at university? – subject guides and potential career options from Times Higher Education.
- Explore subjects at university – a UCAS comprehensive, organised list of all subjects available to study at university. Click on a specific subject you have in mind to read what that subject looks like at university.
- Job profiles and requirements – Prospects website that allows you to search for jobs by sector or letter.
- Subjects available at St Andrews.
Finance
Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)
- Online application for university funding; including tuition fees, bursaries and student loan
- Tuition fees are covered by SAAS if you are Scottish and applying to a Scottish institution
- SAAS will consider your eligibility for the tuition fees, bursaries and student loan
- SAAS Guide to undergraduate funding 2020-2021 (this will be updated for 2021 soon)
- Deadline for SAAS application is around the end of March, but they recommend you do this as soon as possible
- Give yourself enough time to familiarise yourself with the application, especially when SAAS request documents for eligibility
Scholarships
- Scholarships are a financial aid award for students within education.
- This is different from a student loan, as you do not pay a scholarship back.
- Scholarships can be paid in a lump sum or by monthly installments through the semester.
- As soon as you have decided on your universities, visit their websites to find out about scholarships and what the deadlines are. These may be earlier than you think and you should not wait until you receive an offer to apply for scholarships.
Supported Pathways at St Andrews
The University of St Andrews has a designated route for Scottish students studying at further education colleges: the FE-HE Pathway. This route takes you directly into year one of university and provides you with help and support throughout your academic journey.
What happens in the interview?
Some university courses may invite you to attend an interview, including ours. This is a good opportunity to shine and show your enthusiasm for study, so it is important to get it right. Watch our short video for some hints and tips.
Hear from current students
The best people to tell you what it is like to study at St Andrews are our current students. Hear their stories, how the FE-HE pathway has worked for them, and learn a little on what they study and enjoy here at St Andrews.
Life at St Andrews
The University of St Andrews is top in the UK for student academic experience.
Life here is centred around an internationally renowned teaching system, but it is the huge range of additional opportunities only St Andrews can provide which creates a unique experience. Because St Andrews is a small university, students have the opportunity to interact with staff, integrate with each other, and to feel a sense of belonging.
Student Services
From your first day in St Andrews, you will be supported by a host of professional staff within academic Schools, in halls of residence and through the University's Student Services team.
The Students Association and societies
The University of St Andrews Students’ Association – or the Union, as it is better known to students – is the large glass-fronted building located at the end of Market Street. It is dedicated to supporting students throughout their lives at University, focusing on the four core areas of events, student representation, wellbeing and extra-curricular activities. Student sabbatical officers – the 'sabbs' – are well-recognised faces across the University. You'll often find them chairing committees, having a drink in one of the four bars, or attending an event run by one of the student societies.
The Students’ Association is home to 140 different societies and clubs ranging from broad established groups such as the Mermaids theatrical group to the vegetarian and vegan society.
Sport
Whether you're interested in joining a new team at St Andrews or taking your performance to the next level, sport is something that we take seriously.
With over 50 student sports clubs competing at a range of levels, and 12 performance clubs which receive extra support and investment, you're sure to find the right match. The Sports Centre also runs fitness classes if you're looking to meet individual goals.
Traditions
As you might expect from a University dating back over 600 years, St Andrews has its fair share of student traditions which help create a community feel and result in a truly unique student experience. From the May Dip to Raisin Weekend, read about what traditions you could take part in as a student at the University.
Our current students
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Contact us
Our Lifelong Learning team in Admissions will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
You can contact them by emailing lifelonglearning@st-andrews.ac.uk or by phoning +44 (0)1334 46 2132.