Top School, Last Choice? Students Reflect on Their Safety School's Top Ranking
St Andrews took the top spot in two national league tables last month, besting Oxford and Cambridge in a prestige boost that has continued to enhance its reputation as a leader in UK higher education.
In the span of a week, the University was ranked first in The Guardian and The Sunday Times 2024 annual guides to undergraduate courses—a feat that only Oxford and Cambridge have accomplished in the rankings’ histories. That comes as the university has upped its place on a series of other rankings tables over the past several years, positioning it as challenger to the longstanding Oxbridge duopoly over UK higher education.
But despite its rise in the rankings, some of its students say that it wasn’t their first choice, or even near the top of their list, when they applied to university.
Second-year student Alex Barnard, for instance, said that she is “somewhat sceptical” about the school’s ranking.
Barnard initially had Oxford at the top of her list for Universities, recalling that her secondary school counsellors discouraged students from applying to St Andrews, pushing Oxford and Cambridge as the preferred schools. That reinforced Barnard’s earlier doubtful perception of the University, which was influenced by the fact that her mum, an alumni, attended the University when its reputation was of a “largely unknown” and “obscure” school.
Other international students say they also just didn’t know the school well.
Thea McDonald, second year, acknowledges that she knew St Andrews to be a relatively distinguished school. But she said she knew little about the community outside of its academics.
At McDonald’s secondary school, American schools were often presented as the choices with the most prestige. At first, she gave St Andrews little thought, believing its academics to be inferior to her top choices in the States, particularly for her program of interest. Plus, her top schools in the US were often depicted as having a more lively social scene.
But after university acceptances came out and she realised she would not be attending her top choice in America, she turned her attention to the UK, accepting her offer from St Andrews.
Kate MacGregor, a student from Toronto, also began her time at St Andrews with uncertainty. MacGregor admits that she was unfamiliar with St Andrews, having heard very little of the school through her Canadian friends and family. “I wanted to get outside of my comfort zone a little more, so I kind of took a gamble and came to St Andrews”, she said.
The University’s new ranking wasn’t baked into some of these students’ initial impressions of the school. But high student satisfaction, which was perhaps the greatest contributor to St Andrews top ranking, might explain why some have started to change their minds, Barnard said.
“I think schools swing one way or the other, some too far into being just academic”, Barnard. “I think St Andrews is somewhere in the middle.”
The sense of community at St Andrews is another factor that changed some interviewees’ minds about the school. As McDonald gradually became connected to the University’s eccentric community, she began to feel she had made the right choice. That’s particularly after she experienced unique traditions like Raisin Weekend and grew familiar with the charming campus, she said.
Now, McDonald says that she agrees with the school’s new ranking. “Anyone can find their people here, and I think that’s part of what makes students so happy”, she said. “The community is accepting, and there’s a strong balance between academics and social life, which makes it an agreeable place to study. Plus, I doubt I would have learned as much about myself as I have here had I gone to another school.”
St Andrews’ role in helping students grow as individuals, both interpersonally and academically, might contribute to the high student satisfaction rate, McDonald said.
McDonald’s experience growing to love St Andrews is mirrored in reflections shared by Zhang. She has come to see St Andrews as a “second home” and now declares that she “would genuinely recommend this school to anyone.” She agrees with the school’s top ranking, noting that its uniqueness and sense of community offers a balanced mix of ambition and support.
MacGregor is also now thankful for taking a risk in coming to St Andrews. Why? the strong sense of community in the town, she said.
“It’s really nice being able to walk around town and always see a familiar face”, MacGregor said, adding that the campus’ natural beauty is a benefit of the town. “I think the nature here, especially the beaches, plays a much larger role in student satisfaction than you might think.”
Despite her scepticism, Barnard, too, said she is ultimately happy with her choice to attend St Andrews herself.
“I appreciate being here, it’s just such a nice pace of life”, she said, adding that the tight-knit community enters even into the academic realm, where she can “keep in contact” and find constant support channels.
And even if she didn’t get into Oxford, perhaps its days of glory might be fading, while St Andrews’ have only just begun.
“Even though I initially didn’t want to go here, I knew that it was up-and-coming”, she said.
Illustration by Aimee Robbins
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