The University of Edinburgh (UK)
There are hardly many places to study like The University of Edinburgh, set in one of the world's most magical cities.
It's also right in the heart of Scotland's capital, offering a wealth of opportunities to its 49,000 current students and highly sought after graduates.
As a former Regional Admissions Representative for Edinburgh, I can definitely say I have a special place in my heart for this institution.
However, as a top 20 university in the world and one of the UK's six ancient universities, it still remains one of the most popular choices for the students I currently advise, both for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
And although I have been to campus many times before, here are some of the highlights from my most recent visit!
Edinburgh City
With a population of about 500,000 people, Edinburgh is one of those places that's not too big and not too small.
Easily accessed by train or via its own airport, students are also well-connected to the rest of the UK and Europe here.
It's a very walkable city, albeit hilly -- but this means it's also a great place for those who like the outdoors and an active lifestyle (and have good thighs and lungs!).
Climbing to the top of Carlton Hill as well as Edinburgh's extinct volcano, Arthur's Seat, are two of my favorite pastimes.
At the bottom of Arthur's Seat is actually where the student residences of Pollock Halls are located, which are guaranteed for all first-year international students.
One thing to note about Scotland is that all museums are free, so I definitely love checking out the National Museum of Scotland every time I visit -- and its famous tenant, Dolly the Sheep!
The National Galleries of Scotland are also located here.
In a city with so many fascinating places to explore, the most striking feature is of course the castle, which rests at the top of the Royal Mile and overlooks the Princes Street Gardens, one of Edinburgh's 112 parks.
But I actually prefer to visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which rests at the bottom of the Royal Mile.
This is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland and is also where the lover of Mary Queen of Scots, David Rizzio, was murdered centuries ago (history nerd here).
Of course, book nerds will know that Edinburgh is where J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series, and there so many cute bookstores here to spend all day.
Rowling also called the city "one of the most hauntingly beautiful places in the world."
Edinburgh is indeed also one of the most haunted cities in the world!
Waterstones Bookstore in particular has castle views from its upstairs cafe!
With the Writer's Museum, the largest literary festival in the world and the fact that it has the only train station in the world named after a novel (Waverley), this city is a great place to study literature.
In fact, it was the world's first UNESCO City of Literature.
Edinburgh is also very much a festival city, also home to the world's largest performance arts festival every August, The Fringe, which is always worth checking out (if you can find a place to stay).
There is so much to discovery about this city though; it would take weeks to list it all here!
Central Area Campus
Founded in 1583, The University of Edinburgh actually has three main campuses, and where a student studies depends entirely on their program and modules.
For more information on Edinburgh's Vet School, check out this separate post!
The Central Area campus is less of a 'campus' per se, but rather a number of buildings interspersed throughout the city.
This is where students studying in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences would predominantly be based.
One of the more famous buildings can be found here -- Old College, which is home to the law school and one of the best law libraries in Europe.
It was also the filming site of One Day.
In the Central Area, there is also the Students' Union, pharmacy, library and Business School.
Looking for a Harry Potter experience? Look no further than the School of Divinity in New College, perched on a hill overlooking the city.
Other beautiful buildings include the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
Students studying biochemistry and anatomy take classes in what used to be the old Edinburgh Medical School, the first to be founded in the UK.
One of the newest additions is the Edinburgh Futures Institute, just opposite the old medical school.
This is important, because it's set in the newly refurbished facilities of what used to be the Royal Infirmary, built in the 1870s.
Nowadays, it's home to modern study facilities, a cafe and the new Interdisciplinary Futures degree program, which syncs data science and innovation with their applications to global challenges.
McEwan Hall is also the gorgeous building where graduations take place.
And just out front of McEwan Hall is where students can find the free bus that will take them to the King's Buildings campus.
King's Buildings Campus
The home of the College of Science and Engineering, the King's Buildings are admittedly not the most beautiful on the outside; however, the facilities on the inside are what matters.
Take the Edinburgh Genome Foundry, for example, which both undergraduates and postgraduates alike in biological sciences can access.
The investments in these robots exceed 5 million pounds, and students get to play with DNA to equip cells with new and improved functionalities.
The Lady B machine in particular is the only one of its kind at a university in Europe, and it was crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic in assisting with antibody discovery and future pandemic preparedness.
Edinburgh also has a physics program that is top 20 in the UK, in which about 250 students a year are admitted.
It's a large and diverse faculty, which is unique in the UK for the number of disciplines on offer.
Students can study physics with meteorology, medical physics, astrophysics and more -- as well as an integrated 5-year master's program, of which about half the students complete.
Regardless, all physics programs have the same entry requirements, and students have the extra benefit of the flexible Scottish degree, which allows them to take classes outside physics in their first two years, such as Spanish or medieval history, etc.
Students can also participate in an astrophysics summer research project at the nearby Royal Observatory or get involved on projects for CERN and the James Webb Space Telescope.
Perhaps what students at the King's Building are most excited about is the latest development, the Nucleus, which opened last year.
Here, there are plenty of new study spaces, a modern lecture theatre and places to eat, which has brought a newfound life to this area.
Admissions
Entry to Edinburgh is competitive, particularly for computer science, business, economics, PPE, psychology, medicine, veterinary medicine.
Students are expected to provide at least three test scores (can be two AP exams and an SAT/ACT or three AP exams).
It's also important to check subject-specific entry requirements.
Summary: The University of Edinburgh
The city of Edinburgh is a mysterious, intriguing place and has captivated the hearts of many tourists for ages.
The people are friendly, the landscapes are lovely, the architecture all the more impressive -- and it comes with a university that is world-leading.
With a distinguished list of alumni that includes Charles Darwin, Alexander Graham Bell and David Hume, the university has been teaching some of the brightest minds for more than four centuries.
And there's no question why it continues to be one of the most applied to institutions for students from the U.S. and all around the world year after year.
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