Please Note: The name of this individual has been changed in the article due to confidentiality; however, all information is true, and the individual can still still respond to any questions you may have.

Opportunities come and go, and oftentimes, if we do not pay attention to what is occurring around us, we can miss these chances. It is important that you take every opportunity you are given and use it to the fullest.

My name is Toby Li, I am 19 years old and I am studying for a Bachelor’s with Honors in International Relations and International Law.

I was born in China and I moved to Australia when I was quite young—approximately when I was 3 or 4. I grew up in Sydney and completed all my schooling there, graduating in 2022 when I was 17. I applied to the University of Edinburgh (UoE) during my year 12 in addition to other universities and I am currently studying at this institute.

I went to a private high school in North Sydney, close to where I lived.

Why Scotland?

Though I would have been happy to apply and stay in Australia, I would have wanted to move out of Sydney. At that point in my life, I felt as though I was not very happy within my mental headspace, nor was I fulfilled with my life in Sydney.

I originally applied without too much seriousness, but rather to see whether I would get in or not. I had received a couple of offers, and in April of 2023, once I had completed a semester at the University of Sydney, I found myself wanting to move abroad and out of Sydney.

Furthermore, my parents were highly supportive, and valued education above everything else.

Overall, I needed a change in my life, and I took the opportunity that came my way.

Rather than me choosing Scotland, it was more like Scotland chose me. While I had originally wanted to go to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) when I was around 15 or 16, I ended up in a completely different place. I had applied to LSE, UCL, and King’s, which left me with one blank spot remaining, so I could apply to another university in the region. My thought process was that Edinburgh seemed like an amazing city and that it would be a good place to apply, especially due to the great university life and accessibility.

Eventually, all three universities in London rejected me, but Edinburgh made me an offer. Since I knew I wanted to move to the UK, I accepted the offer.

Why the University of Edinburgh?

At the time, Edinburgh was ranked #15 in the world. Though it has dropped since, at the time, it was appealing.

I chose Edinburgh because I loved the place when I visited. I really liked how walkable it is. I love the environment, and it is a really good university city. I believe 20% of the population here are university students since there are four universities here. Furthermore, it is quite safe.

In conclusion, a combination of factors led me to choose Edinburgh, and as a student of social sciences, I enjoy the way they teach the subjects.

Stats

ATAR: My ATAR at the end was 96.35

Year 12 was not my best year, but at the end of the day, your ATAR does not define you! I did not expect a high ATAR, and getting this one definitely surprised me.

As an Australian citizen, you do not need to take any English qualification tests to apply for UK universities.

To get into Edinburgh, the minimum ATAR you would require was 92 or an IB score of 40.

Subjects

My subjects included:

• English Advanced

• Maths Advanced

• Modern History

• History Extension

• Geography

• Music 2

Modern history is a good subject for those looking into International Relations, as it can provide you with a basis of war and conflict and how it can affect modern-day situations. However, you are able to catch up quickly if you do not take it.

Extracurricular

Currently, I participate in some diplomacy societies, however, this is extremely low commitment.

When I was in Sydney, I actively participated in MUNs, and joined a couple of musical bands.

In the UK, universities look at your extracurriculars as a foundation of your character; showing interest over many years in a few categories rather than a range can help.

Personal Statement

A personal statement in the UK includes more of what you want to do and what your motivations are for go to university are. It is what you believe this university can offer to you for your career, and more about career prospects rather than a recount of adversities in your own life that have led to this moment type of statement.

Mine was about my passion for history. I wrote about how, growing up, I was always interested in history and enjoyed simple things related to history, such as museums. I wrote about how I wanted to use the history I learned to change the world, or at least transform it into a better place than it was the day before.

I surprisingly finished this in three days, which was most likely due to my passion for the field.

Application Process

I looked into going abroad in August 2022. At this time, I had offers from ANU and Macquarie University through early entry.

Since it was only 20-40 dollars to apply to five universities in the UK, I figured “Why not?” and applied to them.

The process is very similar to the Australian (NSW) process. Through a website called UCAS (which is similar to UAC), you are able to apply to universities in the UK.

As part of your application, you need a teacher reference letter and your personal statement.

After attaching all the information required and filling the application out, you are able to submit it through the website for the universities to view.

If you're looking towards going to the UK as well, I recommend you get to know the Australian one first and then apply for the UK one because they are basically copy and paste.

Resources

For resources, they are not required since it is a fairly simple process. The maximum I used was Reddit and Google for general information. I used Google for examples of personal statements which helped me base my own.

Scholarships, Fees, and Expenses

Scholarships

UoE seldom gave out scholarships, unless you came from an underprivileged nation, which Australia did not qualify for.

Fees

The fee for my degree is £24,500, or (AUD) $49,000. While this may seem like a lot, the fees fluctuate depending on the degree you take. As an international student, I found that it was cheaper than the USA.

Expenses

Student housing is guaranteed for the first year, which can range between $6.1-24k. You select a couple of rooms and they assign you without. Unfortunately, I landed a $20k room. This does include breakfast and dinner, but this was obviously not the best quality.

Currently, for rent, most of us are paying around $1600, and around $1000 extra per month on general expenses.

Transport is free in Scotland, and the groceries are cheaper than in Australia too.

Though these numbers may seem large, it is generally cheap for an international student as compared to the US.

Future Plans

In the future, one of my main goals is to work for non-profit organisations, however, I am unsure whether I will do this early or later on in my career. Though I mostly want to stay overseas, a part of me misses Australia.

I believe I would do better working with non-profits since organisations such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) are not my forte. Morally, I find that it is a bit ambiguous, and while I am not entirely sure what careers I may adopt on the way, my main goal remains the same.

While working for non-profits, I hope to become a researcher or work with hands-on aspects such as fundraising. While I do not want to be the face of it all, I would like to work behind the scenes almost as an analyst.