Moving to Edinburgh

We're considering moving to Edinburgh, and I noticed that some of you have already taken this leap, so I was hoping to hear your experiences from it. What do you think about Edinburgh? What are some pros and cons about living there (compared to the US)? How is the housing situation?
I also plan to study at Edinburgh University, so if anybody has experience with the application process and going there, I would be more than happy to hear about those things!

I think it's expensive.  Extremely expensive in relation to wages.  Third most expensive in the entire UK, in fact, outside London - where people get a London weight added onto their wages - and Bristol/Bath.

The rents and council tax are steep as well.  Expect to pay at least £500+/month for a two bed place.  Unfurnished.  Around £400+ for a one.  Not including council tax, which will go up another 5% next year.

The vast majority of housing is in the form of 4 and 5 storey tenement flats, very few of which have lifts or off-street parking. 

If you're applying to Edinburgh University as an undergraduate, you use the UCAS system, as just about every other British university does.  If you are applying as a post-graduate, contact the college in which the department falls - Moray House School of Education for the PGCE programme, for example. 

The university's population is about 85% English and quite affluent in its makeup.  Whilst there are mature students in some undergrad programmes, they aren't as numerous as at other universities in the area, like Napier or Queen Margaret. 

For fees info, check the Registry website.  The general 3+ years previous residence in the UK to qualify for home tuition applies for the most part, however.

www.ed.ac.uk

I think it's expensive.  Extremely expensive in relation to wages.  Third most expensive in the entire UK, in fact, outside London - where people get a London weight added onto their wages - and Bristol/Bath.

The rents and council tax are steep as well.  Expect to pay at least £500+/month for a two bed place.  Unfurnished.  Around £400+ for a one.  Not including council tax, which will go up another 5% next year.

The vast majority of housing is in the form of 4 and 5 storey tenement flats, very few of which have lifts or off-street parking. 

If you're applying to Edinburgh University as an undergraduate, you use the UCAS system, as just about every other British university does.  If you are applying as a post-graduate, contact the college in which the department falls - Moray House School of Education for the PGCE programme, for example. 

The university's population is about 85% English and quite affluent in its makeup.  Whilst there are mature students in some undergrad programmes, they aren't as numerous as at other universities in the area, like Napier or Queen Margaret. 

For fees info, check the Registry website.  The general 3+ years previous residence in the UK to qualify for home tuition applies for the most part, however.

www.ed.ac.uk

Aack!  You're scaring me! 

Aack!  You're scaring me! 

You'll also be staying in East Lothian.  It's cheaper in the 'burbs. 

We rent a 2-bed flat in Leith, a nice part of Leith but certainly not as posh as say, Marchmont.  The rent is £500/month for unfurnished.  The power - modern tenements will generally come w/electric storage heaters b/c gas has been prohibited in tenements due to large amounts of people living in tenements - is £75/month.  Council tax, which includes water, rubbish and sewage is £131/month (Band C).

Older tenements may or may not have central heating or double glazing.  Warning:  flats w/o double glazing will become VERY cold in winter. 

People from the SouthEast think this is cheap, but they haven't seen the average wages here. 

Expensive isn't good, but it doesn't sound too bad, but I assume it's relative to wages. I was reading about the housing provided by the university, and it seemed to run aroun 105-120 per week for a couple apartment.
I hold a US undergraduate degree in Information Systems, and I'm thinking of getting a master's degree in Operations Research/Management Science, but I may change my mind and continue with Information Systems or International Business. It seems like you will apply directly to the program like you said though for post-graduate school.
You mentioned Napier and Queen Margaret, are those the other universities of the area, or are there others? I'm still pretty undecided, so I'm open to most things.
Also, what do you think about the job situation in and around Edinburgh?

Expensive isn't good, but it doesn't sound too bad, but I assume it's relative to wages. I was reading about the housing provided by the university, and it seemed to run aroun 105-120 per week for a couple apartment.
I hold a US undergraduate degree in Information Systems, and I'm thinking of getting a master's degree in Operations Research/Management Science, but I may change my mind and continue with Information Systems or International Business. It seems like you will apply directly to the program like you said though for post-graduate school.
You mentioned Napier and Queen Margaret, are those the other universities of the area, or are there others? I'm still pretty undecided, so I'm open to most things.
Also, what do you think about the job situation in and around Edinburgh?

I know a couple who lives in Uni housing and pays £520/month including heat.  Not bad.  The couple had to wait about 9 months on the wait list, however.

IT is very competitive.  Jobs in Scotland, particularly in professional fields like IT, are nowhere near as plentiful as they are down south.  That's the chief reason behind the population decline here.  Glasgow may have more opportunities, as it is a larger city.

Wow, 9 months is a long time, especially since the program is only 12 months! It is good that it includes some utilities though, that would be a big savings.
That is unfortunate about the job situation though. I can understand the population decline. Since I plan to go there just to study for the first year, and my wife can start looking for jobs, we may end up further south depending on the job situation. She has a master's degree in technical and scientific communication, and hopefully she can find something good.

Wow, 9 months is a long time, especially since the program is only 12 months! It is good that it includes some utilities though, that would be a big savings.
That is unfortunate about the job situation though. I can understand the population decline. Since I plan to go there just to study for the first year, and my wife can start looking for jobs, we may end up further south depending on the job situation. She has a master's degree in technical and scientific communication, and hopefully she can find something good.

Just get on the housing list ASAP.  It's separate from your application.  So get in there quickly.  You can always cancel.  You may, however, lose your application fee, but it's a small amount. 

It is a bit unfortunate w/regards to jobs, but being an EU national or married to one does give you a big degree of flexibility in your job search, so other places in Scotland or in the UK are open to you.

Thank you for the advice. I didn't know you could get on the housing list ahead of time ike that. By the way, do you know when they make decisions regarding applications? I noticed that the deadline wasn't until the end of March, but would I get a response before that if I applied today for example?

At least I do have dual citizenships, so that should help out a great deal. Neither one of us would really have to worry about getting any permits or anything like that. We plan to use this one year to get a feel of how it is to live over there and then make a decision if we'll stay permanently.

Here's how to start with Accommodations:

http://www.accom.ed.ac.uk/accom_info/index.htm

Each department deals with Postgrad admissions a bit differently - I work in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and some departments in this area can be pretty flexible in deadlines, since many applicants make their final decisions based on the amount of funding they get.

Informatics is a large department, so I'd highly recommend getting in contact with them - even now is fine, although they are dealing with the semester beginning on 20 September.  Funding opportunities may vary considering that you are an EU national and possibly a mature student, b/c Informatics is one of the better-funded departments with a large number of international students from varying backgrounds, but the sooner, the better when it comes to funding.  There is even a menu for international students to the College of Science & Engineering. 

http://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/se/

Another good source is the International Office:  http://www.ed.ac.uk/internat/

Thank you for those links; they are very helpful and answer a lot of my question. I will take your advice and get in touch with the Informatics department with some of my questions. I figure it's good to start early :-)

Even though I'm an EU national, I'll be considered an overseas student since I've lived in the US for several years, so I know I don't qualify for the UK/EU fees, but does this also mean that I should review the funding information for US students instead of UK/EU nationals?

I'm not too sure how you'll be classed as far as fees go, since you are an EU national, but it's definitely something worth researching, b/c the difference between the two - international v. EU - is significant.

Funding varies by department - as some bursaries and grants are made available to different types of students depending on their backgrounds.  Some scholarships or grants may have deadlines separate to the admissions process, so starting so early is an advantage. 

Also might be a good idea to post in the Visa section, b/c your wife may need something called an EU/EEA family permit to accompany you and be able to work as well if she is American.  You don't need a student visa, as you are an EU national, but she will need a permit to work and live in the UK w/you if she is not an EU national.

I will check on the fees, but I'm pretty sure that I can't get the EU fees even though I'm an EU national. I will ask them about the different funding possibilities, since I know I'm in a special situation and it's a bit confusing.

Thanks for the tip about the visa. I know my wife will need the entry permit, but from my understanding that should hopefully not be too complicated.

By the way, what do you think are the biggest differences between Scotland and the US?

I will check on the fees, but I'm pretty sure that I can't get the EU fees even though I'm an EU national. I will ask them about the different funding possibilities, since I know I'm in a special situation and it's a bit confusing.

Thanks for the tip about the visa. I know my wife will need the entry permit, but from my understanding that should hopefully not be too complicated.

By the way, what do you think are the biggest differences between Scotland and the US?

Just play up the EU national angle.  After all, that's what you're coming in as, not as an American student.

The visa should not be complicated at all.  IIRC it's the EU/EEA family permit, but someone on the visa board will probably have better knowledge of it.

Differences?  A lot depends on what type of life you're living in the US at present.  If you're in an urban area, moving to another urban area may not be such a big leap, for example, than if you're living say, in a large ranch-style house in the 'burbs and driving an SUV.  I think you'll find the lifestyle in Edinburgh more akin to a Swedish/European experience in many ways - living in flats, lots of walking, public transport, socialised healthcare, etc.

I will try to approach them with the EU national angle, but I still think it's unlikely they won't charge me the higher fees. It would be nice if I'm able to get a scholarship or something, then maybe it wouldn't matter so much. The fees seem to be somewhat reasonable compared to many US schools though.

Right now we live in an townhouse in the suburbs, but it's still close to the urban area of a city larger than Edinburgh. I like the idea of walking, public transportation, etc. It's one of the main reasons why we are thinking of going. Are there places where you can buy houses though instead of living in a flat? That would probably be if we decided to stay.