Ambassador projects
Student Ambassadors are involved in a number of projects. While this list is not exhaustive, it details a number of our main projects focused on Student Experience and Widening Access and Participation. Ambassadors also support a variety of events for faculties and service units across the University.
Widening access and participation
The Student Ambassadors support the Admissions department with several widening access and participation initiatives across the UK. Our main aim is to help those from under-represented groups in Scotland achieve their full potential with the ultimate goal of accessing higher education. Examples of projects which Ambassadors get involved in include the Fife based First Chances Foundation and First Chances Senior Phase programmes, the Sutton Trust Summer School, and the FE:HE Pathways. You may wish to read through the University’s Access and outreach webpages for more information.
All Ambassadors can support the widening access and participation initiatives by volunteering as an online mentor, taking pupils to lectures on shadowing days and getting involved with workshop days and summer schools. Ambassadors can sign up to widening access and participation work in the form of both one-off commitments as well as semester long or year long commitments. Ambassadors are expected to be proactive during workshop days, remain engaged with online mentoring, and provide regular updates to the Admissions team when required.
Student experience
Visiting and offer holder days
The Student Ambassadors are heavily involved in the University’s visiting days and offer holder events with the iconic red gown making them instantly recognisable by visitors. All Ambassadors are invited to sign up to the visiting day rota which is circulated by the Principal Team. Responsibilities include leading town and accommodation tours, assisting subject talks, managing registration and directing visitors around town. The majority of visiting day work takes place on Wednesday mornings, and dates will be circulated by the Principal Team at the start of each semester.
Ambassadors working on visiting days are expected to share their personal experience of studying in St Andrews with prospective students, and work with the Admissions team to accommodate the needs of over 600 visitors.
Ask a student
Ask a student is a service which allows prospective students to contact Ambassadors to ask questions about student life in St Andrews. The Principal Team manage the askastudent@st-andrews.ac.uk email account. They work to connect prospective students with an Ambassador who can best answer their questions about life at St Andrews. Students are typically matched with Ambassadors who share similar backgrounds, interests, or subjects of study.
Talk and tour
The University welcomes families to St Andrews every day. Families can book a talk and tour to receive a town tour led by a Student Ambassador, and a talk led by a member of the Admissions team. This tour is more extensive than the standard visiting day tour and allows Ambassadors to provide a more detailed insight into St Andrews student experience. Once again, Student Ambassadors are encouraged to talk from their own experiences. All Junior and Senior Ambassadors are invited to apply to the talk and tour team in September. Successful applicants may then sign up to a slot on the talk and tour rota, or provide tours for other University staff, visitors, and guests.
External events
Senior Ambassadors are invited to apply to the External Events team. The team travel in pairs to careers events in schools across Scotland to represent the University and provide pupils with insight of their student experience in St Andrews. Ambassadors may also be invited to accompany members of the Admissions Team to UCAS fairs, recruitment events and offer holder events across the UK.
