Seeking admission in a German university requires you to follow a set of rules and regulations. Go through this write-up to know about university admission in Germany.

University Admission in Germany

Nestled in the heart of Europe, Germany is enriched with glamour, colors, culture, and beauty. Its ideal location is highly convenient to discover other popular and captivating European destinations, London, Paris, and Rome being just a few hours of drive away. Beautiful and charming, Germany is termed as an educational destination for international students, due to its extensive level of research and technology. Being a witness of ground-breaking discoveries throughout history, Germany is home to one of the largest university systems in Europe, with international recognition and acclamation. The diverse and magnificent range of higher education opportunities contribute towards its ever-growing teaching methods and training techniques, incomparable to any other European country. The interdisciplinary and international research cooperation plays a major role in generating good relations with multinational firms in Germany and abroad and in grabbing lucrative jobs paying handsome salaries. Educational programs, structured to directly link theory with practice, are passed on by world-class professors and researchers from all over the world to the students. Seeking admission in the world’s third most popular destination for foreign students is easy and comfortable, when you follow the admission requirements and procedure as per the norms of the universities. Given here is the process for admission in a reputable German university.

Adequate Qualifications

It is extremely important to know whether you are deemed eligible or not as per the norms of undergraduate admission in German universities. Your qualification should stand valid according to the standards of the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs in the respective German federal state. The authorities will evaluate your qualification and declare it equivalent or only conditionally comparable. Well, if you pass with an equivalent qualification, you can very well proceed with the application procedure. On the other hand, if your qualification is given the tag of ‘only conditionally comparable’, you will have to study and pass an assessment test called Feststellungsprüfung, to become eligible for admission in Germany. However, if you are enrolled in a course in your home country with the same subjects that you are opting further and have completed one or two years, you may be exempted from giving the assessment test, as the study years in the respective course subjects will act as proof of your qualification. But nevertheless, it is best to contact your home country’s international office or the international office of the respective German university.

German Language Proficiency

If you are lucky enough to be considered equivalent to the German qualification, you will then have to give proof of your expertise in German language. You can produce of the following certificates awarded by the Goethe Institute:

Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber (DSH)
Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (TestDaF)
Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz Stufe II
Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung (ZOP)
Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom
Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom

In case you are studying in your home country, figure out whether your university offers optional courses in German language or not. Learning German in your university will cost comparatively less for a very small fee. As an alternative, you can opt for private tutoring to get a good hold of the language.

English Language Proficiency

All German universities offer you to pursue your courses and programs in either of the two languages of instruction - English or German. While the requirements for German skills are discussed in the above section, you will have to provide similar evidence for your proficiency in English language. As a general rule, TOEFL has to be taken by the applicant and qualify with the minimum score, required by the university. Check with the university, you are applying to, for the passing score.

Application Form

Application forms can be found on the website of the university and downloaded. While some universities have online forms that require you to fill them up and send them along with the scanned copies of your documents, others have printable forms which have to be mailed to the university’s admission office with the necessary transcripts.

Resume

Most of the German universities often consider applicants with considerate amount of work experience, in certain courses, before applying for admissions. For this, you first have to pass your qualifying examination with good grades to show on your transcripts and then, gain some work experience to enhance the face of your resume. Thus, your resume should include all necessary information, abilities and skills, and achievements made so far, so that it presents a better image of you to your prospective university.

Cover Letter

Though a resume will serve the purpose of highlighting your qualifications, talents, and future goals, but adding a cover letter will personalize your application, since a resume is considered an impersonal statement. Try and figure out the name of the person responsible for admissions or the concerned person in the international office of the university and use that name to address your matter. Indicate all your strengths and abilities, reasons for that particular university, and reasons for selecting you for granting scholarship. Do mention that you are prepared to face the interview, if required. Use the format of a business cover letter as the layout for your admission’s cover letter and complete it in about 200 words. This will act as a first impression to the university and increase the chances of contacting directly and granting admission.

Statement of Purpose

The resume and cover letter contain more factual information and underline your activities and abilities. A statement of purpose, on the other hand, puts you as a person on paper and allows the reader to catch a glimpse of your personality and originality. Your vision and ambitions should be brought forward in the statement, inducing the reader to place you above other hundreds of prospective candidates.

Personal Essay

It is common for most international universities to request answers to certain questions in your statement of purpose or personal essay. Though both these documents are quite similar, but a personal essay is focused more towards your field of study. Questions may ask you to throw light on your career objectives, accomplishments and achievements, assuming responsibilities and leadership qualities, or ethical problems. Besides, you may be asked to discuss about your extracurricular activities or other interests you possess. While you will be presenting your strengths, do remember to mention some weaknesses that you desire to change.

Meet Deadlines

A typical academic year in Germany is divided into two semesters. Summer semester runs from April through September while the winter semester lasts from October to March. The closing dates for applying to German universities are generally July 15 for the winter semester and January 15 for the summer semester, though the dates may vary from university to university. Hence, it is advised that you contact the universities to get their respective deadlines.

Complete Formalities

Once you have sent your applications to your choice of universities, allow the admission office to evaluate your application. After about couple weeks, you will start receiving acceptance and rejection from the universities on your mail. Go through the acceptance letters and make a wise selection of a good university. Confirm your decision by dropping in a confirmation mail to the university and wait for the reply. You will get a confirmation regarding your admission. Apply for student visa at the embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany along with the required documents and be prepared to sit for an interview, either at the time of or after submission of documents. The entire process of evaluating and granting student visa takes about eight to twelve weeks; thus, apply for a visa as soon as you receive your admission letter from the university. After you receive the visa, make arrangements for initial stay in Germany, book your ticket, pack your bags, and get set to live in the "Land of Ideas".

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