<p>I'm a senior in high school hoping to study at a college in Germany.</p>
<p>Because I'm not a German citizen and I'm unfamiliar with the schooling process in Germany, I'm confused as to how I'd apply. Some have told me i have to take the TOEFL, while another has told me I must first attend "studentcollege" so i can learn the language and level myself with the college kids. I'm unsure of the requirements to begin my applications...</p>
<p>I'm hoping to become a doctor. If I'm correct, in most places in Europe, one can go straight into med school from college. Would I be able to do that?</p>
<p>Please inform me as to what I must do to qualify for an application.</p>
Yes, students go straight to medical school. HOWEVER, I want to warn you that medical admissions in Germany is very very very competitive. Even the valedictorian of my high school would not have qualified for direct admission!!! Only the tippy top students get to enroll straight in a medical program after high school; everyone else is offered admission after a waiting period. Those waiting periods frequently exceed 5 years. Some students choose to wait but many go abroad and study medicine in another country. Some can transfer back to a German medical school after 2 years when more spots have opened up due to students failing/dropping out of the program. (There’s a big round of exams at the end of the 2nd year. Approximately 30% of medical students fail them. Medical programs are legally obligated to offer those spots to qualified transfer applicants.)</p>
<p>It’s extremely rare for foreigners to get a spot in a German medical program.</p>
<p>
Admissions for medicine works a bit differently from other subjects and I am not familiar with that process, but in general you need the following to qualify for admission:
Proof that you are fluent in German.
Academic credentials deemed equivalent to a German high school diploma. </p>
<p>For Americans, certain combinations of AP scores (depending on the major) or the IB diploma would be considered equivalent. For example, in order to study a science, you’d need to present:
AP Calc (AB or BC)
a science AP
a language AP
a humanities or social science AP</p>
<p>If your qualifications come close but not quite close enough, you might be offered a spot in a “Studienkolleg.” It’s a year-long remedial program that polishes your German skills and teaches AP-level classes relevant to a student’s intended major. However, you do already need a fair command of the German language when you start because all instruction takes place in German. (Official guidelines are that students should possess B1-level proficiency to enroll in a Studienkolleg and C1-level proficiency to study at a university, in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.)</p>
<p>I’ve been doing some research on Studienkolleg. If I’m not mistaken, I just apply to the university I wish to attend (implying they offer studienkolleg), and if I don’t qualify for the university itself, they’d consider me for their studienkolleg, correct?</p>
<p>Also, since I know very very little German, I assume a studienkolleg may not even accept me. So, should I try to take some online practices prior to applying, or is there some sort of sub-program to teach/enhance my German?</p>
<p>And are specific standardized tests required for me to qualify for studienkolleg?</p>
That is correct, you cannot apply directly to a Studienkolleg. You’d apply for admission to a university and get one of three responses: you can get admitted, rejected or offered a spot in a Studienkolleg (a conditional acceptance, provided you pass Studienkolleg). I might be wrong but I believe that foreigners cannot participate in the waiting list game. </p>
<p>
You would definitely need to learn German beforehand. Your local community college might offer cheap instruction. You could also try an online course or take an intensive-language course at a language school (e.g. the Goethe Institute). I’d definitely encourage you to work with a teacher or tutor, even if only at a distance (e.g. though an online course.) Working through a textbook on your own doesn’t seem to work very well for languages. </p>
<p>
I think the only absolute requirement is a German language exam. (You can pick the exam. Several language institutes offer their own proficiency exams at different levels.) That aside, it would probably be in your best interest to supply SAT scores if you haven’t taken AP exams. Germans are fundamentally distrustful of anything non-standardized (like American high school courses and high school grades).</p>
Admission to a Studienkolleg is guaranteed if you have the academic prerequisites and a conditional offer of admission from a university. That’s extremely unlikely in medicine. (If you are hoping to bypass the regular medical admission process by going through a Studienkolleg, I’ll have to disappoint you. That’s not how it works.)</p>
<p>There’s no way around getting a conditional offer of admission first. That’s why you cannot apply to a Studienkolleg directly.</p>