What do European universities look at for admissions? (Grades, extracurriculars, gpa, aps, sat, act?) Also if you need specifics im looking into Slovakia, Italy, the alps, the Netherlands, and Germany!
In general, universities outside the US accept students into a specific course or program: you apply to study, say, chemistry, and that is what you study. As a result, many university courses are 3 years (there is variation: Scotland is all 4 years for example). The courses are highly structured: you typically have few- if any- options in the first year, and more choices (still in your subject area) as you go on. Assessments tend to be few and big (ie, end of term exams vs homework and quizzes).
The unis are selecting for students for that particular subject, not to âbuild a communityâ as in the US, so they generally donât care about ECs. GPA mostly comes into play at universities that have had enough Americans apply- most students apply with state-run AP-like exams. Typically they will look for an overall score (SAT or ACT is the usual proxy) and then scores in specific relevant subjects. Using the chemistry example, scores in chemistry, math and another science might be stipulated. Long story short, it tends to be standardized testing that is most important. Note also that some universities have their own admissions tests.
Fwiw, itâs pretty easy to get into a lot of European universities: the hard part is staying in and finishing in good time. Remember that they are inexpensive in part because they deliver content but not much else. Little to no hand-holding or âsupportâ. Even at more selective schools, however, you are largely on your own: you sink or swim.
So thatâs an overview (with a fair few generalizations). Pretty much every school has admission info on line. Based on your other posts, your goal seems to be âuniversity in Europeâ -but no idea whether you want to study fashion design or something medical. That just wonât work- you have to choose.
2 Likes
Didnât people answer this before?
I cant find anything like that on here but if there is, itâs not specifically for Slovakia.
Thank you and yes I know I have to choose but I just dont know how because thereâs so much options ahhhhhhhhhhhh
Just copying out my reply to another poster seems a bit rude, but it really does applyâŠjust insert Slovakia, or Austria, or Switzerland (which are, I presume, what you mean by âthe Alpsâ, where applicable.
I just wrote to @MXCol:
â OP, where do you want to go and what do you want to do? You are aware that universities in the UK and Italy are like night and day, and the US is, in comparison, another planet?
You should go to Italy because you want to got to Italy, because itâs going to be hard, and complicated, and very very Italian, and very very different from the US. Itâs not college as you know it in more picturesque surroundings and more authentic food. Itâs extremely different and you have to WANT that. If youâre just going because you think itâs faster, cheaper and you donât have to bother with gen eds, you are going to set yourself up for massive failure.
First of all: in Europe, you donât just go to school to keep going to school. Thatâs over with high school. You go to university to learn a subject or to be trained in a profession. Thatâs the point about not having any gen eds. (And thatâs the one thing all European universities have in common).
If you cannot tell us what you want to do for the next 3 of 4 years, and whatâs it supposed to prepare you for, there is no point trying to evaluate âEuropeanâ (there is is really no such thing) universities.â
If you feel choosing what you want to do at this point in your life is too hard, the US is really your best option, because it is really the only country in the world that offers universities that let you put off that decision to the third year of university.
2 Likes
Nice response. I will add that some Japanese unis have âliberal artsâ degrees. Then again, Japanese companies expect Japanese kids to learn bubkis during uni so undergrad in Japan is more like a 4 year rumspringa between the soul-crushing grind all through K-12 to get in to a good uni and the soul-crushing grind of being a 80-hour week working salaryman (if they even manage to get such desired positions) after college.
Oh, and a handful of UK unis also offer liberal arts degrees now. They seem aimed for Americans and Brits who may be considering American options for undergrad.
Oh, and the Dutch have university colleges, which seems like their implementation of American LACs/honors colleges.
1 Like