Applying via uni-assist from the USA

Useful information – single steps – personal advice

Steffi Arendsee (Information service)and

Malgorzata Wladyka (consultant)

Outline

1. uni-assist and its pre-check in detail

2. Apply successfully – step by step

3. What if...?

4. Good to know: helpful tips for USA-applicants

uni-assist...

● ...is an association of 178 German universities, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Rector's conference (HRK) based in Berlin

● ...is entrusted by its member universities to pre-check international student applications

● ...makes the admission process for international applicants easier, more efficient and customer-friendly

uni-assist's pre-check in detail

Regular procedure so-called „VPD“-procedure

You apply to a German university via uni-assist

You apply directly to a German university with a preliminary review documentation (VPD) issued by uni-assist

uni-assist determines whether your educational certificates qualify in principle for admission to university studies in Germany

uni-assist calculates the German equivalent of your final grade

uni-assist evaluates language competencies and course-specific criteria as set down by the university

uni-assist electronically forwards your application to the university

uni-assist issues a VPD with which you then directly apply to the university

The university further processes your application and decides on your admission

Apply successfully – step by step

1. Plan your studies

2. Check out the general and specific admission requirements

3. Apply online and submit the relevant documents

4. Pay the handling fees

5. Track your application

1. Plan your studies

Check the following websites for useful information on the German higher education system, scholarships, visa matters etc.:

● https://www.study-in.de/en/● https://www.daad.de/deutschland/en/

Find suitable programmes & universities here:

● https://www.study-in.de/en/plan-your-studies/find-programme-and-university/

Get in contact with the universities of your choice

2. Check the admission requirements (1/2)

1. Admission requirements

...include prior education, subject requirements, language competencies, minimum grade, work experience, CV, recommendation letters etc.

As a general rule: You will have to meet the general requirements for higher education access in Germany („Hochschulzugangsberechtigung“) and course-related criteria as set down by the higher education institution

2. Further formal requirements

...such as officially authenticated hard copies, simple hard copies, digital copies of your certificates and further documents; handed in either by you or by the issuing institution

As a general rule: All documents need to be submitted in paper form. Certificates generally need to be authenticated if not sent by the issuing institution (see the uni-assist standards for official authentication: http://www.uni-assist.de/standards_en.html )

3. Application deadlines

...may vary from course to course and also for preparatory courses (such as Studienkolleg, German language course etc.)

As a general rule: from around May to 15 July for winter semester enrollment; from the beginning of December to 15 January for summer semester enrollment

4. uni-assist's scope of service

...uni-assist cooperates with 178 member universities, yet:

Please enquire at the university whether you need to apply via uni-assist as the universities determine which applicant groups and courses uni-assist is responsible for

2. Check the admission requirements (2/2)

3. Apply online and submit your documents

● Get registered in the uni-assist online portal:https://www.uni-assist.de/online/Frontend/Login/index?lang=en

● Create online applications for each course at each university

● Submit your applications electronically to uni-assist

● Print, sign and send your application form along with the documents as required

4. Pay the handling fees

• 75 EUR for first application per semester

• 15 EUR for each additional application within the same semester

• Information on fees and payment options:http://www.uni-assist.de/fees-payment.html

5. Track your application

uni-assist keeps you informed about the status of your application

• You will automatically receive both a confirmation of receipt of your application(s) and information on your pre-check results

• You can check the current status of your application(s) in your online account

• You will be contacted if there are documents missing

What if...

…your application was handed in incomplete or not in time?

● Your application cannot be forwarded to the university resp. a VPD cannot be issued to you

● But: You can submit missing documents within the application period at any time

● The application will be reviewed again and a new result will be sent to you and the university

Our recommendation: 1. Contact the university you want to apply to to get all the information on

the admission criteria, deadlines etc. 2. Apply as soon as possible, at least six weeks before the deadline expires.

You will then have the chance to add any missing documents to your application.

US High School Diploma

● Regional accredication i.e. Middle States Association of Colleges and

Schools (MSA) or Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

● Completed High School Diploma with the results of year 9 till year 12

● Official transcript (authenticated, if not directly sent by the High School to uni-assist)

● Overall CGPA (unweighted) over 3,0● Grading scale: 4,3,2 system or 100 system with

a comparison to the A,B,C grades

Subject requirements

● 4 units in English (year 9-12) with at least grade C in each year, highest level that must be proven: English 4, English Honours or AP English

● 5 units in Math and Science taken together:» 2-3 units in Math with at least grade C in each year,

highest level that must be proven: Precalculus» 2-3 units in Science (Biology, Chemistry or Physics)

● 2 units in a Foreign language (i.e. German I and German II)● 3 units in Social Sciences (i.e. American History, Geography,

Economics, ...)

Caution: Not all subjects are recognized, i.e. „AP Statistics“ is not sufficient for Math!

If all requirements are met, an admission to the preparatorycourse (Studienkolleg) at German universities is possible.

High School Diploma + SAT/ACT/AP

SAT (old and new test)1300 points in Math and (Critical) Reading taken together

ACT29 points in the composite score

AP exams (at College Board)4 exams (including Math, Science and a Language) with at least grade 3

All test results must be submitted directly from the institution (i.e. College Board) oras an authenticated copy to uni-assist. Apart from the test results the completed High School Diploma (all requirementsfulfilled) must be submitted.

If these requirements are met, a direct admission to German universities is possible.

Associate degree or 2 years of study

Either: a completed Associate degree

Or: two years of study in a regular Bachelor program at arecognized US university (50% of the credits must be proven)

Subject requirements:

5 independent general education subjects including Math, Science, English, a Foreign language + one other subject

3 of those subjects must be taken in 3 ascending (consecutive) semester courses

If all requirements are met, direct admission to German universities is possible.

What if the requirements are not met?

Deficits in the High School Diploma:

● if the subject requirements are not met and the grades and overall CGPA are not fulfilled, regular courses of study at a recognized university can substitute the missing requirements

BUT:● if all subject requirements with grades are met, but the overall CGPA

is below 2.95, study courses can NOT substitute this deficit

Caution:● not all study courses can substitute the missing High School Diploma

subjects i.e. „Writing“ study courses are not sufficient to substitute English

Honours; „Intermediate Algebra“ is not sufficient to substitute Precalculus

Bachelor degree

Completed regular Bachelor degree at a US-accredited,recognized university

Requirements: completion of all required credits (usually 120 credits),overall CGPA (and grading system), proof that the degree is conferred (degree certificate or printed on transcript)

If the requirements are met, direct admission to Germanuniversities in Bachelor degree programs and Master degreeprograms is possible.

Calculation via the German grading system

Evaluation according to the guidelines from anabin

Applying the Modified Bavarian Formula:

Nmax - Nd-------------------- * 3 + 1Nmax - Nmin

Nmax = maximum achievable points/ gradeNmin = minimum passing gradeNd = grade point average achieved

Where to find information

● In general:

http://anabin.kmk.org

1. anabin Datenbank > Schulabschlüsse mit Hochschulzugang > Suchen (USA) > High School Diploma (HSD)

2. Bildungswesen > USA

● If only applying with a High School Diploma:

www.studienkollegs.de

anabin – information on US certificates

anabin – information on US education system

Common mistakes I

● Unofficial transcripts

● Only screenshots/ online printouts from SAT or ACT

● Unweighted GPA and/ or grading system missing on the High School Diploma

● No US terminology in the High School Diploma (i.e. IB course names instead of US terms or „mathematics“ instead of „precalculus“)

● No German language proficiency when applying with a High School Diploma (only access to Studienkolleg)

Common mistakes II

• Officially authenticated versus simple copies

• Wrong application form

• Signature missing/ just scanned

• special requirements for university or course

• Deadlines!

• Criteria/ regulations by ZaB – subject to change

Contact us!

In case of any further questions, please contact us:

Contact form:https://www.uni-assist.de/online/Frontend/Kontaktformular/index/?lang=en

By telephone:Monday to Friday | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (CET)Phone: +49 30 666 44 345

Our address:uni-assist e.V.Geneststraße 510829 BerlinGermany

Thank you.