When considering a school in Europe, the Netherlands should be at the top of your list as a consideration. Some of the highest-ranked schools are located in the Netherlands, and you are guaranteed to get a high level of education no matter what school you may attend.
University in the Netherlands is (mostly) in English, very cheap, project-based, and small scale.
For these reasons, why not start your application process now?
Choose what you want to study: this means many different things for different people. Do you already know exactly what major you want to study? Feel free to skip to Part A of this step. If you have some idea of what sort of area you are interested in, skip to Part B. If you are still completely undecided, it's time to consider Part C.
Decided: Start looking into schools that have the major you are looking for. Do a Google search for schools in the Netherlands that have your degree. In my experience, Europe tends to offer more unique and specific degrees, so don't be surprised if in your research you come across exactly the degree you were looking for without even knowing it existed.
Unsure: This is where I was. The first thing to understand when you are here is that school in Europe is generally more independent than school in the US. You do need to be pretty decided about what you want to study because unlike college in the US, you cannot change your major four times before graduating. You pretty much choose your major and stick with it until you graduate, or start all over again with a different major. Now, don't be intimidated by this yet-there are some exceptions and things to consider.
First off, University College Roosevelt is the school I am attending and it is a small Liberal Arts College. It is set up like a US school and does not follow this rule. UCR is the only school in the Netherlands that I know of with this exception, but there could be more.
Another exception is that some schools offer more general degrees. For example a basic Engineering Degree, and as you continue your study and realize your interests, you may start a specification (this option does not apply to every school). University in the Netherlands lasts 3 years compared to 4 in the US. You will choose a major immediately and consequentially spend no time on general requirements, solely focusing on the major chosen.
The next thing to consider is pricing. University is so much cheaper than in the US, and the degree is a year shorter, so that is one less year of tuition paid. For this reason, think about choosing a major you might be unsure about and worst comes to worst you find it's not for you, drop out and choose something else. You will still be on track compared to your friends in the US and will have paid for a valuable experience.
Lost: At this point, Europe has a cool option to consider: a foundation year. A foundation year is designed mostly for students who maybe did not have met all the requirements for admission during high school. For example, I want to join the engineering program, but AP Physics is a requirement and my school doesn't offer that course. In this case, you can pay a little extra (around $17,000 a year) and be enrolled in an extra year before university that will get you up to speed with the Dutch curriculum, filling in any gaps that were missed during high school. You also don't have to choose your major for this so it is a great opportunity to figure out what you enjoy and experience your first year as a student with a little less pressure. The reason I did not choose this route is that after talking with a couple of students who were currently enrolled in a foundation year, my impression was that it took me a step back from where I wanted to be. Most people enrolled in this course are international students from Russia, South America, and the Middle East who are still learning English and maybe didn't have the level of secondary education that I did in American Accredited schools. I considered this choice because, for one thing, the international experience is one of a kind. With most of these programs, as long as you pass, you are guaranteed a spot in the program and university that you took the program through. In my research, I did find that it may be difficult to transfer from the foundation year at one university to enrollment in a bachelor's program at another. You should really do your foundation year at the school where you will do a bachelor's program.
2. Choose Your School: In my humble opinion, this is the fun part.
a. First off, I made a list of requirements (in my head but you should write it down). My list looked something like this:
- Classes taught entirely in English
- Project-based
- Engineering program
- Small scale
- Small city
- Rowing team
- International
The list became MUCH longer after I started looking at schools and programs and schools and seeing more clearly what I wanted and didn't want.
b. After deciding on some basic requirements the easiest way to find schools in my opinion, is by searching for universities on google maps. Maybe this isn't the most conventional method, but this is how I found my University, and all the lists I looked up were not complete and didn't have links to the right school website and stuff like that. I also just liked to be able to choose schools to look into based on a map.
Another way to search is by going through this list if you aren't as concerned about location.
c. One of the most important ways I narrowed down the list of possible schools was by watching Vlogs by students. I would search "Day in the Life at ... University" or just "... University Vlog" on YouTube and it gave me the experience of touring a school without having to fly there.
If the Vlog didn't make me reconsider the school, I would get in contact with a student, either by looking up school hashtags on Instagram and DM-ing someone who went to the school until we could set up a video chat or by contacting someone who works for the school and asking them to set me up with a student I could talk to.
d. When finding schools, be sure you understand there are two types of secondary education in the Netherlands. There are Hogeschools and Research Universities. Be sure the school you are looking at is the style of learning you are looking for. My interpretation is that a Hogeschool is similar to a technical school, and a Research University is like a college, you can read more about the difference here. I would have been fine attending a Hogeschool, I looked into attending HAN at one point and even talked to a student there. However, my concern was that people find it more difficult to enroll in master's programs with a non-university education and I am seriously considering doing a master's program. It is still possible, you just need to have good grades and may need to take a supplemental course or two at the university during your masters.
4. Start Applying in Studielink: Now that you know what university you will be attending, get started with the application process ASAP. If at any point you think you are ahead of the game, there will be some sort of delay that will push you behind so if you can check anything off your list, do it.
*One important thing to check on is your passport, most likely it will expire soon after your eighteenth birthday, and it needs to be valid for the entirety of the time your VISA is valid. This means it needs to be valid for the next three or so years, so start getting it renewed now.
Studielink is in some ways similar to the Common-App because it is the starting point for all your applications. However, you don't submit any of your applications here.
Start the process by going here and creating an account without a DigiD. Enter your information and choose the school and program(s) you want to apply to.
Important side notes: Studielink doesn't open for applications until around October 1st. Because of this, it is important to look at your program's application requirements. I would highly recommend emailing someone from the admissions team and asking what requirements you will need to meet with your education. For example as a US student do you need any specific AP courses?
One cool thing about this whole process is that none of the applications cost a dime! I applied to at least 23 schools on Studielink because I could. I think Studielink caps you at 10 schools at a time, but I would just cancel my application at a school I was no longer considering and add a new one as I talked to a student or watched a video or something like that.
5. OSIRIS: Now you should start getting emails from the school that you are now in their system with a student number and you can create an OSIRIS account with your school. OSIRIS is the online application where you submit letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.
One thing to note about this application process is that you will most likely not have to submit SAT or ACT scores (I didn't have to at least).
Every school has a different OSIRIS application so it is important to know exactly what the requirements for your program are.
6. Respond to Every Single Email: Every single one. The admissions department does not treat you like a customer like in the US. The colleges in the US work to get you to attend their school, whereas in Europe you are on your own. If you receive an email, haven't received one in a couple of weeks, are slightly confused about something, email your advisor. This will help them to understand you are serious and keep you in the loop for the entirety of this long confusing process that has so much room for miscommunication.
That is my final word of advice. As always, don't hesitate to contact me at thetravelbuzzpodcast@gmail.com with any questions!
Please listen to our podcast on this topic and checkout Kailey's post on Going to School in the UK
Keep dreaming!
-Milan
Comments