Students blindly opt for prestigious universities listed in world rankings such as the QS World Ranking or the THE World Universities Ranking. However, such a decision often proves to be wrong because you are not marrying a rating but a real person. Most of the famous universities are multidisciplinary and strong in 1 or 2 directions. For example, the famous Harvard University graduates qualified specialists in law and medicine. The other directions are less strong, and the competition is high, the requirements and prices are high. It is better to choose a less well-known college, but specialized in the desired program.
2. Look at the location of the university.
The location of the university plays a special role, because students need to acclimatise quickly in order to get into their studies right away and not miss anything important. You choose a course at a decent university, but the country or city may not suit you. When choosing the country and city of your future residence, you should consider many aspects. For example, what is the climate like in the country, what are the food prices, how far is the campus from the place you plan to live, what language do the locals speak and many more. To help you navigate through the prices of accommodation in the Baltic countries, download for free PDF - Budget calculation in the Baltic States.
3. Study all the entrance requirements.
First, look at and study your degree plan requirements (they are listed on the university website). Second, evaluate your performance and the minimum requirements for admission. If a TOEFL certificate is required, then present it, IELTS is not an interchangeable certificate. Find out about the entrance exams, register and prepare in advance. If you do not score high enough in the exams, do not rely on luck, rather consider alternative universities. Ask for letters of recommendation in English, then you do not have to translate and certify them.
4. Apply for one specialty at your chosen university.
Many students apply to the same university, but for different majors to increase their chances of admission. Unfortunately, they make a mistake in doing so. Practice shows that the admission committee rejects such students because their application is questionable. You can apply for more than one direction at a university, provided the programs belong to the same faculty. We strongly recommend that you choose one direction so that you can prepare thoroughly for the entrance exams. If you are having difficulty deciding on a course of study, take part in the challenge "How to choose a job in 5 days".
5. Pay attention to the letter of motivation.
Fans who put everything off until later do not get into the universities of their dreams because they write a motivation letter at the last moment. Many believe that it is easy to write an essay about yourself and that one evening is enough, but such a motivation letter will not be good. The essay should reveal you as a person and show the ability to think critically and argue any thesis. For the admission committee, your grade point average and passed exams are not enough, so the requirements for the essay are even stricter than for the rest of the documents.
6. Be honest and open.
Honesty and frankness are welcome everywhere. You cannot forge documents: Fake grades in the transcript, buy letters of motivation, sign letters of recommendation on behalf of teachers themselves. Everything is easy to check, the admissions committee will make an inquiry to the educational institution where you studied and check all the data. If forged documents are discovered, you will not only not be admitted to the university, but also get in trouble with the law. The rule of honesty and openness also applies to the interview. If you start embellishing, the admissions committee will start asking more questions and realise that you are not telling the truth.
7. Pay attention to deadlines and time management.
Deadlines play an important role in your admission. The university will not consider applications submitted after the deadline, and there can be no exceptions. An easy way to get everything done on time is to create an admissions calendar. You may need to take the IELTS test in advance. So mark the time for preparation and the approximate date of submission in the calendar. Think about how you can retake the IELTS test if you do not score high enough. Also write down here all the dates by which the letters of recommendation and motivation should be ready. Enter all dates with a margin so that there is enough time for corrections.
8. Study well in your final year of study.
If you are a student, in most cases the university will require your grades for the last six months or year, so study well. The admission committee evaluates the average marks, you should not rely only on the entrance exams. If the result of the entrance exams is the same, they will take an applicant with a high average mark.
9. Make sure you can learn in a foreign language.
If you are studying abroad, remember that no one at the university will speak your native language. Therefore, make sure that you can communicate in an international environment and that there is no language barrier. IELTS or TOEFL certificates are not always meaningful. If you feel that you might have problems with the language, then it is better to deepen it or choose countries where many speak Russian. A good option is the Baltic states, as half of the population is Russian-speaking and you can easily acclimatize there. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are European Union countries, so you can easily transfer to another European country if you improve your English or participate in the Erasmus+ exchange program to get a scholarship to study abroad. Sign up for a free consultation with the manager of the Baltic University Admissions Committee.
10. Pay the price of admission.
Every university charges an admission fee. It is important that you pay this on time, otherwise the university may reject you.