The $0.00 fee of German universities has probably got you thinking, "How do I approach the German school system?" In this post I will provide a couple of helpful links and resources to proceed with applying to university.
STEP 1: Reach the required level of German. This requirement is important for international students as without a good understanding of the language, your studies in Germany may be prolonged as most Bachelor's Degree programs are exclusively in German. So how can you prove that you do, in fact, know German? There are a couple of ways (obtained from ETH Zürich admission requirements):
1) Goethe-Zertifikat C1 (gut) / C2 (pass) Goethe Institutes can be found all around the United States and around the world, and they aim to bring German culture to students in addition to preparing them for German studies. The C1 and C2 examinations occur every year and cost $210. The dates depend on the location, but in San Francisco the examination will occur on September 16, 2020. To prepare for these examinations, the Goethe Institutes offer classes on their campuses, which if you take can earn you a discount of $20 off the exam. Check out their website at https://www.goethe.de/ and the following links.
One can understand what C1/C2 means here: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/cefr/
One can find institute locations here: https://www.goethe.de/de/wwt.html
One can register for examinations here: https://www.goethe.de/de/spr/kup/prf/prf.html
One can find information on classes here: https://www.goethe.de/de/spr/kup/kur.html
2) Test DaF with 4s in all sections Goethe Institutes, in addition to other institutions across the world, also offer the Test DaF (Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Test of German as a foreign language), an examination of B2/C1 level.
Official Test DaF website: https://www.testdaf.de/
Goethe-Institut Test DaF Info: https://www.goethe.de/de/spr/kup/prf/prf/testdaf.html
Practice for Test DaF: https://www.deutsch-uni.com/gast/duo/info/kurse_mittlestufe.do?do=TestDaFtraining
3) ÖSD Zertifikat C1 with "gut bestanden" Yet another examination is the ÖSD, which is Austria-based (ÖSD: Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch, Austrian German Language Diploma).
Official ÖSD website: https://www.osd.at/
4) DSH-3 The DSH (DSH: Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang, German Language Proficiency Test for the Admission to Higher Education) is another examination offered throughout the world. The DSH-3, specifically, is at a C2 level. Its website provides many resources to prepare for the examination.
Official DSH website: https://dsh-germany.com/
5) DSD II - C1 Pass The DSD (Deutsches Sprachdiplom, German Language Diploma) is the examination that I took for entrance requirements and is geared towards high school students like myself. There are two stages to the DSD: DSD I is at a level of A2/B1 and qualifies you to study at a Studienkolleg, which would precede entrance into a German university. Passing the DSD II would qualify you to enter directly into the German university system. It is comprised of a writing portion, listening and reading comprehension, and a presentation.
Official DSD website: https://www.auslandsschulwesen.de/Webs/ZfA/DE/Deutsch-lernen/DSD/dsd_node.html
DSD Practice Examinations: https://www.auslandsschulwesen.de/Webs/ZfA/DE/Deutsch-lernen/DSD/DSD-I/dsd-i_modellsaetze.html
6) telc Deutsch C1 "gut" There exist telc examinations for ten languages, and to enter into a German-speaking university one must pass their German C1 examination with a grade of at least "gut".
Official telc website: https://www.telc.net/
STEP 2: Complete academic requirements. These will of course be different at every different school, so I have summarized the requirements and different ways with which one can enter university. This list does not consider IB diplomas, although IB can qualify you for German universities as well.
High School Diploma Course Requirements (if not met -> Studienkolleg)
- 4 units of English with minimum grade of C, including English IV/Honors/AP English
- 2 units of Foreign Language
- 3 units of Social Studies
- MATH AND SCIENCE UNITS MUST ADD UP = 5 UNITS:
- 2 / 3 units in Mathematics with minimum grade of C, including Algebra II or Trigonometry and Precalculus
- 2 / 3 units in Science with minimum grade of C, including Biology, Chemistry, or Physics
- 2 units of elective
The following three methods all require a High School Diploma.
1) 2 years of College / Associate's Degree (Community College)
- 5 independent GE subjects including English, foreign language, mathematics, and science
- 3 progressive classes consecutively in three subject areas (i.e. MATH 101A, B, C)
- Demonstration by transcripts of a) junior standing, b) proof of completion of 50% of credits needed for Bachelor's Degree, or c) Associate's Degree in an academic program
2) Studienkolleg and/or Feststellungsprüfung
- Pass Studienkolleg Entrance Exam
- Enter Studienkolleg and take courses in your Fachrichtung (subject area).
University Studienkollegs grant access to both universities and universities of applied sciences while University of Applied Science Studienkollegs are restricted to universities of applied sciences.
Studienkolleg courses: http://www.studienkollegs.de/types%20of%20Studienkollegs.html
- Pass Feststellungsprüfung to gain subject-restricted university entrance qualification.
One can alternatively take an "externe Feststellungsprüfung" without attending a Studienkolleg.
Further Studienkolleg information can be found at http://www.studienkollegs.de/
3) AP Examinations (Pass: 3 or above)
a) Math, Medicine, Natural Sciences, Pharmacology or Technology
Pass four AP exams in:
- Mathematics (AP Calculus AB / BC)
- Natural Sciences (AP Biology / Chemistry / Physics)
- Language (Any foreign language or AP English Language / Literature)
- Elective (AP Computer Science A, AP Art History, etc.)
b) Humanities, Social Sciences, Law, Economics or Business
Pass four AP exams in:
- English (AP English Language / Literature)
- Foreign Language (AP Spanish, German, Latin, etc.)
- Math / Natural Sciences (AP Calculus, AP Biology, Chemistry, etc.)
- Elective (AP Computer Science A, AP Art History, etc.)
STEP 3: Decide a university. There are many universities to choose from in Germany, and some are top-ranked in specific fields. Once you have decided a university, make sure you have completed its requirements! Each university is different and may require different courses or entrance exams.
You can find rankings at the following website: https://ranking.zeit.de/che/
STEP 4: Apply and be admitted! Applications for German universities are due on January 15 for the summer semester and may be different than what you are used to with American applications. How one can apply for German universities is summarized very nicely on uni-assist, which plays a major role in German applications. There are different methods of applying to different universities and different time intervals for applications for different programs, so I would highly recommend seeing which program you are applying to on the university webpage first.
Uni-Assist: https://www.uni-assist.de/ <- Very important
EU CV creator for applications: https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/
I hope that was helpful. Let me know if you have questions :)
Liebe Grüße
Kushal Chattopadhyay
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