How to enter prestigious foreign universities on scholarships. How to apply to a foreign university: step-by-step instructions Universities in other countries

Many graduates are interested in the question: "Is it possible to go to study abroad immediately after grade 11?" Some of them have heard that not all universities accept foreigners who have just finished school, others are not sure about their level of English or are simply afraid of competition in the admission process.

In short, there are more questions than answers. In this article, we will try to figure out - is it really possible to start studying abroad after grade 11 and, most importantly, is it worth it?

Much depends on the country

If you want to enter a foreign university after graduation, you probably know in which country you would like to live and study.

Why not download free university brochures? Just click on the picture:

However, it is worth remembering that if you can enroll in foreign university immediately after graduating from a Russian school, largely depends on the country and the rules of a particular educational institution.

The fact is that not in all countries the education system involves entering the university immediately after school, especially for foreign students. There are several reasons here:

1. Firstly, 11 grades of a Russian school is 11 or 10 (if the school "jumps" grade 4) years of education. In some countries, this study experience is not enough to apply for admission to a higher education institution

2. Secondly, the education system of some countries provides for an "intermediate link" between school and university education. This may be studying at a polytechnic or mandatory courses to prepare for studying at a university (usually applies specifically to foreign students)

So, for example, in America there is an optional, but desirable system of preparatory pre-university courses -. Such courses involve not only preparation for studying at the university, but also the improvement of the academic performance of students, and practically guarantee successful admission to the university.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, all those wishing to enter the university are required to undergo preliminary training in the country. For foreign students, this is expressed in the passage of annual Foundation courses, study at a local high school(1-2 years) or at the Polytechnic University in the chosen specialty. Only after that the student has the right to apply to one of the Singapore universities.

At the same time, there are countries where you can enter universities immediately after graduating from a Russian school. These include, for example, the Czech Republic and Finland. In these countries, as well as in the United States, there is an option to take preparatory language or academic courses, however, this condition is not mandatory for applying to a university.

A lot depends on the student.

It should be noted that not all graduates of Russian schools have a real opportunity to enter foreign university right after 11th grade. The highest chances, of course, are those who have set a goal in advance - to go to study abroad. Such students, a few years before graduation, choose the country of interest and even the university, begin to diligently study the required foreign language and bring their academic performance to meet the requirements of the university.

In case you did not do all this, but simply wanted to study abroad at the end of the 11th grade, let's face it - your chances of fast admission are low. Studying in another country, especially at a prestigious university, usually involves a serious preparation process, without which it is very difficult to enter a university.

You will be able to enter the university after the 11th grade if:

1. Your knowledge of English or other required language is at a sufficiently high level
2. You have a certificate of passing a language exam (TOEFL, IELTS, etc.) with a good score
3. Your academic performance is high enough
4. You can expect to receive a letter of recommendation that characterizes you as a serious and purposeful student
5. You have definitely decided on the place of study abroad
6. You or your parents have the financial ability to pay for education abroad

In case you don't fit this list, but dream of studying abroad, don't despair! In a few years of hard work, you may well raise your language and academic level, pass the necessary exams, find a suitable foreign university. In this case, it is you who can come in handy for university preparation courses, and scholarships and grants for international students can help you out in funding your studies.

Should I apply right after 11th grade?

Consider the main pros and cons of leaving to study abroad immediately after graduating from a Russian school.

pros

1. You do not waste precious years and purposefully go to your dream
2. You do not have time to get out of the process of intense study and wean from it
3. You'll get your bachelor's degree at an age many others are just entering college.
4. You will quickly reinforce your theoretical knowledge of a foreign language with practical skills

Minuses

1. In addition to preparing for the final exams, in the 11th grade you will be busy with the laborious process of entering a foreign university
2. Due to age or psychological unpreparedness, a sudden change of place of residence and study can cause stress
3. You will not have time to distract yourself and take a break from your studies. For two years (grade 11 and 1 year at the university) you will be busy studying, passing many exams, tests, collecting and submitting documents
4. You must be prepared for the fact that you may not be able to enter a university on the first attempt, in case your language or academic indicators are not good enough

Admission to the University

If you still decide to start studying at a foreign university immediately after graduating from a Russian school, follow these instructions:

1. As soon as possible, choose a university in a country where you can start studying at a university immediately after the 11th grade of a Russian school
2. It would not be superfluous to travel to this country and visit the university to be sure of your decision.
3. Work hard to learn the required foreign language
4. During your studies in the 11th grade, get the necessary certificates for passing international language exams
5. Familiarize yourself with university requirements for international students and bring your scores up to these requirements
6. Get some good, well-formed letters of recommendation from their teachers
7. Learn about required documents to apply to the university, collect them and submit them just in time
8. In advance, deal with the issue of obtaining a passport and a visa required to enter the country of study.

The goal of the company is to give Russian graduates a chance for a successful future and career. These are the prospects that open up for people who have graduated from a university in the UK, Germany, the USA, the Netherlands, etc. Among our partners are hundreds of the largest universities in Europe and America, top universities:

• Harvard University;
• Columbia University;
• University of Cambridge;
• Yale University;
• University of Oxford;
• Princeton University;
• Stanford University.

Together with StudyLab admission to best universities abroad becomes more accessible. And all thanks to the comprehensive support of applicants - from collecting documents to obtaining visas.

Admission to foreign universities: the whole range of services

StudyLab has been specializing in organizing study abroad for over 10 years. We provide the following services:

• organization language courses;
• preparation for international exams in English IELTS, TOEFL;
• analysis and selection of universities abroad and curricula in accordance with your goals;
• advising on foreign education;
• collection of documents for submission to the admission committee of the university;
• assistance in writing motivational letters (essays attached to the application for admission);
• issuance of a study visa;
• supervision in the learning process.

We not only organize admission to higher educational establishments abroad, but we also accompany students abroad during the first semester or year of study. The enrollment process is also under 100% control of our experts. StudyLab specialists will help you choose the best educational programs, assess the level of academic knowledge and prepare for admission and study.

Exam preparation

Entrust us with the preparation for admission - enlist the support of experienced professionals and leading teachers. With our help, hundreds of Russians enter universities in London, New York, Amsterdam, Berlin and other cities around the world. Our secret is first-class preparation courses for entrance exams, including SAT, GMAT, ACT, GRE and others.

Clients coming to creative specialties in the field of Art & Design, we provide assistance in compiling a portfolio. Preparation for admission together with StudyLab is a guarantee of your success!

Our advantages

Every year, more than 2,000 people receive higher education at universities abroad with the help of StudyLab. Many of them are free of charge, as well as on the basis of grants and scholarships for foreign students. Our employees are native speakers of Russian, English, German, Dutch. They will help you quickly solve problems in the process of moving and learning. You are completely insured against problems during admission: we independently interact with representatives admissions committees on behalf of applicants, speeding up and facilitating the enrollment process. Do you dream of a foreign diploma and a dizzying career abroad? Simple and convenient admission to a foreign university with us is the first step towards your goal!

Impeccable reputation English universities is based on the painstaking centuries-old work of teachers who were able to create a unique research base.

With the help of StudyLab, you can find out up-to-date information about university programs and conditions for admission to a particular faculty. Top universities occupy the first lines of authoritative rankings, and this is the result of practice-oriented education. Graduates of the world's leading universities are in demand in the labor market, regardless of their specialty.

Top Universities in England

The University of Oxford and Cambridge University practice a curation system. This means that each student meets several times a week with a personal curator who monitors the progress of his ward, advises and guides him. Thanks to an individual approach, these universities in England have a minimum dropout rate of students and consistently demonstrate high rates of quality of education.

It is believed that social humanitarian sciences best studied at the University of Oxford, natural Sciences- at Cambridge University, business, engineering and IT - at Imperial College London, law, economics and political science - at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and art history, architecture and design - at the University of Warwick. Each university offers a promising academic program in certain areas and comfortable conditions for learning and recreation.

Disciplines are studied comprehensively and objectively. For this, lectures, seminars, laboratory work and specialized educational trips are organized. Students conduct their own research scientific projects and put forward bold hypotheses. A master's degree abroad teaches you to be a leader, to look at things with an open mind and find the best solution for any problem.

Opens endless possibilities for intellectual and spiritual growth. Universities are equipped with dozens of libraries, laboratories, workshops, as well as sports complexes. Some even have their own museums and publishing houses. Each student can join a club or society where he will find like-minded people. Top foreign universities offer hundreds of clubs with interests ranging from sports and cooking to classical literature, painting and politics.

Studying in undergraduate and graduate programs

IN British universities students are waiting for an atmosphere of cosmopolitanism, because the bachelor's degree in England consists of 40% of foreigners, the master's degree - 50%. Qualified teachers from Europe, Asia and America work here, so the information presented at lectures and seminars is always relevant and reliable. Top Universities abroad maintain international relations with other universities and large companies, and many students are studying on an exchange or internship in other countries.

By comparison, US universities such as Harvard University or Stanford University offer even higher annual tuition fees, but studying in England is still the most prestigious in the world. University research influences the development of scientific thought, and graduates become world's leading specialists.

StudyLab offers higher education abroad at elite universities with a rich history. The status of a graduate of such a university promises grandiose scientific and career prospects anywhere in the world.

Every year, higher education abroad is becoming more popular and much more accessible to our compatriots. Russians who graduated from foreign universities, as a rule, easily find their niche in the international labor market and successfully move up the career ladder. Higher education abroad - in America, Europe, Canada, Australia or even China - is, of course, also an opportunity to perfectly study the foreign language in which education is conducted, and most often more than one. We should not forget that often foreign universities have a much more developed educational, material and scientific base than domestic ones. And proven for centuries, a refined teaching system provides fundamental knowledge and the possibility of their most effective application.

22 countries for higher education of your choice!

Higher education programs

Higher education system: from general to specific

Higher education, built according to the classical European system, has a similar structure in different countries. The first stage - obtaining a bachelor's degree - takes 3-4 years. After another 2 years of study at the university, students receive a master's degree. Postgraduate study lasts 2-3 years and is a stage research work and writing a dissertation, after which a doctoral degree (PhD) is awarded.

No less attractive for our compatriots is the second higher education abroad, which is often easier to obtain than the first, as well as additional postgraduate education, for example, MBA programs. Among the foreign universities that teach these programs, the undisputed leader is American universities, which are the founders of the top management education system.

Higher education in different countries also has a number of national characteristics. So, in Germany and France, after 2-3 years of a bachelor's program, you can get a professional licentiate diploma (Licentiate), which allows you to teach without having a degree.

In France, along with the common European standard of education, there is a system of so-called "short" and "long" university cycles, at the end of which a higher diploma is issued, respectively. technical education and a diploma of higher specialized education (Master 2).

Everyone has it Spanish University own rules of study, the level of qualifications assigned to graduates and the number of steps.

Postgraduate study abroad can also be nationally specific. In Germany, after defending a graduation project or dissertation, graduates are awarded a master's degree (Magister Artium). Then students who have had a teaching practice can take qualifying exams and immediately receive a doctorate degree (Doctorate). In other countries, there is no "shortened" postgraduate study and training lasts 2-3 years.

In order to be able to objectively assess the knowledge of students obtained in different universities and different countries, a pan-European system for the transfer and accumulation of credits ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) was introduced. ECTS facilitates academic recognition when transferring from one university to another or when taking individual master's courses at several different universities.

To study abroad

In the universities of each individual country, in addition to the variety of courses, programs and disciplines, there are a number of characteristic rules and requirements for applicants. The procedures for accepting documents, interviews, passing exams (where they are provided), making decisions on enrolling in a university are very individual and depend both on the traditions of the education system of a particular country, and on the academic results of the applicant himself.

One of the universal requirements is a sufficient level of proficiency in the language in which teaching is conducted. Therefore, it is logical to start a student career abroad with language courses and preparation for passing international exams TOEFL, IELTS, etc.

Because school education in Russia it is shorter than the western one by 2-3 years, admission to a foreign university in the year of graduation is most often problematic for our graduates. The way out is to complete 1-2 courses of a domestic university, or training courses at the chosen university abroad.

So, to enter a British university, you must have an A-level diploma or complete the Foundation training program. And in Germany, for example, there are special one-year preparatory colleges Studienkolleg. During this year, future students significantly improve their language level and pass the necessary qualifying exams.

Despite the fact that in European universities entrance exams are most often not held, some prestigious universities in England and higher schools France, for example, can arrange exams and interviews. And for admission to all creative universities Applicants will need a portfolio.

The cost of education can vary greatly depending on the chosen country and the specific university (public or private). But, in some cases, foreign students studying for a master's degree abroad can apply for scholarships and grants from the state, the government of their country or various funds.

What do you think about when it comes to studying abroad? Most likely, you are visited by such thoughts: “This is unrealistic”, “Too expensive”, “Only for the elite”, “I can’t do it”. And almost everyone thinks so.

However, today education abroad is no longer an unrealizable dream, but a reality accessible to everyone. Almost anyone can study at a foreign university for free thanks to scholarships and grants. You don't even have to be a genius to get into your dream university and get full funding.

Let's talk about how the admission process looks like and where to start.

1. Choice of the country of study and educational program

These two points are specifically combined into one paragraph. If you have at least approximately decided on the direction of study, then it is important not to make a mistake with a suitable country.

For technical specialties, it is better to go to Germany, the Czech Republic and the USA - countries historically leading in advanced technologies, mechanical engineering and innovation. Also, do not forget about Asian countries: Singapore, South Korea, Japan and China. They are now at the forefront of technological development.

For a degree in design and fashion, it is better to go to sunny Italy or sophisticated France - the birthplace of world famous brands and couturiers. If you are interested in ecology, protection environment and protection of people's rights, choose Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway) or Switzerland. They are world activists in these directions. But remember that there can always be exceptions to this rule.

2. Choosing a university

Once you have decided on the country of study and specialty, you should choose the most suitable one. Here it is worth paying attention to the cost and rating of not only the university itself, but also the specifically chosen program. One of the most useful resources is The Times rating -.

It is also desirable to take into account how comfortable the university is for teaching foreign students, whether there is the necessary adaptation support and international programs.

It is important to choose the type of university: private or public. Private university exists at the expense of its own earned funds and sponsors. In it, education will be quite expensive, but more elite. Public universities exist at the expense of public funds. Education in them is more affordable (up to $1,000 per semester).

Education at a private university is not always better. For example, UC Berkeley is public, while Stanford is private. But at the same time, these two universities have historically competed for the best students.

3. Preparation of documents

The final list of documents depends on the specific country, university and program. But the general minimum set of required documents usually looks like this:

• Notarized translation of the diploma of previous education (school certificate for bachelor's and bachelor's/specialist's diploma for master's).
• Notarized translation of the app with grades.
• . This is one of the most important documents that will present you in a favorable light.
• Letters of recommendation.
• Language certificates. For training on English language- IELTS (from 6.5) or . To study in other languages, you need the appropriate international certificates.
• Additional exams. For example, GMAT/GRE for masters in business and finance or portfolio for designers and artists.

4. Selection of scholarships and grants

There are several main types of scholarships and grants:

• State. Given by the government of the receiving or sending country. As a rule, they are not tied to a specific university and specialty, they can be chosen independently.
• Universities. Given for applicants to a particular university.
• External funds and organizations. Sufficiently targeted, they cover a specific direction or program. They are the hardest to find information about.

The number of scholarships and grants also depends heavily on the country and specialty.

There is a limited number of aggregators of information about scholarships and grants:

• Germany - DAAD;
• France - CampusFrance;
• China - CSC Scholarships.

Basic information is provided there. foreign languages, including in English. Of the Russian-language resources, it is worth highlighting StudyQA and the StudyFree project, where information about current scholarships and grants appears several times a week.

5. Terms of admission

As a rule, documents for admission to a foreign university are submitted in March-June, in order to start studying in September. By this time, you should have all the results and other documents in your hands.

However, the deadline for applying for scholarships ends much earlier. Applications for major scholarships in prestigious universities stop accepting in September-October for programs starting in the fall of next year. Some universities close the acceptance of applications in November-February. Most major scholarships no longer consider applicants after March.

By the time you apply for a scholarship, you must have a package of ready-made documents. This means that you need to prepare at least a year, and preferably a year and a half.

Entering a foreign university with full funding is real. You just need not be afraid of the process itself, start studying the issue in advance, choose the direction and country, prepare all the documents. If you realize that the process is too complicated, you can always seek help from special educational agencies that will solve all the questions for you.