The
Application Process
Spending a year at one of the Baden-Württemberg
universities is a wonderful opportunity for personal, academic and
professional growth. In order to make your year in Germany as rewarding as
possible, we need to be able to assess your goals and needs. With this in
mind there are two important steps in the application process. When
you apply you must submit a completed application and you must meet with a member of our selection
committee
Your completed application will give us
an idea of your goals and reasons for studying abroad, as well as, your
educational background, German proficiency and educational plans.
However, just as important is your meeting with someone from our selection
committee. In order to serve you best, and to ensure that your study abroad
experience is as rewarding as possible, we need to know more about you than
can be expressed on paper. Only through a face to face meeting can we truly
come to understand your unique goals, needs, concerns and reasons for
wanting to study in Baden-Württemberg.
This knowledge is crucial for our team if we are to make your year in
Germany as positive as it can be. It is up to you whether you schedule your
interview before or after you have submitted your completed application.
However, many people find that it is helpful to meet with a member of our
team early in the process in order to discuss the details of the program and
to have your many questions answered.
Please follow this link for
application
forms and detailed application instructions
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Acceptance
Once you have been accepted into the
Baden-Württemberg
Exchange you will be notified either by the study abroad office at your college
or university, or directly by the BW-Exchange.
After your acceptance you will be
asked to fill out our participant packet,
and to submit your $250 BW-semester fee, which will serve as your
confirmation deposit
In addition, you will
receive an official acceptance letter. If you have received a BW scholarship
this letter will also serve as your official award letter. It is important that
you take this letter with you to Germany as you may need it for various
administrative purposes.
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Selecting a German University
An important factor in making your study abroad experience as
rewarding as possible is ensuring that you spend it at the BW university which
is best for you. Our desire is
to place you at a university of your choice. With this in mind we will
work with you regarding your preferences, and advise you regarding your
options. Together we will determine the best university for your time in
Baden-Württemberg. Which university is right
for you depends on several factors.
Level of German proficiency
The universities in Baden-Württemberg
welcome exchange students with eagerness. Nevertheless, certain universities
require a higher level of language competency than others. Your year will
be the most rewarding if you choose a university that is a good match to your
level of German proficiency. In
addition, if you plan on primarily taking Deutsch als Fremdsprache courses, some
universities have more extensive DaF programs than others. These are
considerations to factor-in when making your decision
Program of Study
Like American universities, German universities offer a variety of academic
programs. Depending on what you wish to study, certain universities may offer
you more than others. If you wish to study business, then the University of
Mannheim is an obvious choice. If you wish to study music, then the University
of Freiburg, or perhaps the Musikhochschule in Mannheim, is the right choice for
you. We have over ten years of knowledge and experience to help you pick the
university that will best fit your desired academic goals.
Personal preference
Some students have general preferences regarding the university they wish to attend.
Perhaps you prefer to be in a metropolitan environment, or perhaps you
prefer the historic feel of a medieval university town. We at the Baden-Württemberg
Exchange can offer you a wide range of environments to suit your preference.
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Filing Your German
University Application
Once you have
determined which university is right for you, it is time to fill out that
university's application paperwork. For most of the universities in Baden-Württemberg
you will be required to fill out three forms; an application for admission,
an application for housing, and an enrollment form for the preparatory
language course. We will help you fill out these forms correctly. Once you
have filled out the application forms, they must be returned to our office.
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Acceptance to Your German
University
Once you are accepted
by your German university, they will send you an official acceptance packet.
The documents contained in this packet will vary depending on the German
university to which you applied. Nevertheless, regardless of which
university you have chosen, your acceptance packet will contain your
official letter of acceptance; your Zulassungsbescheid.
In addition your
acceptance packet is likely to contain detailed instructions about arriving
and registering at your host university, orientation information, and a host
other helpful hints.
An
important note:
It is very important that you
carefully go through the documents you receive in your acceptance packet.
Some of the German universities include in your acceptance packet, paperwork
that must be filled out and returned to them. Go through the documents you
receive carefully and if there are items you do not understand we will be
happy to review them with you.
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Receiving Your Room Assignment
Before you leave for
Baden-Württemberg you
will receive your housing assignment from your German university.
Most of the
BW-universities will send you a housing contract (Mietvertrag) that
you must immediately sign and return. In addition some universities require
that you send in a security deposit (Kaution) with your signed
contract. If this is the case, arrangements for this payment should be made
in consultation with our office.
The
exception is Heidelberg Universität. Students going to Heidelberg do not
receive their housing contract until they arrive in in Heidelberg. Once
there, students are required to sign their contract and pay the security
deposit.
An
important note:
Some of the BW-universities have begun sending housing offers via email.
This means that it is absolutely essential that you carefully monitor
your email account during the months leading up to your departure.
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