How to Apply?
Do you want to study in Germany but are worried about the application process? We’re here to assist you! Many universities in Germany including those with the highest rankings, employ uni-assist, a national service provider, to process all of their applications from international students. Even if you are applying to many study programs, you only need to submit one application to uni-assist. As long as the process is being handled applications by uni-assist, you don’t need to submit supporting material. They will also send all the remaining documents to the university that you have chosen. If various courses require various documents, uni-assist will make sure that you easily upload all of the necessary paperwork for any course.
Unfortunately, their web platform occasionally makes it unclear for overseas students as to what the university and uni-assist are responsible for. You will learn everything there is to know about uni-assist in this article. All of your questions are addressed below, from who they are to what they do, and to what you need to do for your application.
What is uni-assist, and when is it relevant to my application for a study program?
Approximately 170 universities employ uni-assist, a national service provider with headquarters in Berlin, to aid them in managing applications from international students. Additionally, they provide assistance to foreign students who wish to apply in German universities. Uni-assist achieves this by processing pertinent application paperwork needed by universities for the admissions process and offering general information about the application process online. Despite the fact that they come from various nations and have credentials and grading systems that differ, they are there to streamline the application process and make sure that all students have the necessary documents.
Uni-assist doesn’t choose a program for students. They are simply responsible for making sure that all official paperwork is checked and that student have all necessary application materials. Once this is finished, the documents are sent to the college the student is applying to. As a result, even if it may occasionally seem as though you are submitting all of your paperwork and certificates to uni-assist, keep in mind that they are only a service provider and have no bearing on whether you are given admission or not. Students must keep in mind is that not all degree programs at various universities use uni-assist to process applications from overseas students.
Therefore, rather than looking up the University on the list of member universities, you should see if the degree program that you selected makes use of uni-assist. It’s possible that your preferred program has direct applications through the institution even if it’s listed, or vice versa.
What does uni-assist do?
You might be wondering what uni-assist does if they are collecting all of your paperwork but aren’t handling your admission to a program of study. Uni-assist prepares the application paperwork and streamlines the admissions process, though institutions examine student applications and ultimately select which students are admitted. To achieve this, uni-assist
1) Evaluates official certificates to see if they meet the requirements for studying in Germany.
2) Converting grades of students into German grading standards.
3) Verifying all of your top institutions’ entrance requirements.
4) Registering all the information and paperwork needed for the admissions process at the university of your choosing.
5) Informing students of assessment outcomes.
The choice of whether to or not to accept a student into a study program is not made by Uni-assist.
Special Case: Vorprüfungsdokumentation (VPD)
Some institutions only employ uni-services assist’s to verify the application materials since some universities handle their own application processes. Students that go through this process get their documents validated by uni-assist, and then obtain Vorprüfungsdokumentation (VPD), also known as “Pre-Review Documentation,” which they must send to the university along with their application and other required materials. The VPD is simply a certification that uni-assist awards students following formal document verification. When applying, students must then deliver the VPD certification directly to the university. The university must receive the VPD from the student before the application deadline.
The VPD contains data on the educational credentials students submitted to uni-assist, the types of university admission these credentials permit, and the grades uni-assist assigned to them according to the German grading system. To be clear, applications are still processed directly by the university, even if students have their documentation checked by uni-assist.
While the uni-assist can be a bit overwhelming, we’re going to break it down for you in 6 easy steps!
1) Find your best study program by using StudyFinder, and check to see if they accept applications from overseas students using Uni-Assist. By utilizing our helpful filter tools, which will narrow your search results to your ideal study program. You can even choose programs without uni-assist.
Keep track of the deadline for your desired study program while considering how long it will take for your application to be processed (weeks or months). Review the application process’s specifics.
- Compile Documents
- Compile all the paperwork that your study program requires.
- Verify the documents that are requireded based on your country.
- Have each document translated by a qualified professional.
- Have each translation of a certificate certified.
- Make electronic copies of all necessary documents.
Create an online application for any study program of your choice. then signing up with the uni-assist online portal, and upload all necessary paperwork.
Pay the university assistance costs when applying for any academic program.
6) Document Delivery
Take the certified hard copies that the application requires and email them to uni-assist.
- Make electronic copies of all necessary documents.
Application through uni-assist: Pros and Cons
Please note both the advantages and disadvantages of each program you are considering as you narrow down your top choices for study program. This will help you decide whether or not the application process should influence your choice. We’ve have made one ourselves to list the benefits and drawbacks of the uni-assist application process below:
Pros
1) By using their portal, you can make and manage all of your uni-assist applications.
2) Regardless of the quantity of uni-assist applications you have, you just need to submit all supporting documentation and official certificates once.
3) Uni-assist tells you of the outcomes of the evaluations, and you may follow the progress of your application
Cons
1) The initial application to Uni-assist is 75€, and each further application is 30€.
2) In some situations, application deadlines may be sooner than those at non-uni-assist institutions that manage applications independently.
3) If students have doubts, they must contact a call center because they don’t provide agents personal phone number
4) Because of the numerous steps and additional deadlines, the procedure is occasionally seen as an additional application.