The simplest way to become a foreign student is to enroll in a domestic university, study for a year or two, and only then submit your documents. Your completed courses will be counted as filling a gap in your school education, and you will be admitted to the first year. But who wants to take entrance exams and then lose at least two years? Instead of being an eternal student, wouldn't it be better to save time and nerves? And if we are not admitted to a university right after school (except in some places, like Ireland, France, or Spain), let's try to enter a preparatory program. And catch up with foreign peers in the shortest possible time.
Foundation - the basis of everything
We are far from the only country with a "non-convertible" diploma. And universities, despite their pickiness about school education, do not want to lose students from these countries. So they themselves have come up with a number of loopholes for such applicants. In particular, there are specialized pre-university preparation courses intended for foreigners - Foundation or, as they are also called, University Access Fast Track. The advantage of such courses over school certification courses is that they last not two years, but from six to nine months. In principle, the essence of studying on Foundation is to provide an accelerated pre-university preparation course for foreign students, fitting it into a maximum of three trimesters. After all, most foreign applicants finish 12-year schools in their home countries, so they can quite achieve the level that Britons reach after 13 years of schooling within a year. And although some of our children study fewer years at school, they are also accepted into Foundation.
Foundation programs were invented more than ten years ago in Britain. The country needed to somehow cope with the flow of foreign students. Not accepting them at all was impossible - that contradicted the very spirit of British university education. Accepting everyone indiscriminately was also impossible, so as not to flood universities with people who barely even know English. The only option left was to bring them up to the required level.
What's good for the German...
Initially, preparatory programs existed only at one university - the University of Sussex. But news in the computer world spreads at the speed of light today, and these programs quickly spread throughout the country, and later throughout the English-speaking world, and not only the English-speaking world... Thus, the pre-university preparation in Germany is treated very pedantically, where, probably, the most obstacles are placed for foreign applicants, including ours. True, they can be understood: education is free, the Germans themselves love to study and sometimes spend not five but all ten years within the walls of the alma mater, auditoriums are overcrowded with students of different ages - is there room for foreigners?
So right after school, there is nothing to do in this country at all. Only after finishing the first year of a domestic university do you have the right to enroll - no, not yet in a university, but only in a Studienkolleg - that is, a preparatory department. More precisely, in a special college where you will undergo a German program similar to Foundation (an exception is made only for medalists, who are accepted right after school). A Studienkolleg can be either a structural unit of a university or an independent entity. In the first case, for those who complete it, the further path is predetermined. In the second case, you will have a more or less wide choice. And the choice depends both on which universities your Studienkolleg cooperates with and on its location. This means that after graduating from a preparatory college in one federal state, you cannot always enroll in a university located in another: the curricula sometimes differ significantly.
Studienkollegs also differ in the profile of the student's future specialization: in each, more than half of the hours are devoted to teaching German, and the rest to three or four core subjects. There are five directions in total: technical and engineering specialties, economics and business, design and art history, medicine and biology, and foreign languages.
The requirements for the applicant's knowledge of the German language also differ between different "Kollegs", although an entrance test must be taken when applying to any of them. Some accept only those who have passed the required international exam, while others require only a certificate of a completed course of 500-700 hours. Upon completion, a qualifying exam awaits you, and if it is passed successfully, consider yourself a student.
In recent years, the Germans have come up with some other "moves" for foreigners, but it cannot be said that they greatly ease the life of applicants. In any case, they do not in any way shorten their stay in the status of "candidate for student."
In the land of learned lessons
Nevertheless, English-speaking countries are much more flexible in this regard. If university students can study under a modular program, why can't applicants? This is how the creators of "multi-stage" preparatory programs, especially common in Australia and New Zealand, reasoned. Take, for example, New Zealand's Manikau Institute of Technology in Auckland, which has a separate educational unit - the Institute of Foundation Studies. Not only are Foundation programs offered here in 48 specialties. You can study from one to four semesters - depending on your initial preparation and what level you want to achieve as a result. There are virtually no admission requirements: a properly prepared package of documents and an interview (knowledge of English, of course, is not discussed). After successfully completing the program, you can enroll not only in MIT, but also in any other college, technical institute or corresponding university faculty. Programs start in February, April, July and September. So if you want to become a New Zealand student as early as February, quickly gather your documents.
By the way, documents should be prepared in any case if you have chosen the Southern Continent or the kiwi country for study. Because many trimester, half-year or even year-long programs have enrollment in January. For example, in the second half of January, the first cohort of the preparatory program at Victoria University of Wellington - Foundation Studies Programme - starts, successful completion of which guarantees enrollment in a bachelor's program at Victoria University. The program duration is two trimesters (8 months). For unprepared students, there is also a Pre-Foundation Programme, lasting one or two trimesters. The International Preparatory Program at Auckland University of Technology also starts in January and lasts two trimesters. And in February, the Foundation program at the University of Sydney awaits its future international applicants, where you can choose either the standard (40 weeks) or extended course (59 weeks). This program is held at the famous Taylor's College, known for its pre-university preparation, with 90% of its graduates becoming successful Australian students.
It is worth thinking about enrolling in preparatory programs not only for potential 'Australians'. Because time waits for no one... So, on January 11-12, registration takes place for those entering the spring semester of the preparatory program at American Lincoln University. On the 16th, classes begin. And if you do not start classes on time, after February 2 you may be expelled. Lincoln University is located in San Francisco, was founded in 1919 (by American standards, a very solid educational institution) and awaits our Russian students of various specialties...
And to finish with overseas programs, we have another 'news' for you: on January 9, classes begin for the first level of the preparatory program at the Canadian College of English Language. The second level, for more prepared applicants, starts on March 10, and the third on May 29. Classes at each level last only two months, and those who complete all levels will study a total of 27 weeks. You are probably surprised by the name of the institution? Yes, that's right, it's a language school. However, the Foundation programs here include not only English, but also everything required - academic disciplines and study skills. And the most interesting thing is that this school cooperates with a truly huge number of universities not only in Canada, but also in Britain, the USA, Australia, New Zealand. Upon completion of the program, you receive a special GAC (Global Assessment Certificate), with which you can confidently enroll in any of the school's partner universities. In fairness, it should be noted that GAC can be obtained not only at CCEL, but also in a number of other schools in different countries, from Britain to Malaysia. A full list of institutions where this course is taught, as well as partner universities, can be found on the website www.globalassessment.com.
Schools are no slouches
So, let's return to Europe. Namely, to the birthplace of Foundation programs - Britain. Of course, it's good to take a preparatory course at the university you want to attend. But what if the final choice has not been made yet? In that case, not only specialized preparatory colleges or further education colleges can help you, but also language schools. Especially since the programs in them are much more flexible than those in universities.
For example, the London school St. George International is waiting for you as early as January. True, there is a specialization here: the program, accredited by London's Middlesex University, is suitable for those who have chosen business and everything associated with it as their life's work. Classes last six or nine months; in addition to English (preparation for the IELTS exam, necessary for university admission), the ever-present study skills and fundamentals of business disciplines are taught. And successful graduates are guaranteed admission not only to Middlesex University, but also to a number of other British universities - namely, City University, Kingston University, London Metropolitan University, Reading University, University of Westminster, University of Nottingham Trent and Saint Martins College of Art & Design. Impressive list, isn't it?
It should be said that another British language school, Shane, also has an equally impressive list of 'guaranteed' partners. It includes the universities of Warwick, Leeds, Greenwich, Bangor (Wales), Glamorgan (Northern Ireland), Portsmouth, as well as two colleges - Orpington and Rittle. The main specializations of the Foundation program are information technology and business, as well as various aspects of British studies - history, culture, geography, language, etc. Graduates take the IELTS and score a 'six', and for complete happiness they also get a specialty - a European Computer Driving Licence certificate, with which they can get a job as a 'computer specialist' in any country. Don't forget that students in many foreign countries are allowed to work.
P. S
In general, you should not waste time even if you plan to sit on the student (or 'applicant'?) bench in the fall, like most people. The fact is that in the admissions committees of Western universities, Mr. Bureaucrat works. There are many of you, and he is alone... Joking aside, the process of reviewing documents and enrolling in preparatory programs, especially at large universities, can drag on for months.
For example, suppose you want to enter one of the universities in Switzerland - you can believe that the universities there are no worse than the hotel management schools. And the Swiss pre-university preparatory program for foreigners - University Preparatory Courses for Studies at Swiss Universities - is one. So what if it starts in October, if all documents must be with the admissions committee already in May? The admissions committees of American universities are also known for their pickiness and slowness... And our 'authorities' can't boast of efficiency either. You wouldn't let officials spoil your studies, would you? So it's time to gather documents.
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