Northern Europe is home to Finland, a Nordic nation. Finland is becoming more popular as a study abroad destination due to its high quality education, secure environment, and strong emphasis on human resource development. The number of applications from non-EU students was reported to have increased by 141% in 2021 by the Finnish Immigration Agency. However the procedure of applying to study in Finland demands thorough and prompt planning. Many elements such as university selection, course selection, test prep, document preparation, etc. require rigorous preparation. This article explains the tips and advice required to successfully apply to Finnish universities.
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Applying under separate applications at the earliest.
For students who are applying to Finnish universities to enrol for an undergraduate or postgraduate program as a fresher there are two application rounds basically. They are joint application and separate application round. In addition, some universities also open rolling applications for selected programs. A student can submit one joint application and in that he or she can apply for up to 6 options. In addition to joint applications, the students should also consider separate and rolling applications. As each program has a specifically allocated number of seats per each intake applying as early as possible is a tip the students can follow since the universities start evaluating and releasing offers as per the application submission order.
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Considering different regions when selecting courses and universities.
Helsinki is the capital city of Finland and the city for some of the most reputed universities. In concern of the climate, English language proficiency and job opportunities most international students tend to be based in Helsinki when applying for higher studies in Finland. Hence, there is an extremely a high competition when getting admission from a university located in Helsinki. Therefore, when selecting universities to apply for higher studies in Finland it is important to consider universities in other regions as well such as Tampere, Jyvaskyla, Vaasa and Oulu etc.. in order to maximize the possibilities of receiving a study place.
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Completing additional tests prior to the application period.
For some of the undergraduate programs and all the postgraduate programs taking an English language test such as IELTS, PTE and TOFLE is compulsory unless the applicant has completed previous studies in an English speaking country onshore. Some programs also require test scores of GRE, GMAT and SAT. As per the conditions of application process in Finland it is compulsory to complete the above mentioned tests and obtain test scores before or during the application period as universities in Finland do not release conditional offer letters based on pending test scores. In other words, the applicant has to submit final results/ result sheet with required scores by the university application period for above mentioned language and other tests.
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Writing a strong statement of purpose
For most of the postgraduate programs in Finland writing a statement of purpose is compulsory. This could be in the terms of motivational letter or letter of intent as well. However, each university and program has its own criteria for statement of purpose content and size wise. Therefore, it is recommended to write an SOP which is not common but university and program specific that covers the required criteria within the given word limit as the clarity of the statement of purpose is highly considered when offering scholarships to applicants. Further, having the SOP reviewed by a field expert prior submission could add immensely to the university application.
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One academic year- one study place
This information is not about the applying for Finnish universities but about accepting received offer. It is possible for a student to receive multiple offers for different programs and from different universities. Yet it is not possible to accept multiple offers. In other words, once the student accepts any of the study place, it is not possible to change the study option at any cost according to their policy as only one study option can be accepted per each academic year. Therefore, student should be mindful when accepting an offer if he or she is awaiting the outcome of other options applied for.
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Country specific requirements
There are specific steps to be followed when submitting university applications to Finland. Most of the universities have their own criteria of evaluation and country specific requirements. Some of the universities require the educational certificates sent by mother institution directly to Finnish university sometimes depending on the awarding country of basic qualification. Hence, student has to be responsible in sending documents on time as Finnish universities are strict with deadlines and no application is considered if the documents are delivered late.
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University interviews.
Finland is a country where people are very calm, honest, quiet and respectful. Therefore, students these qualities are also considered as a part of the admissions process especially where interviews or group discussions are conducted. During university interviews in addition to field specific information and language proficiency, the students’ ethical manners are also examined such as patience, flexibility and respect towards others.