Application deadlines

Date For entry in

1 November 2010 Spring 2011 classes start 31 January 2011

1 December 2010 Autumn 2011 “early bird” deadline

1 February 2011 Autumn 2011 regular deadline

Application guidelines
• Applications to Amsterdam University College must be submitted entirely online, through our online application
system supported by embark.com. Please read these guidelines carefully before completing and submitting
your online application.
• You will save time if you collect all the documents you need in digital/scanned format before you start to complete the online
application form, but you do not have to complete your application in one session. You can stop at any time, save what you
have done, and login again later to complete it. You can edit and change your application up until the point that you submit
it to AUC. AUC cannot process your application until it has been submitted. After it has been submitted, you can login at any
time to view or print a copy of your application and to track its status through the Track Status link.
• All questions should be answered in English, unless otherwise specified.
• Any documentation sent to Amsterdam University College with regard to your application cannot be returned.
• Official translations must be submitted with documents that are not in English, Dutch, German or French.
• Recommendations are completed online: please make sure your recommenders know in advance that the recommendation
form is online and that they will receive an e-mail with their personal login.
• If your personal situation changes, please inform AUC Admissions as soon as possible, [email protected].
• AUC expects all students to meet the admissions requirements in the way in which they indicate on their application. If
you wish to change the way you propose to meet any requirements, you must request this change in writing so that the
Admissions Committee can decide if they accept your alternative proof. You must do this well in advance of the prospective
starting date for your studies.

Complete the online application form

Follow the link on the AUC website to the online application system, and create an account to login to our online application
form. NB: The e-mail address you use to create your account must be one that you check regularly, as it will be used
for all e-mail correspondence with you.

Follow the numbered steps to complete and submit your online application. You do not have to complete all the steps in one
session: you can stop at any time, save what you have done, and log in again later to complete it. You can edit and change your
application up until the point that you submit it to AUC. AUC cannot process your application until it has been submitted. After
it has been submitted, you can login at any time to view or print a copy of your application and to track its status through the
Track Status link.

The first 5 pages of the online application form contain questions for you to answer. Pages 6 to 29 are upload pages, where
you can upload the documents to complete your application, e.g. personal statement, essay, school reports, diplomas. You
therefore need digital/scanned versions of all the documents you want to submit with your application. The Application Inspector
tool will tell you if you have missed any required questions or documents.

Checklist: these are some of the documents that you need to have in digital/scanned format ready to upload (more
details are given in the sections below):
• Personal statement (letter of motivation)
• Application essay
• Official transcripts/certified copies of diplomas/most recent grade lists (including most recent diploma/grade
list that includes mathematics)
• Official translations of documents, if required
• Proof of English proficiency, if required
• Copy passport(s)
• Recent passport-style photograph of yourself

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Page 1, sections 1-3: Start date, personal information and addresses
It is very important that the e-mail address you use for your login is one that you check regularly. You must also give a
(mobile) telephone number and postal address where we can easily reach you. We may need to get in touch with you
quickly about your application! If your postal address is likely to change, make sure you also provide a permanent address,
such as that of your parent(s) or legal guardian(s).

Page 2, section 4: Education

We need a good overview of your secondary education, so please list all the institutions you have attended since age 14 and the
year in which you will obtain/have obtained your diploma(s). If you cannot include all your schools in the space available in this
section, please give the most recent ones here, and list the rest on a separate document. You can submit this document with
your application using the optional upload page (page 21).
• If your diploma is not from the Netherlands, it must be considered equivalent to the Dutch VWO: please check the list on the
AUC website for guidance (see the ‘Admission requirements’ page at www.auc.nl/admissions). For example, you need 3 ‘A’
levels to be admitted to a Dutch university (two ‘AS’ levels is equivalent to one ‘A’ level). An American high school diploma is
not considered equivalent to the Dutch VWO (you need to complete 4 Advanced Placement subjects or a year of college or
university credit).
• If your country/diploma is not included on the list on the AUC website, this does not mean that you cannot be admitted –
your application will be considered on its individual merits – but in many cases you will be required to have completed at
least one year of university before being eligible for admission to AUC.
• Your qualifications may need to be assessed by a credential evaluator in order to determine if you meet the minimum
admission requirements, so please make sure you give the full name of the diploma you will achieve/have achieved in both
the original language and English, and submit all of your most recent grade lists/transcripts.
• If you are already studying at university, you must submit details of your secondary education as well as your university
studies. If you wish to request transfer of credit for your university-level studies, you must download and complete the
separate transfer of credit request form.
• Any documents not in English, Dutch, German or French must be accompanied by an official translation.
• You only need to submit scans/digital versions of your qualifications at this stage. If your application is successful we will
need official certified paper copies of your qualifications plus official translations of any documents not in English, Dutch,
German or French.
• One of the selection criteria for AUC students is academic excellence. We expect that the average GPA of all the students
admitted to AUC will be at least 7.0–7.5 (Dutch system): these are “good” grades, well above a basic pass. If you feel
that your academic ability is not accurately reflected in your grades/your GPA, and you are highly motivated to study at
AUC, you should highlight and explain this in your application. You will need to demonstrate that you do have the ability to
meet the academic demands of the AUC programme through your personal statement and application essay, through the
recommendation(s) from your (former) teachers, and through any additional relevant information you send us.

Page 3, sections 5–7, Languages and mathematics

English proficiency requirement

The AUC programme is taught in English, and students are required to do a great deal of reading and writing in English. It is
therefore essential that you enter AUC with excellent skills in English. If you belong to one of the following categories, you do
not need to provide a separate proof of your proficiency in English:
• English native speakers
• Students whose secondary education diploma that qualifies them for university studies was taught completely in English
• Dutch students with a final grade of 8 or higher in English on their VWO diploma
If you do not belong to one of these categories, then you must provide a separate proof of your English language skills. If you
do not yet have this proof (you may not yet have taken the test), you can still apply to AUC, but you must give details of which
test you are going to take, what grade you expect to get, and when. If you are offered a place at AUC it will be conditional
on your taking the test as you have indicated and meeting our English requirements before you start your studies.
There are several ways in which you can prove your proficiency in English, for example:
• TOEFL test, see www.toefl.org: You must make your own arrangements to take this Test of English as a Foreign Language,
and you will need to pay a fee. The institutional code for Amsterdam University College is 5209 (if you use this code, AUC
will receive the results of your TOEFL test directly). AUC requires:
• paper-based test: an overall score of 600, with a Test of Written English score of 5.5
• computer-based: overall score of 250, with Test of Written English score of 5.5
• internet-based: overall score of 100
• IELTS, see www.ielts.org: AUC requires an overall score of 7.0 (with at least 7.0 in each of the four components)
• Cambridge certificates:
• Certificate of Advanced English: AUC requires grade A
• Certificate of Proficiency in English: AUC requires a pass (grade C)
AUC may accept other, alternative, proofs of proficiency, e.g. grade of 13 (sehr gut) in English on a German Abitur when taken
as an achievement/main/intensive course; English Language GCSE, IGCSE or O-level at grade B; International Baccalaureate
Standard level English at grade 5; European Baccalaureate English at grade 70%. If you wish to submit such an alternative proof
of proficiency, you must give the details in your application.
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Remember, if you have an interview and are offered a place at AUC you must still take the test and achieve the grade to
meet our English requirements! Make sure you take the test in good time, so that your result/grade will be received by AUC
by 1 August 2011 at the latest for a start in autumn 2011. Your place at AUC will be conditional on your meeting the English
requirements in the way in which you indicated on your application.

Mathematics requirement
You are expected to enter AUC with good skills in mathematics. You must have studied mathematics to examination level at
secondary school, and have achieved a good grade (8 in the Dutch system). We will also be checking to see if your skills in
maths match your academic ambitions – your level of maths will heavily influence your choice of major at AUC. In general, the
higher your level of maths, the wider your range of options for your major.
• In the Dutch context, you need to have done at least ‘Wiskunde B’ or ‘D’ at secondary school to major in the sciences,
‘Wiskunde A’ or ‘B’ to major in the social sciences, and ‘Wiskunde C’ to major in the humanities. (In the old system:
‘Wiskunde B1,2’ to major in the sciences, ‘Wiskunde A1,2’ to major in the social sciences, and ‘Wiskunde A’ to major in the
humanities.)
• In the UK context, you need A-level maths to major in the sciences. GCSE maths is only sufficient for a major in the humanities.
• In the International Baccalaureate, you need Higher level maths to major in the sciences and Standard level maths to major
in the social sciences. Mathematical Studies is only sufficient for a major in the humanities.
If you are invited to study at AUC but you have not done sufficient maths at secondary school for your desired major or you
do not meet the maths requirement, you will need fill this deficiency before you can start your studies. For example, you could
attend a summer school before arrival at AUC. Summer schools specially designed for AUC students with maths deficiencies will
be announced on the AUC website.

Page 4, sections 8 and 9: Academic and other interests

Academic interests
It is important for us to know about your academic ambitions and interests, and how the AUC programme can help you to
meet them. We also want to be sure you have read and considered carefully all the information available on AUC’s academic
programme, and started to think about the choices for your personal study programme. Before you answer these questions, you
should therefore read (again) all the information on the AUC website about our academic programme.
• We ask which major you think you will choose. Although you are not committed to this choice – you confirm your major at
the end of your first year – your prospective major will influence the courses you take during your first year. The Admissions
Committee will also want to check that your level of mathematics is sufficient for your prospective major.
• We also ask about your preference for the theme you would like to follow, the foreign language you would like to study,
an indication of the Big Question course you would like to take, and your preferences for elective disciplinary course(s).
You are not committed to these choices: if you are offered a place at AUC you will confirm your preferences for course
registrations at a later stage. We just want an indication of your interests at this time.

Other experiences and interests

Your activities outside the classroom are also of interest to us, as AUC students live and study together on an international
campus, with a strong focus on community involvement. If you are taking or will take a ‘gap’ year before starting your studies,
or have worked or served as a volunteer, please describe your activities in this section. We are also interested in hearing about
your most important hobbies or interests, such as sport or music, and your involvement in clubs and community groups.

Page 5, sections 10–14: Finances, admissions interview, additional information

Finances
No matter where you go to study, you will need to think about the financial side and plan ahead. We want to be sure you have
familiarised yourself with the expected costs if you come to study at AUC (see the ‘Fees and costs’ page on our
website, www.auc.nl/admissions). If you think you will need a scholarship in order to study at AUC, please check the deadlines
on our website and apply on time. Last-minute requests for financial support can rarely be considered.
In particular, if you are coming from abroad to study in the Netherlands and need an entry visa/residence permit, you need to
be aware of the financial requirements (you have to prove you have sufficient income to support yourself during your studies).
For more information, see the Nuffic website www.nuffic.nl/international-students/preparation-stay/preparing-your-stay and
the Immigration and Naturalisation Service website www.ind.nl/EN/verblijfwijzer/. Some information on financial support and
scholarships is also published on our website (see the ‘Financial support’ page at
www.auc.nl/admissions).

Admissions interview
If you meet our minimum requirements, your application will be reviewed and a decision made on whether to invite you for a
personal admissions interview. If you are invited for an interview then this means that, based on your application, you are a
possible candidate for a place at AUC. If you live within an easy day’s return journey from Amsterdam by bus/train/car, you will
usually be expected to attend the interview in person. A Skype/telephone interview can be arranged if you live further away. If
you already know that you will be unavailable for interview at certain times, e.g. because of exams, and/or you will need to be
interviewed by Skype/telephone, please use this section of the application form to give the details.
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Additional information
It is very helpful if you can let us know where you first heard about AUC, and if you are applying to other higher education
institutions. This will have no influence on the evaluation of your application.
Please also indicate if you will be applying for an AUC scholarship and/or transfer of credit. If you like, you can upload the
documents for this together with your online application. But please do not delay submitting your online application if you do not
yet have your scholarship application or transfer of credit request ready. You can send these separately to AUC, after you have
submitted your online application.

Pages 6–29: Upload documents

(Page 6) 1. Personal statement (no shorter than 1, no longer than 2 sides of A4) REQUIRED
Your personal statement (letter of motivation) is an important part of your application. It must be written in English, reflect your
own ideas and be written by you alone. It should be no shorter than one side of A4 and no longer than two sides of A4 (single-
line spacing). Make sure it includes your full name and indicates it is your personal statement.
Don’t write what you think we want to hear: be clear, honest and direct, and tell us about who you are and why you want to
study at AUC. AUC will use your statement to learn more about you as an individual – your talents, experiences, achievements
and point of view. We may get candidates with similar academic records, so this is an opportunity for you to stand out from
the crowd, and to give information that may not appear elsewhere on your application. It is important that you compose your
statement carefully: we will not be judging your writing ability, but correct grammar, spelling and sentence structure will all
contribute to an effective statement. We recommend you think about the following:
• Why is AUC’s programme the right programme for you? Why do you want to study the liberal arts and sciences? Why are
you the right student for AUC?
• What field(s) of studies do you find most interesting and why? How does this relate to AUC’s programme? Why will a liberal
arts and sciences programme be appropriate for your interests?
• Do you have any relevant working experience or social activities?
• What are your plans after finishing at AUC, what will a liberal arts and sciences degree contribute to your future?
• Are there circumstances that have affected your academic performance that you have not described elsewhere in your
application?
Remember that, over and above the minimum requirements, the AUC Admissions Committee is looking for students with:
• academic excellence: you must demonstrate your ability to meet the academic demands of the AUC programme (if you are
a highly motivated student but you feel that your academic ability is not accurately reflected in your grades, or your grades
are erratic, you should address this point in your personal statement)
• motivation and ambition to study an intensive and broad programme
• commitment to contribute to AUC’s international student and campus life

(Page 7) 2. Application essay (maximum 750 words) REQUIRED

Your application essay is an important part of your application. It should NOT be a repeat of your personal statement. Select ONE
of the three topics below and write a short essay on it (no more than 750 words).
• How should society (or its decision-makers) deal with uncertainties in the sciences (health risks, genetic engineering, etc.)?
• Is social inequality necessary for the genesis of great works of art?
• Name various areas of study (not only in the sciences) which may help to solve the problem of global warming and explain
their contribution to possible solutions.
Your essay must be written in English, reflect your own ideas about the topic and be written by you alone. We will not be judging
your writing ability, but correct grammar, spelling and sentence structure will all help towards an effective essay. We wish to see
how you approach and analyse issues, and learn more about how your mind works. Maximum length: 750 words.

(Page 8) 3. Proof of identity REQUIRED

You must submit a copy of your currently valid passport (picture page) or national ID card. If you have more than one passport,
please use the additional upload page(s) 9 and 10. NB: If you have valid passports from both an EU/EEA country and a non-EU/
EEA country, submit a copy of your EU/EEA passport using upload page 8, and use the additional upload page(s) for your other
passport(s). If you have a Dutch residence permit, you can submit a copy (front and back) using upload page 11.

(Page 12) 7. Your secondary school education diplomas/grade lists/transcripts REQUIRED

You must submit a copy (scan) of your diploma (with grade list/transcript) for your secondary school education. If you have not
yet obtained your diploma, please submit a copy of your most recent reports/grade lists/predicted grades. If you are not able to
submit everything in one document, you can use the additional upload page 13. If your documents are not in English, French,
German or Dutch, you must submit official translations using upload page 14.
If you are already studying at university, please submit your secondary education at page 12 and use the separate upload page
(page 15) for your university studies. If the documents for your university studies are not in English, French, German or Dutch,
you must submit official translations using upload page 16.
If your application is successful, you will be required to provide certified copies of your diploma and grade list/official transcripts.
You can submit additional information on any other qualifications, if you wish, using the optional upload pages 17 and 18, e.g.
ACT or SAT scores.

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(Page 19) 14. Proof of English proficiency
See above for information on our English requirements. Submit a copy of your proof of proficiency here, if required and already
available. If your application is successful, official score reports for TOEFL or IELTS must be sent directly to AUC by the testing
organisation; for all other qualifications you will be required to provide certified copies.

(Page 20) 15. Proof of mathematics

If mathematics is not included in the diploma that qualifies you for entry to higher education, and/or you have a separate
certificate/qualification in mathematics (e.g. GCSE certificate), you must submit a copy here. If your application is successful,
you will be required to provide a certified copy.

(Page 21) 16. Additional information on previous schools/colleges attended

If you could not include all your schools in the space available on page 2 of the online form, you can upload a document here
with the rest of the information.

(Page 22) 17. Any other additional information

If there is any other information that you think the AUC Admissions Committee should know, or any other documents you wish
to submit as part of your application, you can upload them here.

(Page 23) 18. Recent photograph REQUIRED

You must submit a recent photograph of yourself. Not a holiday snapshot! We need a passport-style photo – a full-face head-
and-shoulders portrait, in colour, against a plain background, and taken recently (no more than six months ago). The size
and format should be appropriate for use on a passport or ID card (e.g. 640x480 resolution, 300 dpi, cropped to appropriate
dimensions).

(Pages 24–26) 19.–21. Scholarship application

If you are applying for an AUC scholarship and already have all your documents ready, you can submit them together with your
application using these optional upload pages, if you wish. But do not delay submitting your online application if your scholarship
application is not ready yet. You can e-mail/post your scholarship application separately to AUC after submitting your online
application, as long as it reaches us before the scholarship application deadline (see our website www.auc.nl).

(Pages 27–29) 22.–23. Transfer of credit request

If you are requesting transfer of credit and already have all your documents ready, you can submit them together with your
application using these optional upload pages, if you wish. But do not delay submitting your online application if your request
is not ready yet. You can e-mail/post your request separately to AUC after submitting your online application. Please note that
your transfer of credit request will only be considered if you are formally accepted at AUC. Any transfer offer will not be final until
your official transcript or diploma has been received by AUC.

Recommendations
AUC uses an online recommendation system. You must register at least two recommenders, preferably the head of your school
and a teacher and/or study adviser. You can register additional recommenders if you wish, up to a maximum of five. Your
recommenders will receive an e-mail with their personal login, inviting them to complete the online recommendation form for
your application. Please ensure you notify your recommenders in advance to expect this e-mail message, and inform them that
they need to complete their recommendation online. Your application cannot be processed until at least two recommenders have
completed the online recommendation form.

Application Inspector
The Application Inspector tool helps you to ensure you have answered all the required questions and uploaded all the required
documents before you submit your application.

Application fee payment

The application fee for AUC is EUR 50 for all applicants. You can pay online by credit card, or by bank transfer. For bank transfer,
you must transfer EUR 50 (with all bank charges to be paid by you/the sender) to:
Bank: ABN-AMRO
Bank address: De Entree 99. 1101 HE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Account number: 62.51.80.364
Account holder: UvA-AC FA Beheersbureau
Account holder’s address: James Wattstraat 77-79, 1097 DL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
IBAN: NL29ABNA0625180364
BIC: ABNANL2A
Make sure the transfer is accompanied by reference “WBS R.2911.0100 AUC opbrengsten” and your full name (otherwise AUC
may not be able to trace your payment).
If your application is successful and you become a fully registered student at AUC, the application fee will be repaid to you. In all
other circumstances the application fee is not refundable.

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Submit
When you have completed everything, you can submit your online application to AUC. You do not have to complete your
application in one session: you can save it, login again later and adjust it, until you are ready to submit it. Please note that AUC
cannot process your application until you have completed and submitted it.

To submit your online application you are required to enter an electronic signature, confirming that all the information you have
given in the application is accurate and complete, that you are the author of the submitted personal statement and application
essay, and that you understand that you may be denied admission or enrolment by Amsterdam University College if any
information is found to be incomplete or inaccurate.

After your online application has been submitted

You will receive an e-mail confirming your application has been submitted. AUC will contact you by e-mail about progress with
your application, and you can login at any time to view your application and check its status (follow the Track Status link
when you have logged in).

Please make sure that the embark.com and auc.nl domains, and [email protected] and [email protected] addresses, are
on the ‘whitelist’ of your e-mail account or among your contacts, so that messages from AUC do not get accidentally
get classified as Bulk or Spam!

To contact AUC Admissions, please e-mail [email protected]

Amsterdam University College

PO Box 94160
1090 GD Amsterdam
The Netherlands

www.auc.nl
e-mail [email protected]
tel +31-20-525 8780

visiting address:
Plantage Muidergracht 14
1018 TV Amsterdam
The Netherlands
October 2010