VIA University

College

How to
Apply to VIA
as an
International
Student
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Content
03 Welcome
04 5 important things to know about the Danish admissions system
07 Checklist for your application
11 Deadlines
12 Get your papers straight
14 FAQ
18 7 tips for writing a motivational letter
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Welcome! You have decided to study abroad, chosen a country, Denmark, and the
study programme just right for you – but how do you apply to an educa-
tional institution in Denmark? Getting the application just right can be
difficult, especially if you are applying to a teaching institution abroad
with rules and requirements that are different from what you are used to
at home. When is the deadline? What are the admission requirements?
What about documentation?

Especially the Danish application portal optagelse.dk raises a lot of

questions. But do not despair. This e-book provides all the answers. With
guides, checklists and FAQs, we will take you through the entire process
of applying to VIA University College.

Whether you are a citizen of the EU or not, we will take you through,
step-by-step and provide the answers to the most frequently asked
questions, writing a great motivational letter and getting your documen-
tation in order.

Enjoy – and good luck on your application!

The International Team,

VIA University College
5 IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW 4

5 important
things to know
about the Danish
admissions
system
The Danish admissions system for higher educa- – Apply centrally
tion may be different from what you are used to
– Documentation
at home. Here are the 5 most important things to
know about the system before you apply. – Signature page
–Applications handled locally
– Deadlines
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5 IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

1 Apply In Denmark, applications to higher education are sub-

mitted centrally at optagelse.dk. This makes it easier if

centrally you are applying to more than one teaching institution.

At optagelse.dk, you can apply for up to 8 prioritised
study programmes in Denmark at the same time.
The Coordinated Admission (KOT) who manages
optagelse.dk ensures that applicants are offered
only one study place.

2 Documentation When filling in your application at optagelse.dk, you

need to supply documentation in the form of e.g.
your diploma from Upper Secondary School or the
like, proof that you fulfil the English language requi-
rements and any other specific requirements for the
programme you are applying to. Look at the websi-
te of the study programme you are applying to to find
the admissions requirements.

3 Signature When you apply as an international student, you have

to send a so-called signature page for each program-

page me you apply to. The signature page contains an ap-

plication ID, which the institution(s) you are apply-
ing to need to identify and download your application
from optagelse.dk. The signature page is generated
at optagelse.dk, when the digital application is com-
pleted. You need to print the signature page, sign it
by hand, scan it and send it by e-mail to the instituti-
on(s) you are applying for. If you are applying to multi-
ple study programmes, you have to make a signature
page for each study programme.
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5 IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

4 Applications Applications are handled locally by the institution(s)

you applied for and they also take care of any commu-

handled nication with applicants. Institutions typically do this

through their own digital system. At VIA, this system is

locally called nemStudie. In nemStudie, you can find notifica-

tions and questions from VIA’s admissions team about
your application.

5 Deadlines Deadline for applying with a foreign exam is 15 March

at 12 noon (CET). You can edit your priorities at op-
tagelse.dk until 5 July at 12 noon. The final decision on
your application will be sent 28 July. At VIA, this hap-
pens through nemStudie. If you have been offered a
study place through nemstudie.dk, it is very important
that you confirm the offered study place within the
stated deadline. If you do not confirm the offered
study place within the stated deadline, the study place
will be forfeited.
CHECK LIST FOR APPLYING TO VIA 7

Checklist for
applying to VIA
Use this easy, step-by-step checklist to make sure – Checklist for EU citizens
you get your application right and make all dead-
lines. – Checklist for Non-EU
citizens
– Important deadlines
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CHECK LIST FOR APPLYING TO VIA

EU Citizens

1 Prepare your Before starting the application process make sure you have the
needed documentation ready in pdf format, e.g. Upper Secon-

application and dary School Certificate and transcript of records, documentati-

on of English and other required proficiencies, copy of your ID/

documentation passport.

It may also be advisable to fill in a verification form in order to

document the hours obtained in the required subjects.

2 Apply online Go to optagelse.dk and fill in the needed information and

upload documentation

3 Send When applying without a Danish CPR number, VIA needs your
signature to get access to and start processing your applicati-

signature page on. This means that you have to sign, print and send an e-mail
with a signature page for each of the programmes you are
applying for.

4 Assessment VIA will assess your application. If there are any questions
about your application, you will be notified through nemstudie.dk

of application and e-mail notifications. You can follow the progress of your
application in nemStudie and this is also where you will receive
the final decision 28 July.

5 Confirm If you have been offered a study place through nemstudie.dk, it

is very important that you accept it before the stated deadline.

study place If you do not confirm your study place it will be forfeited.
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CHECK LIST FOR APPLYING TO VIA

Non-EU citizens

1 Prepare your Before starting the application process make sure you have the
needed documentation ready in pdf format, e.g. Upper Secon-

application and dary School Certificate and transcript of records, documentati-

on of English and other required proficiencies, copy of your ID/

documentation passport.

It may also be advisable to fill in a verification form in order to

document the hours obtained in the required subjects.

2 Apply online Go to optagelse.dk and fill in the needed information and

upload documentation

3 Send When applying without a Danish CPR number, VIA needs your
signature to get access to and start processing your application.

signature page This means that you have to sign, print and send in a signature
page for each of the programmes you are applying for.

4 Assessment VIA will assess your application. If there are any questions
about your application, you will be notified through nemstudie.dk

of application and e-mail notifications.

You can follow the progress of your application in nemStudie

and this is also where you will receive the final decision 28 July.

5 Sign and return When the assessment of your application has been completed,
you will receive a contract, which you are required to sign and

contract return one copy of.

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CHECK LIST FOR APPLYING TO VIA

6 Pay tuition In order to complete your application, you will be required to

pay the tuition fee. Find information on payment schedules and

fee terms at the website of your study programme.

Your Visa application will not be started until the tuition fee has
been paid.

7 Student Visa VIA will start your Student Visa application at SIRI (The Danish
Agency for International Recruitment and Integration). You then

application must fill in part 2 of the Student Visa application form.

Make sure this is done no later than 30 days after receiving the
link from the VIA’s Admissions Centre otherwise the applicati-
on will be annulled.

8 Confirm If you have been offered a study place through nemstudie.dk, it

is very important that you accept it before the stated deadline.

study place If you do not confirm your study place it will be forfeited.
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DEADLINES

Important deadlines
Make sure you reach all deadlines if you want to ensure a smooth application process

1 February Optagelse.dk opens for applications.

Remember to send the signed signature page(s)
generated at optagelse.dk to [email protected] (do not
upload the signature page(s) to your application at
optagelse.dk)

15 March at 12.00 noon Application deadline (make sure to register on time,

even if there are still documents missing to comple-
te your application).

15 May/1 June Pay tuition fee (only Non-EU citenzens)

Deadline 1 June (only animation programmes).

5 July at 12.00 noon Deadline for uploading documentation and for

changing priorities at optagelse.dk

28 July Official acceptance letter – remember to confirm/

decline offered study place
GET YOUR PAPERS STRAIGHT 12

Documentation:
Get your papers
straight
In order to have a smooth application process, it – Diploma/certificate
is important to have the right documentation of
– CV
your diploma(s), certificate(s) and other relevant
experience. – Motivational letter
– Verification form
Use this list to make sure you have everything be-
fore starting your application.
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GET YOUR PAPERS STRAIGHT

Diploma/certificate CV
The most important piece of documentation Some study programmes requires you to submit
in your application is your Upper Secondary a detailed resumé, as they evaluate potential
School Diploma/Certificate, as this is your students based on other qualifications than just
qualifying exam. grades, i.e. work experience, creative skills etc.

Make sure you get a pdf copy of it as soon as Make sure your resumé looks professional and
possible. If you have not graduated from Up- reflects your skills accurately.
per Secondary School before submitting your
application, you will be able to upload until 5
July at 12 noon.

Motivational letter Verification form

When applying to some of VIA’s study pro- VIA’s study programmes have a set of admissions
grammes, you need to submit a motivational requirements.
letter, because the programme wants to enrol
the most highly motivated students. All programmes require an upper secondary school
certificate or similar and some programmes requi-
In many ways, a motivational letter is like a re a specific level of e.g. English or mathematics.
cover letter for a job application. This is where
you can tell who you are and which skills and All applicants holding a non-Danish entry qualifi-
competences you hold in your own words. cation, must fill in a verification form in order to
document the hours of instruction of every needed
Make sure to explain why YOU are qualified subject during the final three years of secondary
for the study place and what motivates you. school, as well as the last received grade.
Find our 7 tips on writing a great motivational
letter later in this e-book. The verification form needs to be stamped and sig-
ned by your previous school – usually they can also
help you fill it in. The form must be submitted with
your application at optagelse.dk.
FAQ 14

Frequently
Asked
Questions
As an applicant, you probably have a lot of questi- –What is a stand-by place?
ons about how to apply, different rules and
–When is the deadline
deadlines.
–What about accommodation?
We have put together a list with answers to the
–And much more …
most frequently asked questions about admis-
sions at VIA.
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FAQ

How many study You can apply for up to 8 different study programmes. Make sure you
prioritise the programmes you apply to right, as you are only offered one
programmes can
study place, usually the one you prioritised the highest providing that
I apply to? you fulfil the admissions requirements. You can change your priorities at
optagelse.dk until 5 July at noon.

When is the deadline When applying as an international with a qualifying exam from a foreign
school, the deadline is March 15 at 12 noon. If you have an exam from a
for applying?
Danish Upper Secondary School, you can apply until 5 July at 12 noon.
However, if you want to be assessed on other qualifications than your
grades, you have to apply before 15 March through the so-called quota 2.

What is a stand-by place? Stand-by is a waiting list system. A stand-by place can result in a study
place the year you applied or the following year. Be aware that if you get
a stand-by place, you will not be offered a study place at any of the other
study programmes you may have applied to. So, a stand-by place is a
good idea if you only applied to one study programme.

If you do apply for more than one programme or at more than one school
at the same time, a stand-by place may hinder you from being offered
a study place at the programmes low on your priority list. Therefore, it
is important that you get familiar with the consequences of choosing a
stand-by place before applying.

Do I have to pay tuition? Applicants from the EU, EEA and Switzerland do not pay tuition. Foreign
applicants with residence outside of Denmark and in need of a Danish
residence permit based on study or applicants in Denmark with a
temporary residence permit may have to pay tuition fees. More about
tuition fees here.

Can I apply for a Citizens of the EU/EEA/Switzerland do not pay tuition. Every year, VIA
offers a limited number of scholarships for tuition fee-paying full degree
Scholarship?
students. The scholarship covers a maximum of 2 full semesters, and it
is not possible to apply as a new student, as you need to have completed
one year of studies at VIA. The application period is from 1 February to 15
March.
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FAQ

What is the Master’s The Master’s degree rule entails that applicants that hold a Master’s
degree only will be offered a study place at a new higher education
degree rule?
programme, if there are available study places at the Bachelor’s
programme, which the applicant is applying for. The Master’s degree rule
applies to all students that have completed a Master’s degree equivalent
to a Danish Master’s degree disregarding in which country the Master’s
degree has been completed.

If I don`t meet the Yes, if you do not fulfill the set admission requirements including the
specific admission requirements for the programme that you wish to
requirements, can I
apply for, but you have other professional qualifications that can be
then still apply for a equated to the missing admissions requirements, it is possible to apply
Bachelor programme for admission with special permission. VIA will then assess whether
your professional qualifications can be equated to the admission
requirements.

If you wish to apply for admission with special permission you must
apply at optagelse.dk and state that you do not have a qualifying exam.
In addition, you must tick the box “admission with special permission”.

What if I miss If you miss the 15 March application deadline, you have the option of
applying to an available place. These will be announced 28 July on
the deadline?
VIA’s website when all incoming applications have been processed.
The available places page is updated continuously as places become
available.

How do I apply for an Go to VIA’s website here to see available places and apply. When applying
for an available place, you apply directly at VIA through our nemStudie
available study place?
system, not at optagelse.dk.
Note that available places are awarded at a first come, first served basis.

Does VIA help me No, VIA does not assist students in finding accommodation and we do
not have on-campus housing. But we have put this list together with
find accommodation
places to look for accommodation in each of our campus cities and
in Denmark? towns here. Most common student accommodation types in Denmark
are dormitories, private apartments or house/apartment sharing.
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FAQ

What are the English All applicants with a foreign entry qualification will have to document
English proficiency equivalent to a Danish B-level with a minimum
proficiency
weighted grade point average score of 3.0 on the Danish grading scale
requirements (min. 210 hours, 1 hour = 60 minutes during the final three years in
Upper Secondary School). You can find a verification form for this on
VIA’s website. If it is not possible for your Upper Secondary School to
verify your English level, you can take on of the following internationally
recognised language tests: IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge ESOL tests.

Still have questions If you need help on your application optagelse.dk has admissions
support available all weekdays on phone, chat and e-mail. Find contact
or need help with
information on optagelse.dk. You can also get in touch with VIA’s
your application? admissions counsellors in our chat at en.via.dk if you have questions
about admissions requirements at any of VIA’s study programmes.
The chat is open weekdays from 9 to 11 am (CET). Find the chat at our
admissions page here.
7 TIPS FOR WRITING A MOTIVATIONAL LETTER 18

7 tips for
writing a great
motivational
letter
Some study programmes require applicants to –Kickstart your writing process
write a motivational letter for their application.
–Write short and to the point
Look under enrolment to find out if this is a requi-
rement for the programme you are applying to. –Highlight your strengths
–Show that you have researched
But, how do you write a motivational letter that
gets noticed? With these 7 tips, you can wri-
the study programme
te a motivational letter that stands out from the –Be concrete
crowd.
–Divide your letter into sections
–Use the right grammar
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7 TIPS FOR WRITING A MOTIVATIONAL LETTER

A motivational letter is in many ways similar to a cover letter for a job application.
This is where you can show who you are and which skills and competences you hold
in your own words. Make sure to explain why YOU are qualified for the study place
and what motivates you. Here are 7 tips that can help you write a motivational letter
that stands out from the crowd.

1
Kickstart A good way of getting started is to ask yourself some very
concrete questions and use the answers in your letter:
your writing - Why do I want to study at this specific programme?
– Which elements in the programme appeals to me
process – and why?
– Do I have any experiences from the past that I can
use in my future studies at the programme?
– What are my strengths and weaknesses?
– What are my future career plans?

2
Write short A great cover letter is precise and targeted. A good rule
of thumb is that your letter should not be any longer than
and to the 1-2 standard pages.

point However, some programmes have specific demands for

the scope of the letter, so make sure to check the pro-
gramme website before writing your letter. The short let-
ter form requires you to write short and to the point.

3
Highlight your There is no recipe for what your letter should look like, as
it is a personal letter.
strengths
However, it is important that you highlight the qualities
in you that matches the important evaluation criteria at
the study programme. So, make sure that you explain how
you live up to the admissions requirements at the pro-
gramme.
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7 TIPS FOR WRITING A MOTIVATIONAL LETTER

4
Show that Explain how your skills and experiences relate to the study
programme. Make it clear that you know what the program-
you have me is about, e.g. by comparing elements or academic con-
tent of the programme with the skills and experiences you
researched the have.
programme

5
Be concrete Make sure you substantiate the points you make in your
letter. Use concrete examples that link your experiences
and skills to the study programme.

An example: Instead of just stating that you are great with

children, give some examples of how you have success-
fully worked with children, e.g. through a student job in a
kindergarten.

6
Divide your Divide your letter into sections creating structure for the
reader. Make a meaningful headline for each section. This
letter into makes it easy for the person reading the letter to scan
through it and get an overview.
sections

7
Use the right Make sure to proof read your letter to eliminate spelling
mistakes, typos and incorrect grammar. Grammar mista-
grammar kes distracts the reader and disturbs your message.

Get someone who knows you well to read the letter and
give you feed back. Adjust and finetune before submitting
the letter.
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Good luck on your application

- hope to see you at VIA next semester!

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