Private Studienkollegs

Requirements for admission to private Studienkollegs

It is easier to enroll in a private Studienkolleg, because their requirements are not as high as in public ones.

• Language. For admission, knowledge of German is required at the B1 level. Some educational institutions even accept candidates with A2, but to take no chances, it is better to have at least B1. You can confirm your language proficiency by passing an exam: Goethe-Zertifikat, TestDaF, or DSH.
• Entrance exams. In private Studienkollegs, entrance examinations also exist but are less common, and sometimes the applicants are cut some slack. For example, those who have a B2-C1 language certificate are allowed not to take exams.

For most public Studienkollegs, there are uniform deadlines for filing documents: January 15 and July 15. In private Studienkollegs, these dates are specified on the website of the educational institution. As a rule, they are a month or more longer there than in public ones: until March and September. The following table lists the deadlines and requirements for admission to some of the private Studienkollegs.

Documents for admission to a private Studienkolleg

For admission to a private Studienkolleg, an applicant must provide:

1. Copy of the passport;
2. Notarized copy of the school certificate;
3. Notarized translation of the school certificate into German or English — with grades attached;
4. Language certificate of the passed German exam;
5. CV;
6. Motivation letter.

Private Studienkolleg application process

1. Passing certified exams in the German language at a level not lower than B1;
2. Apostille of secondary education certificate;
3. Translation of a certificate of complete secondary education with notarization, a copy of the passport and school GPA transcript;
4. Writing the CV and motivation letter;
5. Filling out an online application for studying at the Studienkolleg;
6. Paying the registration fee;
7. Passing the entrance exam: in most cases, it will be German and Mathematics;
8. Waiting for a response from Studienkolleg;
9. Registration of the medical insurance and getting a student visa to Germany;
10. Finding accommodation for the duration of your studies.

Preparation for private Studienkollegs

Several private Studienkollegs offer pre-entry programs in German and Mathematics. At TUDIAS-Studienkolleg or Europäisches Studienkolleg der Wirtschaft, there are week- and two-week long entrance exam preparation programs. The cost of such courses varies from 1,017 USD to 2,260 USD. Some private Studienkollegs (for example the Rheinland Privatschule) offer to teach German from scratch. The cost of the courses is 565 USD.

Studying in private Studienkollegs

Studying in Studienkollegs lasts 6-10 months, depending on the chosen path: a full academic year or accelerated courses. The total workload is 28-32 hours per week. It depends on the course type and the number of subjects to be taken on the FSP exam. The duration of each lesson is 45 minutes. The study programs are the same in all Studienkollegs except those in North Rhine-Westphalia. The W-Kurs students at the Rhine Studienkolleg additionally study the history of economics and computer science. The structure of the course is built in such a way that German classes are held every day — up to 10 hours a week.

Studienkollegs have two vacation periods. Winter holidays are always around Christmas, and for summer ones, dates vary by school. Each break lasts one week.