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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.
All questions should be answered in English, unless otherwise specifed.
Any documentation sent to Amsterdam University College with regard to your application cannot be returned.
Recommendations are completed online: please make sure your recommenders know in advance that they will be asked to
answer questions on a standard online recommendation form, and they will receive an email with their personal login.
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.
If your personal situation changes, please inform AUC Admissions as soon as possible: admissions@auc.nl.
Please make sure that the embark.com and auc.nl domains, and info@auc.nl and admissions@auc.nl addresses,
are on the whitelist of your e-mail account or among your contacts, so that messages from AUC do not
accidentally get classifed as Bulk or Spam! Check your Bulk/Spam folders regularly, just in case!
Checklist
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.
But 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.
This is what you need to complete and submit an application (more details are given below):
Your personal data (name, address, nationality, date of birth, etc.), data on your educational background (schools attended),
how you will meet the English and maths requirements, your availability for interview, etc.
You must have studied the AUC academic programme (www.auc.nl) and decided on your prospective major.
Your personal statement (letter of motivation), ready to upload.
Offcial transcripts/certifed copies of diplomas/most recent grade lists (including most recent diploma/grade list that includes
mathematics), ready to upload.
Proof of identity (copy passport), ready to upload.
Recent passport-style photograph of yourself, ready to upload.
Your application essay (optional), ready to upload.
Offcial translations of documents (if required), ready to upload.
Any other documents you wish to submit with your application, ready to upload.
At least two recommenders (you need their email addresses so you can register them for the confdential online
recommendation system).
Credit card for payment of the EUR 50 application fee (or you can opt to pay by bank transfer if you prefer).
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 and that will
be valid until you start your studies at AUC, as it will be used for all e-mail correspondence with you. Follow the
numbered steps to complete and submit your online application.
The frst 5 pages of the online application form contain questions for you to answer, such as your name, date of birth,
nationality, address, educational background, availability for interview, etc.
Application deadlines
Date For entry in
1 December 2012 Spring 2013 classes start 4 February 2013
1 December 2012 Autumn 2013 early bird deadline
1 February 2013 Autumn 2013 regular deadline
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Pages 6 to 9 are upload pages for the four sets of documents required from all applicants:
Personal statement (letter of motivation)
Offcial transcripts/certifed copies of diplomas/most recent grade lists
Proof of identity (copy of passport)
Recent passport-style photograph of yourself
The remaining pages are additional upload pages, for any other documentation you may need or wish to send with your
application, such as:
Application essay (optional)
Proof of English profciency, if required
Offcial translations of documents, if required
Additional letters of recommendation, award certifcates, SAT scores, etc. (optional)
More details are given in the sections below.
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 and that will be valid up
to and including your intended starting date at AUC. 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).
If your personal situation changes, please inform admissions@auc.nl immediately.
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 one of the additional upload pages.)
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 (www.auc.nl/admissions/admission-requirements/diplomas-from-specifc-countries). For example, a
German Abitur, International Baccalaureate diploma or three academic GCE A levels are generally considered equivalent to the
VWO. But if you have an American high school diploma you will also need at least 4 Advanced Placements (examined by the
College Board) or a year of full-time college or university credit in order to meet our entrance requirements.
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 full-time college/university level study before being eligible for admission to AUC.
Your qualifcations 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 offcial translation.
You only need to submit scans/digital versions of your qualifcations at this application stage. But if your application is
successful and you accept a place at AUC we will need paper copies, offcially certifed, of your qualifcations, plus the
originals of the offcial translations of any documents not in English, Dutch, German or French.
One of the selection criteria for AUC students is academic excellence. The average secondary school GPA of AUC students
is 7.5 (Dutch system): these are good grades, well above a basic pass. If you feel that your academic ability is not
accurately refected 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.
Page 3, sections 56, English and mathematics
English profciency 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 are offered a place at AUC you must meet our
requirements in English before you can start your studies. If you do not (yet) meet our English requirements, any offer of a
place will be conditional on your flling this defciency and providing the proof to AUC in advance of your intended
starting date. For example, by attending a summer school and taking one of the tests listed below.
If you belong to one of the following categories, you do not need to provide a separate proof of your profciency in English:
English native speakers;
Students whose secondary education diploma that qualifes them for university studies was taught completely in English;
Dutch students with a fnal grade of 8 or higher in English on their VWO diploma.
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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 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. There are several ways in which you can prove your profciency in English, for example:
TOEFL test, see www.toef.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:
internet-based: overall score of 100
computer-based: overall score of 250, with Test of Written English score of 5.5
paper-based test: an overall score of 600, with a Test of Written English score of 5.5
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 certifcates:
Certifcate of Advanced English: AUC requires grade A
Certifcate of Profciency in English: AUC requires a pass (grade C)
AUC may accept other, alternative, proofs of profciency, 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 profciency, you must give the details in your application.
Remember, if you are offered a place at AUC it is conditional on your meeting our English requirements in the way in which you
indicated on your application! For a start in September 2013, you must make sure that the results/ proof reach AUC by 15 July
so that there is time for you to take a course and/or new test if the results do not meet our requirements.
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. In general, the higher your level of maths, the wider your range of options
for your major. Students need to enter AUC with suffcient maths skills for their prospective major, as they already
start to take courses that are appropriate for their major during their frst year.
In the Dutch context, you need to have above grade 7 in Wiskunde B or D at secondary school to major in the sciences,
in Wiskunde A or B to major in the social sciences, and in Wiskunde C to major in the humanities. NB: If your grade is
below 8 then you may be required to take an additional diagnostic test to help assess if you do have suffcient maths skills.
In the UK context, you need above grade C in A-level maths to major in the sciences. GCSE maths (grade A) is only suffcient for
a major in the humanities. NB: If AUC is in any way uncertain about your maths skills then you may be required to take an
additional diagnostic test to help assess whether they are suffcient for your desired major.
In the International Baccalaureate, you need to have grade 5 or above in Higher level maths to major in the sciences, and
in Standard level maths to major in the social sciences. Grade 5 in Mathematical Studies is only suffcient for a major in
the humanities. NB: If AUC is in any way uncertain about your maths skills then you may be required to take an additional
diagnostic test to help assess whether they are suffcient for your desired major.
If you are offered a place at AUC but have a defciency in your maths low grade, or insuffcient skills for your desired major
your place will usually be conditional on your flling the defciency and supplying the proof to AUC in advance of your intended
starting date. For example, by improving your maths grades at school, by attending a summer school, etc. Short summer
schools are also offered at AUC in late August for new students with small maths defciencies. Please note that these short
summer schools cannot fll a large maths defciency: if you have a large defciency, you will need to fnd a more extensive or
intensive course to improve your maths skills. You may also be required to take some remedial maths in your frst year at AUC.
Page 4, sections 7 and 8: 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 AUCs academic
programme, and have started to think about the choices for your personal study programme. Before you answer these
questions, and before you start writing your personal statement (see below), you should read (again!) all the information on the
AUC website about our academic programme.
One of the most important choices you will make is your choice of major. Although AUC students do not confrm their major
until the end of their frst year, the choice of prospective major heavily infuences the courses that AUC students
take during their frst year. In addition, the Admissions Committee assesses applications in the context of the prospective
major, in order to ensure a student is well matched to their desired programme of studies at AUC, and to create a good balance
of the different majors within the student body. So please select your prospective major carefully, and check if your level of
maths is suffcient or if you might need to fll a defciency (see information above about maths requirements).
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.
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Page 5, sections 913: Finances, admissions interview, additional information
Finances
No matter where you go to study, you will need to think about the fnancial 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 will need an AUC scholarship in order to study at AUC, please check the deadlines on
our website and apply on time. Last-minute requests for fnancial 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 fnancial requirements (you have to prove you have suffcient income to support yourself during your studies). The
university will apply for your entry visa/residence permit for you, but for some general information see the Nuffc website www.
nuffc.nl/international-students/preparation-stay/preparing-your-stay and the Immigration and Naturalisation Service website
http://english.ind.nl/residencewizard/. Information on fnancial support and scholarships is also published on our website (www.
auc.nl/admissions/fnancial-support/fnancial-support.html).
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 you are a possible candidate for a place
at AUC. If you live within an easy days 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.
Additional information
We are interested to know if you are also applying to other higher education institutions, but this has no infuence on the
evaluation of your application. Please also indicate if you will be applying for an AUC scholarship and/or transfer of credit.
(Please check the AUC website for information on how to submit your scholarship application and/or transfer of credit request.)
Pages 69: Upload documents (required)
(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 is your opportunity to introduce
yourself to the AUC Admissions Committee as an individual, and to explain why you want to be an AUC student. It must:
be written in English
refect your own ideas and be written by you alone;
be no shorter than one side of A4 and no longer than two sides of A4 (single-line spacing);
include your full name and indicate it is your personal statement.
You are free to include whatever information you want in your personal statement. But if you would like more guidance, here are
some guidelines and suggestions.
First of all, read the information on the AUC website www.auc.nl carefully, and ensure you understand the concept of a liberal
arts and sciences education, and the AUC academic programme. Think about the most important points about yourself that you
want to communicate to the Admissions Committee, whether they are strong points that you want to emphasise or weak points
that you need to address. Dont 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 and why you think the AUC programme is a good match for you. 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 AUCs programme the right programme for you? Why do you want to study a broad and intensive liberal arts and
sciences programme? Why are you the right student for AUC?
The AUC programme is academically demanding: can you demonstrate that you have the academic ability to meet these
demands? If you know there are weak points in your academic background, dont ignore them. For example, if you are a
highly motivated student but you feel that your academic ability is not accurately refected in your grades, or your grades
have been erratic, explain this. Or if you know your maths does not quite meet the requirements for your desired major, you
can explain what you would do to fll this gap before starting at AUC.
What feld(s) of studies do you fnd most interesting and why? How does this relate to AUCs programme? Why will AUCs
broad liberal arts and sciences programme be appropriate to these interests?
AUC is a residential programme, and places a lot of emphasis on its international campus community. How do you see
yourself in this community? What do you expect to gain or learn from it? What do you think you can contribute?
What are your plans after fnishing at AUC, what do you think an AUC degree can contribute to your future?
Remember that, over and above the minimum requirements, the AUC Admissions Committee is looking for students with:
academic excellence
motivation and ambition to study an intensive and broad liberal arts and sciences programme
commitment to contribute to AUCs international student and campus life
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(Page 7) 2. 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, you must submit a copy of your most recent school reports/grade lists/predicted grades. If you are
not able to submit everything in one document (limit is 2Mb per upload page), you can use the additional upload pages. If your
documents are not in English, French, German or Dutch, you must submit offcial translations (you can use the additional upload
pages). If you are already studying at university, please submit your secondary education here and use the additional upload
pages for your university studies. If the documents for your university studies are not in English, French, German or Dutch, you
must submit offcial translations. (If your application is successful and you accept a place at AUC, you will be required to provide
paper copies, offcially certifed, of your diploma and grade list/offcial transcripts.) You can submit additional information on any
other qualifcations, if you wish, using the additional upload pages (e.g. SAT scores).
(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,
and/or Dutch residence permit, you can either combine these copies into a single upload here or use the additional upload pages
as well. NB: If you have a valid passport from an EU/EEA country, make sure you upload it here.
(Page 9) 4. Recent photograph REQUIRED
You must submit a recent photograph of yourself. Please upload a passport-style photo a full-face head-and-shoulders portrait.
Pages 10-24: Additional upload pages
The fnal 15 pages of the form are additional upload pages that you can use to submit any other documents that you need or
wish to include in your application. For example:
Application essay (maximum 750 words) OPTIONAL
The application essay is optional, but can make a signifcant contribution to your application. AUC will receive applications from
many students with similar academic backgrounds, and even similar motivations and experiences, so a good application essay
could help your application to stand out. If you decide to submit an application essay, please note that it should NOT be a repeat
of your personal statement. The essay must be:
on ONE of the fve topics given below
written in English
your own ideas about the topic and be written by you alone
no more than 750 words in length
We will not be judging your writing ability, but correct grammar, spelling and sentence structure will all help towards an effective
essay. You should focus on demonstrating that you can discuss the issues clearly and logically. Select ONE topic from:
History is often seen as being an exclusively human affair. However, one could argue that history is also shaped by biology to
a large extent. Defend this point of view, using a specifc example.
The ways that humans interact with each other is sometimes infuenced by new technology. Explain how a recent discovery
in the physical sciences has enabled one such new technology.
Biodiversity is clearly threatened: many species have gone extinct in the past few hundred years or are close to extinction
now. This worries many people, but protecting biodiversity is costly, and solid arguments are needed. Put forward the best
argument, in your opinion, for the need to protect biodiversity.
Explain how artistic expression might someday play a role in combating anthropogenic climate change.
Highlight one example from anywhere in the world where evidence-based social policy would almost certainly be different
to the actual policy that has been adopted now or in the past. Indicate what you believe to be the main reasons behind the
actual policy choice.
Proof of English profciency
See above for information on our English requirements. Upload a copy of your proof of profciency here, if required and already
available. If your application is successful, offcial score reports for TOEFL or IELTS must be sent directly to AUC by the testing
organisation; for all other qualifcations you will be required to provide paper copies, offcially certifed.
Proof of mathematics
If mathematics is not included in the diploma that qualifes you for entry to higher education, and/or you have a separate
certifcate/qualifcation in mathematics (e.g. GCSE certifcate), you must upload a copy here. If your application is successful,
you will be required to provide paper copies, offcially certifed.
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.
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.
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Recommendations
AUC uses an online recommendation system, in which recommenders are asked to answer questions in a standard online
recommendation form to ensure comparability. The results are submitted confdentially direct to AUC. You must register at
least two academic 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 fve. Your recommenders will receive an e-mail with their personal
login, inviting them to complete the online recommendation form. Please ensure you tell your recommenders in advance to
expect this e-mail message, and inform them that they will be expected to complete a standard recommendation form. (You
can submit your application as soon as you have registered your recommenders, you do not have to wait for them to complete
their recommendations.) If your recommenders wish to submit their own letter of recommendation in addition to completing
the online form, you can either upload their letters as additional information within your application (using the additional upload
pages), or ask them to send their letters by post or e-mail direct to AUC Admissions. NB: Such letters of recommendation
cannot replace the confdential online recommendations, they can only be submitted as additional information. At least two of
your recommenders must complete the online recommendation form for your application to be considered.
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 through the application form, 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: Deutsche Bank
Bank address: De Entree 99-197, 1101 HE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Account number: 62.51.80.364
Account holder: Universiteit van Amsterdam
Account holders address: James Wattstraat 77-79, 1097 DL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
IBAN: NL68DEUT0625180364
BIC: DEUTNL2N
Make sure the bank 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. To apply for an application fee waiver if you have a very low income:
please select payment by bank transfer, and then contact AUC Admissions (admissions@auc.nl) and ask for the application fee to
be waived. You must explain why you are requesting the waiver, and if possible provide proof of your fnancial situation.
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. But please note
that AUC cannot process your application until you have completed and submitted it. You will be required to enter an electronic
signature, confrming 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 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 confrming 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).
October 2012
Amsterdam University College
PO Box 94160
1090 GD Amsterdam
The Netherlands
www.auc.nl
e-mail admissions@auc.nl
tel +31-20-525 8780
visiting address:
Science Park 113
1098 XG Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Please make sure that the embark.com
and auc.nl domains, and info@auc.nl and
admissions@auc.nl addresses, are on the
whitelist of your e-mail account or among
your contacts, so that messages from AUC do
not get accidentally get classifed as Bulk or
Spam! Check your Bulk/Spam folders regularly
just in case!
To contact AUC Admissions, please e-mail
admissions@auc.nl
We look forward to receiving your application!