Exchange application step by step

Exchange is the perfect opportunity to go abroad and discover a different culture and language. During your minor, the first semester in your third year, it is possible to study abroad in cities all over the world. This may seem a bit far away, but you need to register this month to be able to go on exchange next year.

What is exchange?

On exchange, you will be spending a semester abroad. This is a once in a lifetime experience, in which you can learn another language, learn more about yourself and enhance employment possibilities. The VU has more than 250 partnerships with universities worldwide, so you can go anywhere you want. However, there is a selection procedure and you must register yourself. The selection will be based on your VU motivation form, resume, average grade and language skills (this only applies for universities where the language of instruction is other than Dutch or English).

How to apply for exchange:

• Step 1: First at all, it is very important to orientate on where you would like to go for exchange. There are many possibilities and you should mention your top 3 locations when applying. You can go to the  VU World Map and you can select your program to find out where and how many places there are available for you. Furthermore, you can find information about courses, accommodation, social life, experiences of previous exchange students, costs and requirements of each university. Please note that the start and ending point of the first semester may be different in another country. When comparing different destinations, it is important to look at the overall cost of a semester in a city and whether there are places available for you.

• Step 2: Step 1 may have taken a long time, but now it is time to focus on the application. There is a motivation form, in which you have to motivate why you want to go to that specific city on exchange. This form is sent to you by e-mail. In addition to the motivation, you must have a top 3 of courses you would like to follow during exchange. Via the VU world map you can find the website links of partner universities to see which courses they offer. You should also motivate why you want to follow the course. Do not forget to mention what goals you want to achieve on exchange.

• Step 3: Your resume is a part of the selection procedure, so make sure that you have one on time. On your resume, you can show personal information, your education, work experience, extracurricular activities, interests and skills. 

• Step 4: The deadline of this first application round is before the 5th of January 2020, which means you should have finished your motivation letter for three locations and your resume. There is a possibility that you will not be selected after the first application round. You don’t have to worry because there will be a second application round, in which you can try to apply again. 

• Step 5: If you still have questions about going on exchange, you can make an appointment on VUnet and there are daily consultation hours. You can contact [email protected] (Outgoing Exchange Team) for questions about the exchange application. 

Hopefully, you now know how to apply for exchange. If you would like to know more about exchange, here you can find the experiences of students that already went on exchange!