Frequently asked questions

In most countries, deadlines fall almost a year before school starts. For 2027 entry in the United Kingdom, Oxford, Cambridge and medicine applications closed on 15 October 2026; for most other programs the UCAS date is 13 January 2027. In the US, the Common App opens on 1 August every year, and early applications at Harvard and Yale close on 1 November. In the Netherlands, numerus fixus programs close on 15 January and other bachelor's programs on 1 May.

In a single application through UCAS you can make at most five choices. In medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, at most four of these five choices can be used for those fields. You can use the remaining choice for another field of study.

With the Common App you can apply to at most 20 schools in one application season. According to Pacific University's guide, most students keep their list between 5 and 10 schools. Because the Common App opens for the new season on 1 August every year, we recommend finalizing the school list before summer.

A personal statement is a piece of writing in which the student explains in their own words why they want the field of study. In UCAS's current format, three questions are answered: why they want this field of study, how the courses they have taken prepared them, and what they have done outside school. The three answers together cannot exceed 4,000 characters.

No extra documents are uploaded to the UCAS form; the personal statement and the reference written by the school are inside the form. In the University of Edinburgh example, documents such as the diploma and transcript are asked for through the university's own portal after the student receives an offer. If you need to send extra information, you send it directly to the university with your UCAS number.

In the United Kingdom, the student's school writes the UCAS reference; according to UCAS, the reference has three parts, and in the first part the school introduces itself. In the US, the counselor and subject teachers are invited from the student's account through the Common App. These invitations do not carry over to the new application season; they need to be sent again when the account is renewed.

The list changes from school to school, and even from program to program. The bachelor's pages of Oxford, UCL and the University of Amsterdam list IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency. In the US, the lists of MIT, Yale and Princeton also include the Duolingo English Test. We recommend checking the requirement on each program's own page before you apply.

No. MIT, Yale and Princeton accept the Duolingo English Test; at MIT the minimum score is 120 and the recommended score is 125. On the bachelor's pages of Oxford, UCL and the University of Amsterdam that we checked, Duolingo is not on the accepted list. For a student considering both the US and the United Kingdom, IELTS and TOEFL appear on both sides' lists.

An IELTS result is valid for two years from the exam date. Institutions in the US, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand generally do not accept results older than two years. We recommend choosing the exam date so that the result is still valid at both the application and the visa application.

It varies from school to school in the US. MIT and Yale ask for an SAT or ACT score in first-year applications. Princeton does not ask for a test from students starting in fall 2027. From the fall 2028 intake, the SAT or ACT will be required. So you need to check the test rule of each school on the target list separately.

According to MIT's score table, TOEFL exams taken on or after 21 January 2026 are scored on a new scale from 1 to 6. MIT asks for at least 90 for exams before that date and at least 5 for later ones. Oxford accepts TOEFL iBT results only if they were taken up to and including 20 January 2026.

This also depends on the school. Yale asks for a language exam from applicants who have not studied at a school that teaches in English for at least two years. Princeton asks for an exam from applicants whose school's language of instruction is not English. MIT strongly recommends sending a language exam result if you have used English for less than five years.

A full-time student at bachelor's level or above can work up to 20 hours a week during term. Below bachelor's level, for example on foundation programs, the limit is 10 hours a week. These rights also depend on the type of licensed sponsor the school is, so you should go by what is written on the CAS and the visa.

Students aged 4 to 17 apply with a Child Student visa to study at an independent (private) school in the United Kingdom. The application needs the CAS from the school and written consent from both parents. Students aged 16 and 17 can apply with a Student or a Child Student visa, depending on the school.

In the United Kingdom, with Standard Visitor status you can take courses of up to 6 months at an accredited institution, and this includes English courses. For English courses of up to 11 months there is also a separate Short-term study visa. In the US, the B visitor visa covers short courses that do not count toward a degree or credit.

In Schengen countries, courses of up to 90 days within 180 days fall under the short-stay Schengen visa. If the course is longer than 90 days, you need the national long-stay visa of the country you are going to. So the visa process for a 12-week course is different from the one for a 16-week course.

In Germany you need to report your new address to the local registration office within two weeks. In big cities this is done at the district Bürgeramt. Students from outside the EU then apply for a residence permit at the foreigners' office. According to DAAD, this application is made while the visa is still valid and within 90 days of entry. The card can take a few months to arrive.

For a high school diploma from abroad, you get recognition (denklik) from the Ministry of National Education (MEB). The application form is filled out through the e-Denklik system. If you are in Türkiye, the original documents are taken to the recognition center. If you are abroad, they are taken to the education counsellor's office or attaché. Graduates are asked for an apostilled or certified copy of the diploma.

On return, a recognition (denklik) application is made to MEB for the year studied abroad. For the in-between grades, the report card, transcript or leaving certificate from the school abroad is asked for. The education system of that country is taken into account, and the grade the student will continue in is set accordingly. If the parent submits a petition, the student can be placed one grade lower. If the documents are not yet available, the student attends school temporarily on a parent's declaration, and the documents are requested within three months.

For a bachelor's degree from abroad, you get recognition and equivalence (denklik) from YÖK (Türkiye's Council of Higher Education). Recognition means accepting that the school and the program are authorized to award degrees. Equivalence (denklik) means the diploma is found equal to its counterpart in Türkiye. The preliminary application is made through e-Devlet or the YÖK website, and the process is completed by appointment, in person or through a notary power of attorney. So when choosing a university, you should check the recognition status of the program from the start.

Besides the school fee, there are a visa application fee, the health surcharge (IHS) and living costs. According to GOV.UK's 2026 information, the student visa application costs £558. The IHS is paid at the time of the visa application, for each year of the visa granted. For the visa you also need to be able to show the first year's school fee and the monthly living money in your account.

As of October 2026, GOV.UK gives the monthly living money as £1,529 for London and £1,171 outside London. This amount is calculated for up to 9 months, and the money must stay in the account without a break for 28 days. The bank statement must also be dated no more than 31 days before the visa application.

For a student visa in Germany you need to show at least €992 a month, so €11,904 for a year. This is usually done with a blocked account (Sperrkonto), and the account must be opened before the visa application. An official commitment letter (Verpflichtungserklärung) signed by someone with a bank account in Germany is also accepted. Because missions can ask for a different amount or different documents, we suggest you check the list of the consulate you will apply to.

A foreign student who studies at a US public high school on an F-1 visa pays the full cost of the school. Stay at a public high school cannot exceed 12 months in total. For a longer stay, students turn to SEVP-approved private schools with an F-1 visa. Public elementary and middle schools cannot be attended with F-1 status.

Yes, everyone in Germany must have health insurance, and proof of insurance is asked for at university enrollment. Students under 30 can use the student rate in public insurance. According to DAAD, this rate costs about €120 to €130 a month. Public insurance starts after you arrive in Germany and enroll, and until that date you need private insurance.

DAAD recommends starting to search for housing online and applying for a student residence about three months before classes begin. The accommodation for the first nights should be arranged about two months before you leave. After you move, you report your address to the registration office within two weeks.

Students with the right to work on their study permit can work up to 24 hours a week off campus while classes are in session. This limit went up from 20 to 24 hours on 15 November 2024. During scheduled breaks such as the summer break, the hour limit does not apply.

In Germany, students from outside the EU can work 140 full days or 280 half days a year. Compulsory internships of the program do not count toward this limit. In the Netherlands, students from outside the EU can work up to 16 hours a week or only in the summer months. For this, a work permit from UWV is needed.

If the student is between 4 and 11 and studies at a private school on a Child Student visa, one parent can get a Parent of a Child Student visa. Only one parent can go on this visa. The parent cannot do paid work and must show they have the money to support two people. The stay lasts until the student's visa ends or the student turns 12.

For a Child Student visa, written consent from both parents is needed. If only one parent has custody, that parent's consent is enough. The letter says where the student will stay: with a parent, at a boarding school, with a relative or with a foster family. A student aged 16 or 17 may also stay on their own. A relative or foster family also states in writing that they will look after the student and have enough money.

If a guardian has been named for the student in the United Kingdom, the guardian states in writing that they take responsibility for the student. If no guardian is named yet, a letter is requested from the organization that will arrange the guardian, confirming that all its guardians have passed background checks. The school must also keep a copy of the parents' consent letter and the guardian's commitment letter.

A visit is separate from the student's visa and is planned according to the parent's own visa situation. In the United Kingdom, Standard Visitor status allows a stay of up to 6 months. In Schengen countries, with a short-stay visa you can stay up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Several visits in the same period are counted together toward these 90 days.

Yes. Orientation starts with the offer: we prepare the student for the new city, the school culture and the first weeks. At the end of the first week we meet the student to talk about classes, housing, new friends and tips.

Write to hello@elsewhereacademics.com or on our WhatsApp line (+90 501 566 08 08). Our founder Berkay Yılmaz reads every message and gets back to you.