Our newly created “Admission Insights” articles aim to bring greater attention to international universities as viable options for students. While we’ve traditionally focused on US colleges, it’s also become clear that tremendous opportunities exist beyond our own borders that are worth a closer look. Here, through a series of interviews with admission officers, we provide key details about their schools and links where you may find more information.
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1. Please share a brief overview of Jacobs University.
Jacobs University is Germany’s top-ranked private university as well as the only university in Germany whose degree-courses at the undergraduate and masters level are entirely taught in English. We offer 3-year Bachelor’s degrees, Masters programs, and PhD possibilities. Our degree-courses range across three main academic focus areas, Diversity, Mobility, & Health, and students are able to take courses in all three areas during their first year before declaring a major.
2. What is typically your percentage of enrolled international students?
Over 85% of our student body are not German and comes from abroad.
3. Are there any special requirements for international students versus domestic? If yes, please share them. e.g. In the US, we require a TOEFL score or equivalent.
No. Everyone is subject to the same requirements.
4. What resources are available at your school to help support international students?
We offer a wide range of student services, including personalized academic advising, a student life department which offers overseas campus activities and events, as well as a psychological support network for those students in need. Special emphasis is placed on cultural diversity and sensitivity, and students are welcomed to live out and share their cultures on campus in a variety of ways.
5. Do you offer financial assistance or scholarships for international students?
We offer a wide array of merit and needs-based scholarships as well as a tuition-deferral programme.
6. For US universities, there is great emphasis on Extracurricular Activities as part of an applicant’s overall credentials. Of what relevance are these in your admission requirements, and are these encouraged for student participation once enrolled?
We very much like students to be engaged in their schools and local communities, so this is something we want to see in their applications. Once they are on campus, it is entirely up to them, but nevertheless encouraged.
7. What would you say is unique or stands out about your university among others?
I would say we are a nice balance between a European and American-style university. With just 1,500 students, nearly all of which live on our 34-hectare residential campus just north of Bremen, class sizes are small, and research opportunities and student services are excellent. All of these factors combined create one of the most unique academic environments in the country. We can confidently say that we are Germany’s leading private and international university, which is consistently top-ranked among young and small universities worldwide.
8. Have you found that graduates are well prepared for the international workplace upon completing their degree?
94% get a job within six months. Employers typically like our students, because they are international, have good inter-cultural awareness, are flexible and independent, and have a few foreign languages as well as work experience under their belt by the time they graduate.
*For more information, be sure to visit our Jacobs University Profile