Introduction
If you are considering going to school in Sweden but are new to the country, you are probably not familiar with the process. In general it is a straight forward process, but you need to be very aware of how the process works, as there are some key differences to apply to school in other countries, such as the United States.
You also need to be aware of the deadlines for the different steps. While the process is not difficult to follow after you know what needs to be done, there is no flexibility with the key dates for the application process.
Create a University Admissions Account
The first thing that you should know is that there is a common application portal for all Swedish universities. The University Admissions website is the central location where you can search for programs, see the key milestones to apply, where you submit your application, and where you respond to any offers.
To begin the process, you need to create an account. If you already have an account, you can register with your Swedish personnummer. Otherwise, you will just register with your email account. After you create your account, you can continue the application process.
As you are creating your account, be sure to look at the key deadlines section of the University Admissions website. This will tell you the exact dates that each of these steps described below need to be completed.
Search for Programs
A good first step is to search for programs that you may be interested in. The University Admissions website has a search section where you can apply a number of filters, including the following:
Program Level (e.g. bachelor's, master's, etc.)
Distance Learning
Start Period
Instructional Time
Pace of Study
Language of Instruction
Degree Type (e.g., business and economics, medicine, etc.)
After applying these filters, you will see a list of programs that meet your criteria. You can click on each of the programs and some more information, such as the course dates and tuition fees. Here, you will also see a link to more information about the program on the specific university webiste.
If you look at the website, you will see information about the content of the program, the tuition and fees, contact information for the program, and admission requirements/selection criteria. You need to be sure that you carefully read all of this information, but particularly the section on the program requirements.
Programs will have different types of requirements. For example, if you apply to a master's program in business and economics there will likely be a requirement to have a certain number of credits in business administration. While it is nice that they describe the requirements, this will need to be a self-evaluation, as neither the university you are applying to nor the university admissions website help desk will tell you if you qualify prior to submitting your application
When conducting your program search, you are able to select several programs to apply to at the same time. If you are applying to bachelor's programs, you can apply to 8 programs at a time. If you are applying to master's degrees, you can apply to 4 programs at a time. Carefully select these programs, as you are only able to submit once, per application period.
Rank Your Programs
After selecting the programs that you are interested in, you need to rank them in order, with 1 being the program you are most interested in and the highest number being the program you are least interested in. You will first be considered for the program that you ranked the highest.
If you meet the entry requirements and there is a place available, you will be offered a place and the remaining programs you applied to will be deleted. If you do not get offered a place for your second choice, your second choice will be evaluated in the same manner as your first choice, and so on.
This ranking needs to be completed prior to the application deadline. After the application deadline passes, you cannot change the programs you would like to apply to or the ranking order.
Pay the Application Fee
Next, you need to either submit documentation proving you have citizenship in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland. If you do have citizenship in one of these categories, then you will not be exempt from paying the application fee and tuition fees. To prove this, you can include documents such as your passport, a valid identity card, or another official document proving your citizenship. This should be uploaded under the documents section on your University Admissions application page.
If you do not have citizenship in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you will need to pay the application fee. The application fee must be received by the fee deadline in order for your application to be processed. If you submit your application fee late, that will be noted on your application status. Technically, universities can process late applications, but it is up to their discretion which means it will likely be considered last if it is considered at all.
There are 3 ways that you can submit the application fee. (1) you can submit the payment electronically on the University Admissions website using a credit or bank card. (2) you can pay the application fee by transferring funds from your bank to University Admissions in Sweden. (3) If you live in Sweden, you can use your Swedish bank account to pay using BankGiro. With this being said, it is recommended to use the first method using your credit or bank card, as this is the quickest and most secure way of making the payment.
Submit Supporting Documentation
The next step is to ensure you have completed all of the correct documentation. Exactly what you will need to submit is somewhat dependent on the program you are applying to, but with that being said, there are some things that you will almost certainly have to provide:
Documents proving your identity, such as a passport
Proof that you can speak and write in programs language of instruction
A statement of purpose
Your Resume/CV
There could be additional documentation specific to your program, so be sure to read that section of the programs you are applying for. This should all be submitted in the documentation section on the University Admissions website.
You are able to start uploading your documentation prior to paying the application fee. However, you do not need to have all documentation uploaded until after you pay the fee. Be sure to check the University Admissions website for the exact deadlines for these steps, as the dates will vary from year to year.
Reply to Your Offer
After all the previous steps are complete all you have to do is wait. Your results will be published on the University Admissions website. You will be able to see if you were accepted, if you are on the waitlist, or if it was determined that you are not eligible for the program you applied to. If you were admitted, congratulations!
If you are required to pay the application fee, you are also most likely required to pay the tuition fees. If this is the case and you are offer a position in a program, your status will be listed as conditionally admitted. This also could be the status of your application if there is additional information you will need to provide, such as proof of completion for education that was ongoing at the time that your application was submitted.
If you were admitted in the first round, for the autumn or spring semester, tyou do not need to specifically reply on University Admissions. You do however need to decline the position if you are not interested in attending. This should be done as soon as possible so that others on the waitlist can be offered your position. If you applied in the second round of applications, you will need to reply that you would like to keep the place that you have been offered.
If you are on the waitlist, you should manage your expectations, but it is possible that you will still be accepted if there are others in the program that decide to decline their position in the program. You should however be cautious, unless you are at the top of the waitlist it is likely that you will not get in. A lot of time programs will admit more than the total number of people they would like to accept, as they know some people will decline their position. It is only after they have gone below their target program size that they will offer spots to those on the waitlist.
If it was determined that you are not eligible for the program you applied to, you are likely out of luck. You are able to submit an appeal if you believe that you were deemed ineligible by mistake. With that being said, even if they reverse your decision it is unlikely that you will be high enough on the waitlist to be accepted.
Arriving to Begin Your Program
Now that you have accepted your position, you are almost ready to begin studying! If you are required to have a visa or residence permit to study in Sweden, make sure to apply as soon as possible because the permit application process takes time.
Make sure that you note when your program starts and if there is an arrival day before your program begings. Once again, congratulations and good luck with completeing your program!
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