Leiden University 2020 Applicants Thread

OP

Original post by katharina001

I think we have all gotten the email by now as it is the 28th. I have a question about the content though - I've read the guidelines and everything and the instructions for the actual body text seem fairly clear, but I am unsure of how to format it, begin and conclude it, etc. Are you guys putting your address and the university's address up top as you would in a typical letter? And who will you be addressing the letter to (e.g. "Dear admission officers, ...", "Dear ...,")?

Hey,

I am personally not putting addresses, and I don't really think it makes sense. As far as I know, you have to copy and paste the text in a special form like the one in UCAS.

I am also a bit unsure how to structure it. Usually I start my letters in a more interesting way, but in that case I don't really have the place to do so😂

Good luck with your application :smile:

Reply 7

katharina001

1

Original post by mitkot

Hey,

I am personally not putting addresses, and I don't really think it makes sense. As far as I know, you have to copy and paste the text in a special form like the one in UCAS.

I am also a bit unsure how to structure it. Usually I start my letters in a more interesting way, but in that case I don't really have the place to do so😂

Good luck with your application :smile:

Right? 400 words is so little!! I think you are right in that "useless" bits like addresses should be left out due to this, still need to figure out who to address it to in the opening line though ... oh well. Thank you! And best of luck too :smile:

Reply 8

Original post by AHoek10

Hey I’m from the U.K. and I’m also applying to Leiden for international relations!

Hello, I am also applying for that programme. I´m from Croatia so it makes me happy to see someone else from the Balkans area applying to that university.
Did you guys find the literature for the evaluation exam weird? The statistics part seems confusing, but then again I haven´t really read it, just skimmed through it so maybe it´s not so hard after all.

Reply 9

OP

Original post by Blue_penguin

Hello, I am also applying for that programme. I´m from Croatia so it makes me happy to see someone else from the Balkans area applying to that university.
Did you guys find the literature for the evaluation exam weird? The statistics part seems confusing, but then again I haven´t really read it, just skimmed through it so maybe it´s not so hard after all.

I'm happy to see that I'm not the only Balkan here as well haha.
I also got a bit scared of all these formulae and decided to back to it after finishing the motivational essay😂
I think it would be fine though, the examination is only 20% of the score.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 10

Original post by mitkot

I'm happy to see that I'm not the only Balkan here as well haha.
I also got a bit scared of all these formulae and decided to back to it after finishing the motivational essay😂
I think it would be fine though, the examination is only 20% of the score.

So grades make up 40% of the score and I don't know what's the GPA of students applying for that programme since it's numerus fixus. In Croatia the grading system is from 1 to 5 (1 being insufficient and 5 being excellent), in the 1st grade my GPA was 3.7, in 2nd grade it was 3.6 since I wasn't really motivated, but in 3rd grade it was 4.5 (4.5 is excellent too) and now I'm expecting it to be 4.85. Are my grades from 1st and 2nd year too low in your opinion?
Because if everyone applying for that programme has an excellent GPA I'm quite worried I won't get in🤔

Reply 11

VeryTalentedGirl

2

Original post by Blue_penguin

So grades make up 40% of the score and I don't know what's the GPA of students applying for that programme since it's numerus fixus. In Croatia the grading system is from 1 to 5 (1 being insufficient and 5 being excellent), in the 1st grade my GPA was 3.7, in 2nd grade it was 3.6 since I wasn't really motivated, but in 3rd grade it was 4.5 (4.5 is excellent too) and now I'm expecting it to be 4.85. Are my grades from 1st and 2nd year too low in your opinion?
Because if everyone applying for that programme has an excellent GPA I'm quite worried I won't get in🤔

I think your grades are good. I have had similar grades (4.85 in my first year of high school, and 4.5 in my second year) and I still got an offer. I am sure you are going to get in, at least it shows them how much you have improved. Iz Bosne sam, tako da se nadam da cemo proci dalje, lijepo je imati nekog naseg. :smile:

Reply 12

OP

Did you guys submit the motivational essay? I'm still waiting for the deadline, hoping that I might improve something in it haha

Reply 13

VeryTalentedGirl

2

Original post by mitkot

Did you guys submit the motivational essay? I'm still waiting for the deadline, hoping that I might improve something in it haha

I have submitted mine yesterday. Well, I always feel like I could have improved something about it. But if it "feels right" just submit it, if anything the pressure will go away :smile:

Reply 14

Original post by VeryTalentedGirl

I think your grades are good. I have had similar grades (4.85 in my first year of high school, and 4.5 in my second year) and I still got an offer. I am sure you are going to get in, at least it shows them how much you have improved. Iz Bosne sam, tako da se nadam da cemo proci dalje, lijepo je imati nekog naseg. :smile:

Yaaay one of us! One of us!
Haha I'll write in English too but you can message me if you want to. Anywho, I have a bunch of friends from Bosnia, they are such nice and welcoming people. I hope we get in, Leiden is my first choice and if I do vidimo se u Nizozemskoj☺️

Reply 15

Original post by mitkot

Did you guys submit the motivational essay? I'm still waiting for the deadline, hoping that I might improve something in it haha

I submitted it at 23:30 haha and started writing it 3 hours prior but I think all in all it's pretty good, we'll see how it goes.

Reply 16

AHoek10

14

Original post by mitkot

Did you guys submit the motivational essay? I'm still waiting for the deadline, hoping that I might improve something in it haha

Yh I submitted mine yesterday

Reply 17

I got conditionally admitted today, did you guys get the offer too? It's so greaat I just didn't know we'll get it before the test so it surprised me

Reply 18

OP

I got an offer a week ago. It is mentioned that this does not guarantee our place though, we still need to take part in the placement. How is the preparation going for you? Read the Stats? :biggrin:

Reply 19