Prestige of German universities

Sorry to hear that! I can't help you with that. Germany is terribly bureaucratic, but if I was you I would still ask for info at the institute of your choice. They do not even specifically refer to "guest students" here - maybe an option such as part-time study or guest visits in lectures would open up. Apart from that, how about Austria, Switzerland, Belgium? And, relax... Cam's calling
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Contact the universities directly and ask them about it.

No it doesn't count as A Level, they don't calculate your grade based on a number of points. (As you can read in the source you have quoted above. Here is -by the way- and English translation: http://www.stgeorgesschool.de/media/parents/SGSC_US_University%20Guide_110909.pdf)

Exactly as Sir Fox said, contact the Universities directly and be persistant. The Universities can be much more lenient, if they want to and you are "clever" enough and not to shy. The Universities have their freedoms, although it is true, that more and more things are regulated. What should be clear, that in Germany they give no offers, thus it would be simply unfair to let somebody in a course with NC or any other course, where the number of places is limited just based on his AS Levels. Concerning the other courses you need to contact them directly and ask if they can give you something like a "vorläufige Zulassung" until you finally got your results.

Before it was often possible to just go to University in October and immatriculate without asking for "Zulassung". Now nearly every course requires the students to apply in July.

Don't want to get your hopes up, but it seems they may be more lenient: http://www.tum.de/en/studies/before-your-studies/application-and-acceptance/international-applicants-to-bachelor-programs/ and here:

http://www.tum.de/en/studies/before-your-studies/application-and-acceptance/applying-via-uni-assist/#c5014

So, begin to phone the universities NOW.

I will be emailing some universities to find out. I might be able to enroll for one summer semester from Jan-June or something?


Will do.
One thing I've noticed, though, is that now that I've done my January modules, I have enough UMS points to earn myself A*CC in my A-levels, even if it's not officially certified yet..



I see, thanks.

What I'll be saying then is:

- I already have high enough grades in my module exams to grant me A*CC in my A-levels - the remaining exams can only INCREASE this score.

- I have predicted grades, and can provide proof of them on entry

1) Trust me, phoning them up is often faster and more efficient. The best thing would be to do both.

2) Germans "don't know" predicted grades, that won't help. Either you have A Levels or not. (Of course it may help, when you can proof, that you are able to reach the entrance requirements.) What will be more important for them is the fact, that you are currently still at school, sitting the exams and when you will have an actual certificate. You probably need a proof that you are not able to submit your certficate earlier.

Good luck! And don't let them intimidate you!

PS.: Not all universities have the possibility to start in the Summer. (Austrian Universities are possibly the easiest to entry, but I don't remember how it is for someone, who has no university entrance certificate.)

Bah, ich bin aber in England - es wird ganz viel kosten Is it worth me calling the DAAD London office on Monday instead to ask them?

Well, it is your year abroad, not mine, so it is your decision. I mean, it is not, that email may not do it also, but according to my experience, a phone call is often necessary.

Hm, I don't know, if the DAAD can help you out, but it doesn't hurt. (As mentioned before, it can change from University to University or even faculty.) But now it is early enough to wait for the emails or to get informations before the big work begins for the Universities admissions in June/July.

I know ETH Zurich quite well, (as well as EPFL in Lausanne) and I can assure you that they teach at a level comparable to Harvard, MIT or Cambridge.... Also if you go by the rankings they are usually top 10.

In Switzerland -the problem- is that universities don't really care about rankings, and thus don't advertise a lot, but they are all quite good I would say.

Hello. I could really use some help. I want to apply to ETH zurich this year. I don't speak german. Do they offer preparatory courses to students like us? So, we can learn German and then continue. The universities in Switzerland are AMAZING, and the tuition is affordable as well. But their language of instruction at a Bachelors level is German. Also, I am a Muslim. Are there Muslim people in ETH Zurich? Like, can i find halal food?

Sorry if this was asked already — generally, how difficult is it to get into a good German/Swiss university? I'm thinking ETH Zürich, Technische Universität München, LMU München Heidelberg and Freiburg.
I've got AAAB at AS and I reckon I can get AAABB-A*AAAB (took an extra A-level) at A2. Is that enough to study Informatik?
Also, will I have to take some sort of a language exam, like Sprachdiplom II? Or is A-level German enough?

Do you have at least one foreign language, one social science and one natural science at A2-level? This is a fundamental requirement for having your A-levels recognised by German universities as being equivalent to the German Abitur. In regard to your particular grades I see no problem in getting into the universities you listed.

I don't do any natural sciences :/ I do Sociology, History, Maths, German and Spanish. Does that mean I must rule German out? Had I known, I would've taken physics. Germany was always my dream country to study in.

I don't do any natural sciences :/ I do Sociology, History, Maths, German and Spanish. Does that mean I must rule German out? Had I known, I would've taken physics. Germany was always my dream country to study in.

Hm, probably won't be recognized as Abitur due to the lack of a natural science. (I think you had to have Math, two natural sciences, a language and a social science.) Though you can still study with that selection of subjects (like with a "Fachgebundene Hochschulreife" --> what Sir Fox described), it will only mean you are not allowed to study any subject. But as long as you don't want to apply for medicine, natural science or engineering, you are probably fine.

Nope, I was not talking about Fachgebundene Hochschulreife but full-scale Abitur/Allgemeine Hochschulreife. That entirely depends on the German state and the state education ministries are responsible to evaluate foreign educational achievements. In NRW for your Abitur you only need one foreign language, one social science or German and one natural science or maths.

I don't do any natural sciences :/ I do Sociology, History, Maths, German and Spanish. Does that mean I must rule German out? Had I known, I would've taken physics. Germany was always my dream country to study in.