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Leiden University Applications

Is there anyone else who applied to Leiden and hadn’t gotten an offer yet? Specifically for the International Relations and Organizations Programme?? I received my conditional offers from Amsterdam and Groningen ages ago and still haven’t heard from Leiden which is my first choice 😩😔
Me too. I have applied to Politics,Culture and National Identites (I’ve sent my application on 29th of march and received a confirmation e-mail on the 30th) and haven’t received an answer yet. When did you apply? P.S.Anyone else for some History program?
Original post by FrancyM94
Me too. I have applied to Politics,Culture and National Identites (I’ve sent my application on 29th of march and received a confirmation e-mail on the 30th) and haven’t received an answer yet. When did you apply? P.S.Anyone else for some History program?


I applied mid/end of March. I’ve gotten an email about the matching procedure which goes from the 15th June until the 22nd. WTF. That’s an entire week!! And then imagine how long the evaluation takes. They’re expecting 700 students this year. At this rate I’m gonna get an offer at the end of August... and that’s so late...
Reply 3
700 students! Where did you hear that?

Last year they took 400. I thought that was a massive year group. Do you mean 700 applications or 700 places offered? Where will they find all the accommodation, both for lectures and for students to live?
Original post by Breward
700 students! Where did you hear that?

Last year they took 400. I thought that was a massive year group. Do you mean 700 applications or 700 places offered? Where will they find all the accommodation, both for lectures and for students to live?


A59BAB37-6959-4757-AACF-ED975FED45CE.jpg.jpeg

Here is a screenshot of the email I received. The date is clearly wrong but here they say 700. I know it’s a lot.. I don’t know what to think
Reply 5
Wow! That is huge number of first year students on a course. Thanks for the screen shot. I am not sure how a department can function effectively with that many students.

I wonder how numbers compare to similar courses such as Political Science at UvA.

Have you had to do matching at UvA?
Original post by Breward
Wow! That is huge number of first year students on a course. Thanks for the screen shot. I am not sure how a department can function effectively with that many students.

I wonder how numbers compare to similar courses such as Political Science at UvA.

Have you had to do matching at UvA?


I wasn’t eligible for political science at UvA because I didn’t take math at a level. And yes 700 is huge. I didn’t know there would be that many.
Reply 7
I have just emailed Leiden to ask about numbers and also drop out rates. How can lecturers and other academics get to know their students with such huge numbers? Local internships will be impossible with such competition.

I will let you know what I hear back.
Original post by Breward
I have just emailed Leiden to ask about numbers and also drop out rates. How can lecturers and other academics get to know their students with such huge numbers? Local internships will be impossible with such competition.

I will let you know what I hear back.


That’s great. Thanks for taking the initiative. They’ve been very slow answering my emails. I hope they get back to you soon.
Reply 9
I have just read UvA website for FAQ in the political science section which may explain things:

"Admission to the BSc Political Science is non-selective and non-competitive. Places are not limited. All students just need to meet the minimum entry requirements."

So if 700 or even 1000 meet the minimum requirement they all have to given places.

I imagine it will become a numerus fixus course pretty soon if 700 applicants all qualify. Just to put it in perspective, Bristol Uni took 114 students for Politics last year.
Hmm but that’s for the UvA. I think Leiden, given it’s reputations and ranking, is a bit more difficult to get in despite not having a numerus fixus. Hence the matching procedure which supposedly takes “8 hours of studying” as mentioned in the email
Reply 11
It is weird that they choose to do matching, with 8 hours of study required, during the A level examination period.

Do they do matching earlier in the year for students who applied before Christmas?

Are you a UK student Gittergorl?
Original post by Breward
It is weird that they choose to do matching, with 8 hours of study required, during the A level examination period.

Do they do matching earlier in the year for students who applied before Christmas?

Are you a UK student Gittergorl?


I find really frustrating. Because it’s really close to the start of the year and in my opinion everyone who applied should know by now at the latest whether they’re admissible or not. And not end of June/July. I’m going with my second choice to be safe right now because I cannot be planning for Leiden until I get an offer or a conditional offer. There’s a matching procedure for people who applied before 15th January and that’s in March. I’m not a UK student, no. But I am sitting my AS and A2 exams right now, the last being on Wednesday and Thursday. You?
Reply 13
Y12, applying next year. I am researching options. Leiden is my first choice... but with 700 in a year group, it might not be for long!

I am taking A level maths so UvA is an option.

I went to Leiden's student for a day in April and loved it. I am going to Leiden (The Hague) and Amsterdam in August to visit again.

June/July seems ridiculously late to get accepted. What are you doing about accommodation?
Original post by Breward
Y12, applying next year. I am researching options. Leiden is my first choice... but with 700 in a year group, it might not be for long!

I am taking A level maths so UvA is an option.

I went to Leiden's student for a day in April and loved it. I am going to Leiden (The Hague) and Amsterdam in August to visit again.

June/July seems ridiculously late to get accepted. What are you doing about accommodation?


Ah, alright I see.

Well good luck!

I guess I’ll just have to wing it.
Reply 15
Original post by Breward
I have just emailed Leiden to ask about numbers and also drop out rates. How can lecturers and other academics get to know their students with such huge numbers? Local internships will be impossible with such competition.

I will let you know what I hear back.


Still haven't heard back from Leiden, although it said emails would get a response within 48 hours.
Original post by Breward
Still haven't heard back from Leiden, although it said emails would get a response within 48 hours.


I got a reply two weeks later and the response was something along the lines of “we’ll make you a conditional offer in the next 2-4 weeks”

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