Getting Into a University in Finland

Preface

I was not a very interested student in middle school. This is why I decided to study at a vocational high school where I studied informatics along with traditional high school subjects. I wanted to focus more on developing software rather than dealing with complicated math and physics. This is why I wasn't sure rather or not to go to a university. My dream at the time was to become a game developer. I did so by doing my year-long internship at a game studio and working in another game studio after finishing high school. At that time I haven't decided what to do with my life. I technically achieved my dream of becoming a game developer, but was I satisfied? The thing is, I felt like something was missing in my life. I was quite happy with my work environment and the job I do, but still, I wasn't satisfied because I always felt like something was missing. Upon further thinking, I realized I might have skipped a whole character arc. The thing about university is, that you don't just get an education but you also get a university life. New friends, activities, culture, experience, and so on. By not going to university, I felt like I missed all of that. Because getting into the workforce is like settling on an established lifestyle. But I wasn't happy with the lifestyle I got after finishing high school and didn't have a chance to change it. It was now or never. This is how I came to the conclusion that going to university was the best option for me.

Why Finland?

I always wanted to go abroad and explore the world. I wasn't sure if I was ready to settle in one place but I wanted to move on to someplace else after living for 18 years in the same place. I could just move to another city in my country but life was the same in most of the cities. I wanted to explore a different culture, different people, and a different perspective. I had to choose which country I wanted to go to. There were a lot of factors to consider. It had to be cheap, teach in English and have a good education quality. In the end, I settled in Finland and South Korea. But ultimately chose Finland over South Korea because it is easier to get by with knowing only English in Finland.

University System in Finland

Finland has 2 types of "universities". Universities and universities of applied sciences.

Universities

When you apply to a university's bachelor's program, you automatically apply for its master's program as well. So if you're accepted to a university's bachelor's program, you can start doing your master's in eligible programs without any admission procedure. In Finland, it takes 3 years to complete a bachelor's degree and 2 years to complete your master's degree. So you can apply to a university, and if you are accepted, you can get your bachelor's and master's degrees in 5 years. You choose your own courses in university and don't need to attend any classes. But you must pass your exams to complete your degree.

Universities of Applied Sciences

I will refer to Finnish universities of applied sciences as "UAS" for convenience. Unlike universities, it takes 4 years to complete a bachelor's degree at UAS. The courses are structured to focus more on practice. The main focus is to get hands-on experience to join the workforce in UAS, so the main focus is not researching, unlike universities. This is why you can find a wider range of degree programs available in UAS. And in some programs, you are required to do summer internships for the first 3 years. This helps you very much later on in your career because you enter the work-life with a lot of experience. Unlike universities, your classes are not that flexible. Because the courses you'll take are already chosen for you and you need to stick to the curriculum. Do note that you're not automatically accepted to a master's degree in UAS.

Why Universities of Applied Sciences?

As I mentioned I am a person who likes to do things. I want to write programs that have an impact on people's lives. This was the reason why I wasn't sure about going to university or not. While universities are focused on theory and research, UAS focus on practice and appliance. I could also get to do 3 internships for a total of 9 months. And I could also become an engineer when I graduate because a UAS software engineering program gives a bachelor of engineering while similar university programs give a bachelor of science.

Admission Procedure

The admission procedure for Finnish universities is quite easy and convenient in my opinion. You just fill out one application and can apply to up to 6 different degree programs for that year. The applications are filled on opintopolku but don't worry, most universities have a guide on their website for applying to a degree program. Then you fill out important information on the application form such as your credentials, past education, various test scores, and sometimes a motivation letter mostly for scholarships. The important thing to keep in mind is the deadline for each university program. Because when you miss the deadline, you can't apply to that program until next year. And since different programs and universities have different deadlines, you should keep track of the deadlines for each program you are interested in.

Admission Criteria

Universities in Finland accept students based on their SAT scores and sometimes interview scores. Some universities and UAS may require you to submit a certified language test score such as IELTS for programs taught in English. But most universities don't require it since SAT is an English exam and has a language section. Be sure to take those exams before the deadlines. Do note that you can edit your initial application and add documents to it after the application deadline. But you still have deadlines for adding certain documents as well. It is still a good idea to have all your documents and test scores ready before the application deadline. Unlike universities, UAS accepts students based on their International UAS Exam scores. But some UAS can have an additional intake for students accepted based on their SAT scores.

International UAS Exam

International UAS Exam is a joint digital entrance exam of UAS, used for selecting students to study programs leading to a degree and conducted in English. You take the International UAS Exam if you applied to one or more UAS programs. You get detailed information about the International UAS Exam through email after you filled your application so don't worry about that. But to give a brief overview it consists of some digital tests to test your overall capability and an online group interview to test your English and communications skills. After you take the test, your test score is used for all the UAS programs you applied to.

Results

The results for your university and UAS applications are announced on similar dates to each other, usually a few months after the application deadline. You can get an offer of admission from all the programs you applied but you can only accept one. When you accept one, all the other offers are automatically rejected so think carefully before you accept a study place. Do note you also need to pay your tuition fee if it is applicable to you and register as present for that academic year.

Starting Your Studies

When you are accepted to a university/UAS program and registered as present, you can start your studies next term. So you'll probably want to start looking for housing and get a student permit if you're from outside of the EU. Some cities like Helsinki and Tampere have student housing foundations such as HOAS and TOAS which offers cheap housing options for students. Other than that, you can start learning Finnish or prepare for your courses beforehand to give you a jumpstart when you start your studies.

Hyvää onnea!

Good luck!

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