How to enroll in the graduate program of the Higher School of Economics this spring
Applications for the "Early Admission Invitation" competition are accepted until May 13
For the third year now, the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology has been participating in a competition for master's degree applicants, which allows them to enroll in an educational program before the start of the admission campaign. To participate, you must collect the documents included in the portfolio and submit them through the applicant's personal account. The main documents are: a motivation letter, a resume, and an extract from the credit book on completed courses with credits.
Natalia Valeryevna Slobodova, the academic director of the Master's program, shared some recommendations for preparing documents:
"A motivation letter should be written in free form, but it should be structured and specific. It is important to reflect the professional direction, short-term and long-term plans, key knowledge, skills and experience that confirm readiness for training. At the same time, it is not necessary to retell the resume, it is important to explain how this experience led to the choice of the program. Next, you should specify the reason for choosing our program and explain how this area can help achieve your goals and professional interests. It is advisable to avoid boilerplate phrases and the use of artificial intelligence, but to show awareness of the choice and explain why you need to study at the program.
It is better to write a resume in a structured manner, indicating your education from school years. Both documents must be submitted in two languages: Russian and English.
Additional documents: certificates, commendations, diplomas from competitions, publications and letters of recommendation are also important, as they reflect a certain degree of your activity, dedication and inclination to develop academically. In addition, they add additional points to the overall portfolio assessment.
Thus, the ideal portfolio is a combination of a thoughtful, personalized motivation letter, resume and a set of documents confirming achievements."
Natalia Valeryevna Slobodova emphasized the following in particular: "Some applicants doubt their abilities and do not want to participate in the competition, as they think they will score insufficient points. However, participation in the competition gives future undergraduates a unique opportunity to test their strengths, structure ideas and goals, and approach the choice of a further development trajectory more consciously. Participation in the competition, so to speak, does not threaten anything: in case of a shortage of points, you can improve your portfolio and submit it to the main admission wave, thereby increasing the chances of successfully passing the entrance tests."
We wish you success in the contest and look forward to seeing you on the program!
