Over 800 International Students Recommended for Full-tuition Scholarships at HSE
International students at HSE
On July 5, the application window closed for international students who made it through the selection process for state-funded spots at the Higher School of Economics. Those students who were not selected are still able to apply to the university for tuition-paying spots, or can enrol in the university’s Preparatory Year programme.
It is HSE’s strategic goal to bring in more and more international students, according to International Admissions Director Tatiana Chetvernina. The more foreign students at the university, the better HSE’s reputation will be on the international educational market and the more successful the school’s brand will be. In addition, the university is just as interested in Russian-speaking foreign students as it is in English-speaking ones.
This year, full-tuition scholarships were awarded to 830 international students hoping to study in one of HSE’s undergraduate and graduate programmes. The university received applications from more than 3,500 prospective students. Around 150 places were granted to those applying to English-taught programmes.
What’s New?
This year’s international admissions process for state-funded spots at HSE was revamped in three important ways.
First, Russian-speaking foreign students submitted applications for bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programmes electronically, irrespective of their country of residence.
Second, selection committees were created within the university’s various departments and programmes. Whereas before, such committees only existed within English-language programmes, now the university’s Russian-language programmes have committees as well. These committees met between February and May of this year to select the very best students for full-tuition scholarships, with each programme adhering to its own selection criteria. Some committees required an interview, while others simply asked for an electronic application.
Third, for the first time ever, there are now quota scholarships for international students applying to post-graduate schools at HSE. A total of 20 people were recommended for these spots.
The Selection Process
Candidates were selected by admissions committiees made up of representatives of educational programmes in Moscow, as well as representatives from countries where there has traditionally been a large number of applicants to HSE, such as Uzbekistan, Moldova, and Kazakhstan. Each admissions committee either recommended applicants for a tuition-free spot at HSE, or advised that the student continue working and try to apply to HSE through the normal application process.
Other options
Those who did not receive government scholarship but were recommended for the general application process can submit applications through the normal application process. Undergraduate applicants must submit scores from the Unified State Exam (USE) or from the HSE's internal entrance exams. For the first time this year entrance exams for undergraduate programmes are offered in English. Applications are accepted until July 15, 2016.
Students who are not accepted to HSE this year will be able to enter either the university’s preparatory division for foreign students, which is intended for those who do not know Russian very well (the application cut-off is August 15), or the preparatory division for master’s students, which starting in 2016 is geared more towards Russians living abroad (the application cut-off is September 11).
‘In the year spent in the preparatory year programme, students are able to adapt to living in Moscow and studying at the university,’ Tatiana Chetvernina says. ‘They can learn more about HSE’s programmes of study straight from teachers and students, and they can take part in Olympiads and strengthen their application for the next academic year.’
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