Are you thinking about applying for Medicine, Physiotherapy, Psychology, International Relations, Biology, Game Design, Computer Science, or International Business in the Netherlands? At the beginning of January each year (January 15th), all numerus fixus (limited enrollment) programs close their applications. Learn how to meet deadlines and pass the selection process!
Every year, more and more programs are adopting a numerus fixus. In addition to Medicine and most Physiotherapy programs, many Psychology, Creative Media & Game Design, Biology, and some International Business courses now have limited spots.
The main reason for this increase is that universities can no longer accommodate the growing number of students. Accepting everyone would mean they cannot deliver the quality of education they promise, so they feel they have no other choice.
Another reason is to select the best students for their programs. The general philosophy of the Dutch education system is that education should be accessible to all, so limited enrollment programs are not particularly popular with the government. However, in some cases, universities prefer to select their students, and the only way to do this is to make the program a numerus fixus.
If you’ve chosen a limited-enrollment program, be prepared for a tough admissions process—a stressful time in an already exam-filled year! What should you expect from the selection process, and how can you improve your approach? Every university is different, but here are the main steps and potential pitfalls.
How to pass the selection
Complete your registration on time.
Submit all required documents correctly before the deadline! For example, if a university has 1,400 applicants for 600 spots, the first to be removed from the selection process are those with incomplete applications. The biggest challenges are usually obtaining documents from your high school (your final-year grades and/or predicted exam grades) on time, translated into English, and officially validated by your school (printed on official school letterhead, signed, and stamped). The date of your English test can also be a critical factor.Check the number of applications allowed for limited-enrollment programs. For example, Medicine only allows one application—if you try more, you will be immediately removed. Some other numerus fixus programs allow more than one application. Once you’ve used your maximum allowed applications, you cannot apply again.
Grades matter, but motivation counts too.
Dutch universities also closely evaluate your motivation. Almost always, a motivation letter is part of the admissions process. Through this letter, universities try to understand why you chose their program and their institution.Prepare for tests and case studies.
In many cases, you’ll be asked to study a case and complete one or more tests on specific selection days. Preparation is difficult if you don’t fully understand how the program is structured and the type of courses you’ll take in the first year. Universities may ask you to complete a test or create a project related to course content that you’ve never studied before—just to see how you handle it.Don’t get discouraged! Try to gather all possible information to complete the tasks. Visiting an open day or spending a day as a student helps a lot, allowing you to ask current students about their admissions experience. If you couldn’t do that, research as much as you can on the first-year study materials.
Don’t wait to ask for support when you hit a roadblock.
It may seem simple, but unfortunately, I’ve seen many cases where relatively small issues caused the admissions process to go wrong. By the time students realize it, it’s usually too late to ask for help.
So, if you are about to apply or are already in the process and need assistance with registration and admissions (such as gathering documents, writing a motivation letter, or preparing for tests), don’t hesitate to contact us.
