You got in - now what? (Stipendium Hungaricum)
Congratulations on being conditionally accepted to study at Corvinus University of Budapest! We asked a current student, Saba (Georgia), to share his tips on how to secure your place at Corvinus.
If you are curious about how to obtain your ID’s watch this video.
Q: What is the first step you would recommend after receiving a conditional offer from Corvinus University?
Saba: First, accept your conditional offer in DreamApply. Once that’s done, your main goal is to make sure you receive the unconditional letter of acceptance. While the process may seem complicated, the hardest part is already behind you—you got accepted, right? (laugh) However, there are a few conditions you must meet to secure your unconditional acceptance, those include:
- Uploading all the missing documents to DreamApply system until 1 August
- Having your high school or BA/BSc Diploma formally recognised by university’s Legal Affairs Department
- Formally meeting the minimum credit requirements (for MA/MSc applicants)
Pro tip from the Admissions Team:
1. Our Legal Affairs department still needs to check the authenticity of your diploma and transcript. The level of your qualification will be checked to ensure it meets the requirements stated in Hungarian Law to be admitted onto the programme(s) of study you have applied to. We also check that you have completed your qualification. Make sure you have uploaded copies of the final diploma and transcript as soon as possible to your application record (when you receive them, obviously you cannot do so before).
2.More information on how to complete the credit requirement form for MA/MSc applicants HERE.
Q: Speaking of all the other conditions, how did you know if you were missing any of the documents, especially for the Transcript of records, High school and Bachelor tasks?
Saba: When I applied for the BA International Relations program, I hadn’t yet graduated from high school in Georgia. I was expecting to graduate and receive all my final documents in July. The university contacted me and instructed me to upload a Diploma Recognition Request with my expected graduation date to DreamApply, and also to upload my final documents to DreamApply as soon as I received them.
Pro tip from the Admissions team:
We will notify you if:
1. There are any additional documents you need to provide
2. Your documents have not been approved
3. Or you need to provide something additional.
Stipendium Hungaricum applicants can log into the DreamApply system at any time and review the status of each of their Tasks in the Checklist section of their application. Approved status is required for unconditional acceptance.
Q: Let’s talk about money. How would you recommend new students to go about preparing their funds/bank accounts?
Saba: Upon arriving in Budapest, I opened an account with OTP Bank to receive my Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship, because a Hungarian bank account is necessary for this. Additionally, I opened a Revolut account (Wise is also a good option), an online banking system that is linked to my Georgian bank account and allows me to exchange any currency into forints. I recommend new students to be cautious of physical currency exchange places with poor rates, which was one of the main reasons I chose Revolut.
Q: Moving to the next big topic – accommodation. Any tips or advice on that matter?
Saba: As an SH student, I was in a quite good situation, because generally the international scholarship-holding students have priority when applying for dormitory places. And honestly, the majority of Stipendium Hungaricum students live in a dormitory. It’s really convenient and helps you to find friends at the university from the very beginning. However, I also know that some of my friends live in apartments found through Facebook groups (for international students in Budapest) or on one of the housing sites, such as:
- homesweethome.hu
- airbnb sometimes has long term rentals
- ingatlan.com
Pro tip from the Admissions Team:
Stipendium Hungaricum and Diaspora scholarship holders will be prioritised and/or first-year students.
However, please note that application for dormitory places is managed by the accommodation managers themselves, not the International Student Recruitment or Admissions team. The application period usually commences in August – you will be notified via email.
Q: And finally, let’s talk about the health insurance. What was your experience in securing your health insurance? How does the process look like for Stipendium Hungaricum students?
Saba: And here, again, it’s nice to be an SH student (laughs). I’m saying that, because the scholarship programme also includes the insurance, so you generally do not have to worry about handling that on your own. Of course, once you arrive in Hungary you need to do some paperwork related to that matter, but you9 will be supported by the university’s administration, so there is nothing to worry about.
Generally, SH students have to register for a TAJ card in Hungary (through NEAK, which is the responsible institution) and will receive it in a few weeks after arriving in Hungary. Before receiving your TAJ card, Tempus Foundation will secure a private insurance for you. As I said, SH students are in a really comfortable position here.
However, if you are willing to buy private insurance on your own, there is a number of private health insurance options available to students. The university recommended Generali Insurance company, and when I did some research, I found that they offer some affordable plans that cover the cost of general medical services in Hungary.
Pro tip from the Admissions Team:
In 2024, all programs start on 9th of September – late enrollment cannot be guaranteed. Make sure to arrive in Budapest on time. See the academic calendar here.
See the full survival guide of Corvinus here.
12 Jun 2024