‘The Admissions Process Was Fairly Simple’

© HSE University

In 2022/23, HSE University will be offering 45 English-taught master’s programmes in a variety of fields ranging from maths and economics to social sciences and humanities. International admissions are open until August 15, 2022 but early-bird applications will be eligible for full-tuition scholarships. Several first-year master’s students have shared their experiences of getting into the university and starting their studies.

Sanyal Sagarika, Master’s programme in Critical Media Studies

Actually, I did my Bachelor's degree at HSE in Foreign Languages (with a major in English and French), so I already was well acquainted with the university when I applied for a master's. Initially, I found out about HSE from my school friends—I attended Embassy of India School in Moscow and HSE University was quite popular in our school.

For bachelor's degree entrances, we needed to take a Russian test and an English test (for my major). The admissions committee for foreigners was very helpful. They explained to me the assessment criteria for exams and also suggested programmes with a higher chance of admission. As I am based in Moscow, I could go to their office and talk to them whenever I wanted.

Right now, I have subjects related to media studies. They are quite interesting and include a lot of written assignments. I like writing essays and reports, but sometimes the workload can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, we didn't have real-time classes in the second module but I have met a few of my classmates for projects. We have a group chat to discuss our assignments.

I am also the Event Manager of ESN HSE Moscow. It is a student organization that helps foreign students to adapt to the surroundings in Moscow.

We host various socialising events and trips. I love being a part of the student community

We also have a service called 'Buddy' to help foreign students with documented formalities and other problems in Russia.

I grew up in Moscow, so I have the perspective of an Indian and a Russian at the same time. Moscow has a lot of places to have fun—parks, museums, bars, etc. In summer, there are a lot of outdoor activities. My favorite place is Gorky Park—in summer it is a good place to chill with your friends, eat out of stalls and attend open-air concerts. In winter, the entire park turns into a huge ice-skating rink. I love it!

Lana Al-Halabi, Master’s programme in Population and Development

I found HSE online while I was searching for programmes that focus on population and development and was quickly compelled to apply—seeing the university’s impressive reputation and statistics.

The admission process was fairly simple: all I had to do was upload my documents onto the online platform and insert my information accurately. I was then scheduled for zoom interviews for the programmes I applied to. The interviewees were kind, patient, and answered my questions thoroughly. 

As a master's student, my workload is definitely a heavy one. We typically have one or two subjects a day and we do most of our work in groups. I spend an average of 6-7 hours studying a day and I face a lot of struggles.

However, our instructors are helpful and typically answer all and any questions we have. Our progress is assessed through quizzes, assignments, class participation, and exams. My favorite classes so far have been Public Administration and Public Economics.

I communicate with some of my classmates outside of classes. This gives me a sense of student community. What I like most about living in Moscow is that there is always an abundance of activities to choose from. My favorite places have been the Artplay exhibits and Gorky Park.

Artemij Kiel, Master’s programme in Applied Statistics with Network Analysis

While doing my prior studies, I did an exchange semester at HSE Moscow in 2018. I studied Social Sciences at the University of Cologne then and took additional courses in Econometrics. So, I mostly knew about HSE from that experience. Also, most of my Russian contacts recommended me to choose HSE instead of other universities in Moscow. 

As a citizen of the EU, you need to know that there are some additional bureaucratic steps you need to take. Organising apostilles, translations of your documents, etc might be time consuming in the process, but it is definitely worth it.  

There was no entrance exam and the whole admissions process was overall easy and clear. After I submitted the required documents, I was invited to an interview and got the chance to talk to some teachers for the first time. The whole application process was short, if I don’t include the process of ordering apostilles, etc. 

I was communicating with university representatives and they were cooperative and efficient, when it came to the application process

I have taken a course in probability theory, linear modelling, networks and some others. So far, I enjoyed the courses. The professors are competent and if you are into quantitative methods, Data Science or Analysis, it is worth a try—shout-out to Valentina Kuskova at this point. Her courses were my favourite ones so far. 

The workload is okay. I expected a bigger one but if you keep your eye on the ball and just do your assignments everything will be fine

I found some people in my class and we did some projects together (That were Russian students mostly). The student life is like in every other university. If you want to be in a community, you can be sociable and hang out with your classmates. We gathered a few times and went to a bar or met at my place.  

Admissions to HSE’s Bachelor's and Master’s programmes are now open. International students can apply online. Submit your application early to qualify for a full-tuition scholarship. 

To learn more about HSE University, its admission process, or life in Moscow, please visit International Admissions website, or contact the Education & Training Advisory Centre. The staff are happy to advise applicants and their parents via e-mail at inter@hse.ru, by phone +7 (495) 531 00 59, or WhatsApp +7 (916) 311 85 21, as well as on social media in Russian and in English: Vkontakte, Facebook, Telegram and Instagram.