Study abroad in Italy: 5 ways to make your application stand out

Now that you found a programme that interests you, how can you ensure you are a good fit for it? 

Each university and each specific programme may look for a specific type of candidates, so ensure you know what is required and expected from students in terms of academic background, requirements, and professional skills. 

 At the University of Padua, international students can consult the university’s application platform: a straightforward system to check you meet the programme’s specific entry requests and the ideal profile for a students. The Global Engagement Office also organises several initiatives to support prospective students and guide them through the application process. 

While applying a motivational letter can make a huge difference when selecting students to access a programme. The Selection Committees screen a large set of applications daily and you want your profile to make an impact.  

Through a motivation letter, the selection committee wants to know more about you – so don’t copy and just be yourself.  

A well-written original letter should draw a positive picture of yourself: focus on what motivates you, why you’re choosing that peculiar university and degree programme. Specify your short and long-term goals: how you are planning to achieve them, and how getting a degree in that institute is going to help you to achieve them.  

Carefully spend time on each motivation letter, keeping it short and sweet, making it relevant to the programme you are applying to and most of all proofreading it. Spelling mistakes or bad grammar will not play in your favour. 

A well-built CV is as crucial as your motivational letter. In your CV highlight the experiences and skills more relevant to the degree programme you are applying for and draw attention to the most important experience you bring. 

Remember just a few more tips: 

• Keep it short – less is more: If you find you've got too much information, summarise and select the most relevant points. 
• Fill in the blank: Avoid leaving gaps in your employment history. If you were travelling the world or doing some volunteering, include that in your CV. 
• Make sure it's up to date: Include your most recent experience at the top of each section, starting from the most recent one. 
• Don't exaggerate or lie: The committee can easily check information about where you have studied and worked. 
• Spend time on the layout: Make sure your CV is clear and easy to read. Use bullet points and appropriate spacing, keep your sentences short, line up your lists neatly and use a professional-looking font. The visual impact will surely benefit. 

Lastly – and once again - check for mistakes. Use spell check, re-read your CV and ask someone else to check it for you before you send it. 

When studying abroad you will also need to ensure you have passed any admission test and met the language requirements.  

If you are applying for an English taught programme in Italy, you will need to demonstrate that you have an adequate knowledge of English. At the University of Padua this must correspond to a B2 level with a minimum threshold. 

While the language tests accepted are diverse (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge ESOL (First) or Oxford Test of English and more), each has slightly different deliver modalities and assessment methods. Check the test provider’s website and online information to get accustomed to their test structure and the types of questions or exercises that you will have to deal with. Some providers also supply free mock tests to prepare you for their test environment. 

Schedule your test date wisely and ensure you have enough time both to prepare and to submit the results by the University’s given deadline. Remember: it may take some time for the test provider to send you the results. 

If you’re studying an Italian-taught programme in Italy, you will need to prove a certain level of ability in Italian, and knowledge of another foreign language (such as English) may be required for admission.  

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At the University of Padua, prospective students from all over the world can refer their queries and doubts to the global engagement office and gear up to be admitted to one of the most prestigious universities in Europe.