How to enroll in college? – Step by step guide

The process to enroll in a university is the next step to make one of the great decisions as a student. Before carrying out all the procedures we have had to think about where we want to study and what we want to study, two key choices. In addition, depending on our origin, we must bear in mind that the beginning of the process will require:

  1. Students from Spain: have a grade equal to or higher than the admission grade of the desired university. Whether they come from high school or higher level training cycle (CFGS), they have to pass the same entrance test (EBAU) that the students who want to enter the university.
  2. Students from the EU and other countries with an agreement with Spain: must have the validation of the studies and the corresponding grade for the university entrance exam. Through the UNEDasiss they may request the accreditation of their grades. If they want to access highly competitive studies, they must complete the specific phase of selectivity to improve their qualifications. Either by the UNEDasiss-PCE or EBAU selectivity.
  3. Students from outside the EU or without an agreement: they must obtain the homologation of their studies to the Spanish Baccalaureate (through the Ministry of Education). The access regulations in each autonomous community are different, but in general, to obtain a prestigious university place, they must take the university entrance exams.

Every student who wants to enroll in Spanish universities will have to bear in mind that one of the most important aspects is the set deadlines:

  • Pre-registration period: you must fill in the form where you indicate which studies you want to study and in which center you want to do it. In the case of Catalonia, it is the Office of Access to the University that manages this procedure (public universities) and it is carried out through the Accés Universitat portal. The period is marked every year and is usually between June and July (depending on the autonomous community). The assignment of a place is usually in the middle-end of July, together with the registration to the university.
  • Deadline for the publication of those admitted: the administration informs of those admitted in its web portals. The date is usually the last day of the month of July.
  • Enrollment period at the university: the enrollment period opens just after the assignment of a place. In each university the way to communicate with the student is fixed.

Each autonomous community has its own pre-registration process and form to request a place in its public universities. In the case of wanting to take a degree with the UNED, it must be taken into account that it has its own methodology. And if your choice is linked to a private university, you must also fill out a specific form provided by each institution. Apart from this, there are private universities that require an exam in order to enter.

The most worrying point in this process is the choice of preferences: the preferred degrees and universities that are marked on the forms of each community in order from highest to lowest interest. Although it seems obvious, these preferences should reflect the reality of the student’s interest. If we have marked the degree we like in second position and we are awarded a place in a career marked in the first, it will be almost impossible to correct the error.

At Academia Guiu we accompany all students who wish to do so throughout the process. We carry out pre-registration sessions in small groups, we provide the links so that the student can do it himself, and we organize information sessions with the Agency for the Management of University Aid (Agaur) to find out all the possibilities offered by the Generalitat, in the case of Catalonia , in terms of scholarships and grants.