Attending University in Spain - Can I join a program in the second half/semester of the year?
August 9, 2011 1:20 PM Subscribe
I'm trying to attend an undergrad program for psychology in Spain. I plan to apply directly to the school, not through a U.S. study abroad program. I'm thinking Seville or Madrid. My problem is that I have missed many deadlines for the coming semester in beginning in September. This would be the introductory semester. From what I can find on the websites it appears that the years/semesters are programed pretty specifically unlike U.S. colleges. Does anyone have experience jumping into a Spanish university without starting from the exact beginning of a program? I suppose this may be similar in other European countries. Please feel free to chime in if you have experience in other countries as well. Thanks all!
Response by poster: Thanks for the reply SymphonyNumberNine.
Regarding the visa, don't you need to get a letter from the university before you can even apply?
I'm cutting it awfully close for visa and acceptance to the school. Do you know if you can attend on a tourist visa and maybe overstay or leave the EU and return to get a tourist extension? I did this in Argentina for 2 years.
posted by 4Lnqvv at 9:58 AM on August 10, 2011
Regarding the visa, don't you need to get a letter from the university before you can even apply?
I'm cutting it awfully close for visa and acceptance to the school. Do you know if you can attend on a tourist visa and maybe overstay or leave the EU and return to get a tourist extension? I did this in Argentina for 2 years.
posted by 4Lnqvv at 9:58 AM on August 10, 2011
Yes, you'll need the letter from the university for a student visa application. (You may also need a medical examination stating you're in good health - it was like that when I lived in Spain but that may have changed since then - and getting an appointment for that could take a while as well, depending on your doctor.)
You might be able to start the program on your visa-waiver 90 days and then apply for a student visa in the break between semesters (you'd have to return to the US to do this, normally you can't upgrade a tourist visa from within the country). But you can't just go back and forth - tourist visas are valid for 90 days out of 180, and they'll keep close tabs - plus all neighboring countries are in the Schengen area so going to France, for example, doesn't count as leaving. Please, please, please don't overstay your tourist visa in Europe; they're much stricter about this than I gather South America is, and if you're ever recorded as having overstayed you will have a *lot* of difficulty getting back into any Schengen area country.
posted by SymphonyNumberNine at 10:08 AM on August 10, 2011
You might be able to start the program on your visa-waiver 90 days and then apply for a student visa in the break between semesters (you'd have to return to the US to do this, normally you can't upgrade a tourist visa from within the country). But you can't just go back and forth - tourist visas are valid for 90 days out of 180, and they'll keep close tabs - plus all neighboring countries are in the Schengen area so going to France, for example, doesn't count as leaving. Please, please, please don't overstay your tourist visa in Europe; they're much stricter about this than I gather South America is, and if you're ever recorded as having overstayed you will have a *lot* of difficulty getting back into any Schengen area country.
posted by SymphonyNumberNine at 10:08 AM on August 10, 2011
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This is Spain we're talking about, so there's a tiny chance they might be flexible about their deadlines - try to get in touch with them and ask! If the semester starts late in September you *might* still have time (though remember that you need to allow several weeks to obtain your student visa as well).
I think it's really cool that you want to do your undergrad studies abroad! Good luck!
posted by SymphonyNumberNine at 4:17 PM on August 9, 2011