Details

• United States of America
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

Everything was very well structured. Beforehand we got the information and Ds-19 document which we then needed to get our visa. I got my appointment within a week and received my visa after around 10 days. The websites for the application are a bit hard to find, but definitely talk to the other exchange students or your counsellor and they will be welcome to help. I advise you to get your visa ahead of time, just because you never know how long it will take to get an appointment. Don't be scared to reach out to the councillors as you will have on at WU and one at Bentley. When you have your visa you can also book your flight, since you need the starting date of your visa to know when you can enter the United States. Also do not forget that you may need certain vaccinations beforehand, but in case you forget them you can also get them during orientation at Bentley.

2. Accommodation

I decided to live on campus since I did not want to trouble myself with looking for something and I did not know which platforms to use for that. Almost all of the exchange students also lived on campus. It is important to understand that the campus is not in Boston but in Waltham. There is a shuttle that connects you to Cambridge, so if you look for an apartment outside of Bentley look for something in the Cambridge/ Harvard area. If you apply for student housing you will be guaranteed to get an apartment on campus. The campus is not very big and there is campus police all over, so I never felt unsafe once. From my dorm it took me max 10 minutes to get to class and everything is super walkable. I was put in a dorm with two other girls who where from Bentley and I decided against sharing a room with someone from WU. Looking back now I think that was the better choice since otherwise you will always talk German and that way you have a chance of meeting other students. In the rooms there will be no blankets or pillow and for your first night when you arrive you will need to buy them.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus life at Bentley is definitely different from the one at WU. Since i lived on campus i spend most of my time there and only went to Boston during the weekends or only free days. There are around 5000 students on campus and you will see the same people around in the dining hall or around campus. I loved living so close to my friends (who all lived on campus) since I was able to spend much time with them and see them within 5 minutes if I wanted to. The teaching style is very personal. The classes consist mostly of 20 to 30 people and by the end of you time you will know your teachers name and they will know yours. The classes consist heavily of team work and active participation. I really enjoyed having am actual relationship with my professors and be sure that they will be interested in who you are and where you come from.

5. Every day life in the host country

Bentley offers so many social clubs and I would recommend joining at least one. It is a great opportunity to meet new people and they are a lot of fun. Additionally there will be a lot of events. My highlight was spring day in April which Is once a year and a celebrity will come, for is it was Flo Rida. The student body is ver engaged in the well being of their student and wants you to have fun and participate. I strongly recommend you being part of that student body and participating in the events held on campus. There is also a gym you can go to and if you want you can also participate in the sports clubs, which I think you need to audition for ( I did not partake in any sport club, so I am not sure). There is a shuttle to Harvard square once an hour and a shuttle to Waltham. We did take a lot of Ubers because it does not ride all day and it is not always very reliable (shows up late/ early).

6. Testimonial

It was really the people I met who made this exchange so special. During the orientation week I talked to a lot of people and easily formed close friendship. The location far from Boston and the small campus was a negative aspect for me in the beginning but over time I really came to appreciate the small campus live and that I was able to always spend time with my friends.