Details

• United States of America
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

First, you should think about which universities/locations you are interested in. Then, on the interactive map on the WU website, download the fact sheets of the universities and check the requirements. You can enter seven preferences, and in my opinion you should use all of them. On the WU website, you can also find an Excel file that shows how many places each university offered last year and how many applications there were. Even though this can change, it is still a good guideline to better estimate your chances. Regarding the application process, I cannot give too many tips because every interview is conducted differently. What is important is to demonstrate strong international competence. So if you have the opportunity to engage in voluntary activities in this area beforehand, you should definitely do so. In my interview, I was asked almost exactly the same questions that had already been asked in the written application: one question about motivation (why you want to go there, etc.), one about engagement, and one about social skills (for example, how you would handle a difficult situation with an American). A large part of the evaluation is also based on the grade point average. Before traveling to the USA, you should make sure to allow enough time to obtain all required documents and to book your visa appointment at the consulate early enough. Bentley is very well organized and sends all documents very early.

2. Accommodation

As far as I know, Bentley guarantees every student a place on campus. However, I did not live on campus. If you live on campus, you are required to take a meal plan (unless you get accommodation with a kitchen). Both off-campus and on-campus living have their advantages and disadvantages. Since I was able to cook for myself, living off campus was overall cheaper for me, and I had a very nice, large apartment near Harvard with my own room. The downside is that you experience less of campus life and always have to commute. However, there is a free shuttle from the university to Harvard. I booked my off-campus apartment through Airbnb. Both the Bentley campus and Boston itself are very safe, and I never felt uncomfortable. The campus has its own police department that is always available.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus is very well equipped and has everything you need. The courses are very easy, especially compared to WU, and the professors are very supportive and grade very generously. There are many assignments and homework tasks, but no difficult exams like at WU. However, unfortunately, almost every course has a very strict attendance policy.

5. Every day life in the host country

The university is located outside of Boston, but there are free shuttle buses every hour to Harvard Square. From there, you can easily get into the city using the Red Line. There are many sports activities on campus, and you can also watch a lot of sports such as ice hockey and football. However, I would recommend going to watch games at larger universities, for example at Boston College, because they have a huge stadium and it is a completely different experience. At Bentley, there are around 200 clubs that you can join, and I would definitely recommend doing so. You can simply sign up and you do not necessarily have to attend if you do not have time.

6. Testimonial

It was an amazing experience and I would recommend it to everyone. American college life is very cool and strongly shaped by extracurricular activities, sports, and events. What I enjoyed the most was living in another country and traveling a lot - I visited Toronto, New York, Chicago, Miami, Maine, etc.