Aalto University prepares for alternative student admissions procedures

The Finnish universities have jointly concluded that, due to the coronavirus situation, organising traditional entrance examinations is not possible without compromising the safety of those involved. What makes guaranteeing safety impossible is the severity of the pandemic, the difficulty of identifying those at a higher risk for serious illness, as well as the risks associated with the examination situation itself.

During this spring’s joint application procedure, Aalto University admits students to its bachelor’s programmes through the joint admissions procedures for the fields of economics and business administration as well as that for technology and architecture (DIA), and also through the admissions procedure for the field of arts. The university is now looking for alternative ways to implement admissions procedures in order to prevent large numbers of applicants coming into contact with each other.

‘The health and safety of the applicants comes first as we look for viable solutions. We also want to respect the work that the applicants have invested in preparing for the entrance examinations. Among other things, we are examining whether the changes in the admissions procedures require modifying the previously approved admissions criteria. Our goal is to inform the applicants of all changes to the Aalto University entrance examinations by the end of April’, says Aalto University’s Head of Learning Services Eija Zitting.

Both Aalto University and the organisers of the joint admissions procedures within different fields of education are currently investigating digital solutions and other means to replace entrance examinations, such as admitting more applicants through certificate-based admission or open university studies. The possibility of organising small-scale entrance examinations is being investigated particularly in the field of arts at Aalto University. Information on the practical arrangements will be communicated on the Aalto website on student admissions. Information for applicants is also available in the national Studyinfo portal. In addition, applicants are recommended to read the email address they have given in the Studyinfo portal regularly to stay updated on the situation.

Read more:

• Unifi.fi: University entrance exams to be replaced by alternative admissions procedures
• How does the coronavirus affect student admissions at Aalto University
  (https://www.aalto.fi/en/admission-services/how-does-the-coronavirus-affect-student-admissions-at-aalto-university)
• Studyinfo portal
   

Additional information:

• For applicants: Aalto University Admission Services: [email protected]
• For media: Eija Zitting, Head of Learning Services, Aalto University, tel. +358 50 364 7778, [email protected]