Intro

Hello! My name is Anita, and I will be starting at Leiden University studying psychology in September. Although I am Indian, I was born and raised in Japan, where I completed the IGCSE and IB Diploma program at KIST during my high school years.

Why Leiden University?

I chose to study abroad mainly because there aren’t many English undergraduate courses for psychology in Japan. Being a fairly new field in Japan, I felt limited in my options. Therefore, I considered places such as the Netherlands or the UK. Additionally, although I considered Canada and Australia, I ultimately did not apply as I wanted to complete my undergraduate course in 3 years rather than 4.

After my acceptances came out, I chose Leiden University because of its geographical location and connections with other universities in the Netherlands and Europe, which would be beneficial later when I wanted internships or research opportunities related to psychology. It also offered a balance between socials and academics, which I felt the UK universities did not.

My Application

Stats:

• IB: 43/45

• GPA: 3.8/4.0

I did not do many extracurricular activities related to psychology specifically, although I was part of many school service groups, such as POP (Protect Our Planet), or other environmental awareness groups.

My UK Applications

I also applied to 5 UK universities through UCAS - University of Exeter, Manchester, Glasgow, Nottingham, and Sheffield. I chose Exeter as my firm choice (top 1) and Sheffield as my insurance choice. For my UCAS personal statement, I wrote about why I wanted to study psychology and the subjects I took in school that helped me find my interest. Personally, I wrote about taking biology HL and learning about the nervous system and neurons, which is an overlapping topic between biology and psychology, and how this drove my passion. Additionally, since my school didn’t offer psychology as a subject, I took it online by myself, and was able to find my own way of studying the subject, that led to me finding a greater interest in the subject.

The application was done within 1-2 weeks before the UCAS deadline, with my university counsellor helping me revise and edit drafts of my essays.

Costs of Tuition in the UK and the Netherlands

Although I chose not to go, I did receive a £3000 per year scholarship from Exeter. For this essay, I mentioned how my diverse background of knowing both Indian and Japanese cultures would allow me to welcome new students applying to the university.

For Leiden University, the tuition is around 13,000 Euros, a main factor in my final decision, as it is significantly cheaper than other locations.

A note to future applicants…

A lot of courses, especially in the UK, offer supplements, such as a year with work experience or lab work that you can add to your three-year course. Be sure to research well and check if there are any hidden upgrades!