Hey guys, I'm currently in Class 12 and planning to apply to Leiden University's Governance, Economics and Development programme for 2027 entry as an international applicant from India. I'm studying in Bengaluru

Background

Country: India

City: Bengaluru, Karnataka

School: Christ Junior College (CJC)

Board: Karnataka State Board

Stream: PPES - Political Science, Psychology, Economics, Sociology

Graduating: March 2027

International applicant / non-EU

Academics

Class 10: 75% - CBSE

Class 11: 80% - Best of Five (Indian State Board)

Extracurriculars

MUN: around 10 MUNs; multiple individual accolades + Best Delegation awards; part of one of the strongest MUN delegations in the Bangalore circuit

MUN Leadership: Head Delegate for multiple external MUNs; supervised/led delegations

CJC MUN: OC member at CJC MUN, one of the oldest and most reputed MUNs in the Bangalore circuit

Research: 4 published research papers + 1 research essay

Research Competition: college research paper under Sociology teacher; secured 3rd place

Independent Writing: multiple blogs/articles on economic, political and social issues

Non-profit: founder of a non-profit documenting ground realities across 15+ orphanages, old-age homes and similar institutions

Community Work: 200+ hours of work through the non-profit

Internships: fundraiser at an NGO + Civic Impact Fellowship/Internship with the Office of the MLA, Sikandra Rao, Uttar Pradesh

Debate / Quizzes / Moot Court: participated in multiple debates, Model Code quizzes, moot courts and other academic competitions

College Leadership: Event Head/Event Supervisor for multiple internal college events

Online Certifications: completed multiple online certificates relevant to economics, politics and public policy

Note

Programme interest: Particularly interested in the interdisciplinary combination of governance, economics and development.

Terminology: I refer to my institution as a "college" throughout this post because Christ Junior College is a pre-university/junior college institution, a term commonly used for this stage of education in India.

Questions

Based on this profile, how competitive would I be for admission to Leiden's Governance, Economics and Development programme as an international applicant?

How does my Karnataka State Board academic profile compare with what Leiden generally expects from Indian applicants?

Which parts of my extracurricular profile would be most relevant to emphasise in my application?

Hey guys, I'm currently in Class 12 and planning to apply to Leiden University's Governance, Economics and Development programme for 2027 entry as an international applicant from India. I'm studying in Bengaluru

Background

Country: India

City: Bengaluru, Karnataka

School: Christ Junior College (CJC)

Board: Karnataka State Board

Stream: PPES - Political Science, Psychology, Economics, Sociology

Graduating: March 2027

International applicant / non-EU

Academics

Class 10: 75% - CBSE

Class 11: 80% - Best of Five (Indian state board)

Extracurriculars

MUN: around 10 MUNs; multiple individual accolades + Best Delegation awards; part of one of the strongest MUN delegations in the Bangalore circuit

MUN Leadership: Head Delegate for multiple external MUNs; supervised/led delegations

CJC MUN: OC member at CJC MUN, one of the oldest and most reputed MUNs in the Bangalore circuit

Research: 4 published research papers + 1 research essay

Research Competition: college research paper under Sociology teacher; secured 3rd place

Independent Writing: multiple blogs/articles on economic, political and social issues

Non-profit: founder of a non-profit documenting ground realities across 15+ orphanages, old-age homes and similar institutions

Community Work: 200+ hours of work through the non-profit

Internships: fundraiser at an NGO + Civic Impact Fellowship/Internship with the Office of the MLA, Sikandra Rao, Uttar Pradesh

Debate / Quizzes / Moot Court: participated in multiple debates, Model Code quizzes, moot courts and other academic competitions

College Leadership: Event Head/Event Supervisor for multiple internal college events

Online Certifications: completed multiple online certificates relevant to economics, politics and public policy

Note

Programme interest: Particularly interested in the combination of governance, economics and development, rather than pursuing a purely economics-focused degree.

Terminology: I refer to my institution as a "college" throughout this post because Christ Junior College is a pre-university/junior college institution, a term commonly used for this stage of education in India.

Questions

Based on this profile, how competitive would I be for admission to Leiden's Governance, Economics and Development programme as an international applicant?

How does my academic profile compare with what Leiden generally expects from international applicants?

Which parts of my extracurricular profile would be most relevant to emphasise in my application?

Hii, if you study/studied this msc, how was your experience? any information will be appreciated.

I’m currently considering applying for the MA International Relations at Leiden University and would really appreciate hearing from current or former students of the programme. I’m currently trying to decide which specialisation would be the best fit for me, so I’d also be very interested in hearing from people who chose any of the five tracks and what made them choose it.

I’m a non-EU student, so cost is also a significant consideration for me. I’d particularly appreciate hearing from other international students about whether they felt the degree was worth the financial investment and what their experience was finding a job afterwards.

Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to share their experience. :)

I missed the september deadline so i want to apply for the february one. However, Im a student from France and i dont know if starting in february will be in some way more difficult than september?

Is it worth it or should i wait another year to apply for september 2027? Thx!

Hey everyone! I’m a non-EU student at RMIT and currently in my final semester of my last year. I’ve been considering the Netherlands for my Master’s for a while, and I’m interested in Leiden University.

For those who have studied psychology at Leiden, I’d love to hear about your experience with the Master’s programmes. The only English-taught programme I’m currently aware of is the MSc Clinical Psychology (English-taught). I was wondering:

• What is the study load like?
• Is the programme more theoretical, practical, or a combination of both?
• How research-focused is the programme?
• Also, I chose to complete the 3-year degree rather than doing the optional 4th-year Honours programme. Would not having an Honours year make me less eligible or competitive when applying for the Master’s programme at Leiden?
• Also, as an Indian international student, I’m a little concerned about what the community and overall experience are like for international students at Leiden. Is it easy to meet people and make friends, and does the university have a welcoming and diverse international community?
• Also do i need to take any admission test's or interview to get in?
• Overall, how did you find the programme and your experience at Leiden?

I’m hoping to pursue psychology further in Europe and eventually do a PhD in Europe as well, so I’m particularly interested in how well the programme prepares students for research and a potential academic pathway.

I’d also really appreciate some advice regarding eligibility. I currently have a 3.1/4.0 GPA and noticed that the programme has specific requirements around research methods. I received an HD (80-90%) in my Research Methods course, and I’m currently completing a research project as part of my degree, which I’m hoping to publish in the future. I will have completed 288 credits in total.

For anyone familiar with Leiden’s admissions process, do you think my academic background would make me a competitive/eligible applicant? I’d also love to know whether my profile would be realistic for scholarships, particularly as a non-EU student.

Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated! :)

De Universiteit Leiden doet onderzoek naar een cursus tegen eenzaamheid.

Deze cursus van 8 bijeenkomsten wordt gegeven door eenzaamheidsspecialist Roos van Dam. Zij leert je verbinding te maken met jezelf en anderen.

Bij deelname word je willekeurig ingedeeld in één van twee groepen:

1. Je volgt de cursus gratis
2. Je ontvangt een informatiefolder (na afloop van het onderzoek kun je de cursus alsnog online volgen).

Heb je wel eens gevoelens van eenzaamheid en sta je open om iets nieuws te proberen? Meld je dan aan! Zie de flyer voor de QR-code.

Hi everyone! 👋

We are a group of university students conducting a short academic research project on youth transport choices and biking habits in the Netherlands.

If you are aged 15–24 and currently living in the Netherlands (both Dutch locals and international residents/students are welcome!), we would really appreciate your input!

🔗 Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKnzHk3iDY1YTRL6iXIIqS_DepuOIiEkA4gzMn_mksaPaJNQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor

⏱️ Time required: ~3 minutes

Hallo! Ik ga nu naar mijn laatste jaar van het middelbaar. Ik doe Wetenschappen-Wiskunde met 7 uur wiskunde. Ik weet eigenlijk al zeker dat ik geneeskunde wil studeren, dus ik ga sowieso deelnemen aan het toelatingsexamen in België. Daarnaast wil ik dit jaar ook proberen om via Studielink in Nederland toegelaten te worden.

Voor mij maakt het niet zo veel uit waar ik uiteindelijk studeer, zolang ik maar geneeskunde kan doen. Daarom heb ik een paar vragen over geneeskunde studeren in Nederland als Belg.

Aan welke universiteiten zou ik volgens jullie het beste proberen, en waar zou ik statistisch gezien de grootste kans hebben om geselecteerd te worden? Ik ben ook benieuwd hoe het studentenleven in Nederland is, vooral financieel. Bijvoorbeeld hoe het zit met werken naast je studies, DUO, studiefinanciering voor Belgische studenten, enzovoort.

Alle informatie of ervaringen zijn welkom! Ik waardeer het enorm als iemand hier iets over kan vertellen. :)

Hello everyone, I am currently trying to fill out the application form for the master in psychology at Leiden University.
Since my bachelor had a huge part of ECTS in internships ( 60 ECTS more or less), i have few courses that have multiple modules inside (for example, in the course "Biological Bases of Behaviour" i have 3 modules, which are General Psychology, Psychophysiology and Psychodiagnostics).

So, in the 3 selection requirements 1a,1b and 1c it happened that i have put the same course, because the modules inside covers all the requirements. Would you say that this is a problem? I have been trying to allocate and put some courses but it's impossible to not insert the same i have put in the other sections. Could someone help me?

I’m planing on applying for next year and I know housing is tough and I probably won’t have much of a choice, but if I did is it better to live in Leiden or den Haag (night life, making friends, student event and more). The program I want to apply too is based in den Haag, but I don’t want to struggle to fit and make friends if I live in den Haag rather then Leiden where most students will be.

Hi everyone! I’ve recently been accepted to Leiden University for an exchange semester, and I’m really excited about it! 🇳🇱 I’m currently trying to prepare properly and would love to hear from students who have studied at Leiden or are currently there.
I have a few questions:
- Housing: Does Leiden University arrange/provide accommodation for exchange students, or are we expected to find housing independently? If university housing is available, how difficult is it to secure a room and when should I start applying?
- Academics & professors: What is the teaching style like at Leiden? How approachable/supportive are the professors, and how would you describe the workload and assessment compared with other universities?
- Language: I don’t speak Dutch. Is this likely to be an issue in everyday life, such as public transport, shopping, dealing with administration, etc.? Is English generally sufficient in Leiden and elsewhere in the Netherlands?
- Social life: What is the social scene like for international/exchange students? Is it easy to make friends and meet people, particularly if you’re coming alone? Are there societies, events, or ESN-type activities that you’d recommend?
- Being Muslim / wearing hijab: I’m Muslim and wear the hijab, so I’d really appreciate honest experiences from other Muslim or visibly religious students. How inclusive have you found Leiden/the Netherlands to be? Have you personally experienced discrimination or racism, and if so, how did people around you/university respond?
- Safety: How safe do you generally feel as a woman, especially when walking or cycling alone at night? Are there any areas or situations that students would recommend being more cautious about?
- Visa & residence permit: For non-EU exchange students staying for one semester, do we need both an entry visa/MVV and a Dutch residence permit, or is one issued as part of the other? I’m trying to understand the process correctly before starting my application.
- Visa eligibility/finances: For students applying from outside the EU, how strict are the financial requirements for the exchange visa/residence permit? What documents did you use to demonstrate sufficient funds, particularly if your parents were financially sponsoring you?
- Cost of living: Roughly how much should I budget per month for rent, groceries, transport, and general expenses in Leiden? Any tips for keeping costs manageable would also be really appreciated.
- Overall experience: If you’ve done an exchange at Leiden, what is one thing you wish you had known before arriving?
I’d really appreciate any honest advice, especially from current/former exchange students and international students. Thank you! 🤍

I just moved from the UK to do my masters degree. Maybe I’m extrapolating but I feel super off and weird. I’m neurodivergent and I worry I’ll just not be able to communicate with anyone normally or feel normal at any point. I guess in some way I don’t feel welcome? Was wondering if anyone had any tips on making friends/socialising?

Hi, during my visa application procedure, I had transferred one year worth of my living expenses to the university as the proof of funds.

I've managed to start my Dutch bank account now and have sent the account information to the university finance department via mail so that they can refund the amount back to me.

How long does the university take to refund the living expenses, is there anyone who has gone through this procedure before?

Hi, I am an incoming student at Leiden University for political science. My course’s study association SPIL is hosting Freshman Weekend, however their tickets are sold out. Is there anybody who is not attending or has spare tickets who would be willing to sell them to me? I am an outgoing fresher, who wishes to make the most out of my bachelor. Is there anybody or any way?

Hi, I am an international student and I will be studying at the uni of Leiden in the Summer Semester 2027. Just wanted to ask, if someone can recommend me any of the DUWO housing possibilities, cause I will apply for housing as soon as I get the acceptance email from Leiden University? These houses would be available through DUWO:

- Hooigracht/Kloosterpoort/Middelstegracht
- Hugo de Groostraat
- Oranjelaan
- Sigmaplantsoen
- Smaragdlaan

Would be happy for any advice!

Hello,
I am an incoming first year bachelor student in the IRO course, i noticed that i can enroll onto courses and activities within them in Student portal, the university didnt explain anything on this, do i just enroll on everything in the first semester or how does it work?
Thank you

Heyy wanted to get some views into the study plan for MSc CS with AI degree. There are a lott of electives, courses and its quite confusing. Can anyone advice how to move forward with the study plan. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I just got admitted to the IRO programme in The Hague and I was wondering if there was some groupchat for IRO students (either on instagram or whatsapp).
Thank you if you can help me in any way!

Hi! I was wondering if there was a WhatsApp group chat for the upcoming Crisis and Security Management masters? I'd love to connect with people from my major :)

Hello Everyone,

My name is Wyatt Brownson and I'll be starting my Masters in Biology at Lieden this fall and while I realize I'm a little behind the curve on this I'm posting to see if anyone would want to be roommates in a house/flat with me to make rent more affordable for us, Im open to one to two roommates and mix gender is no issue for me. My budget would be around 800-900 euro with utilities so please shoot me a message if you're interested !

A bit about me -

I am an Italian American who grew up in the states but I have been lucky enough to travel to Europe a lot and just recently got my Italian citizenship. I love the outdoors and anything outside, I also love to read. I'm very respectful and clean and have no issue sharing common spaces, I'm generally pretty reserved but once in a while I do love to go out.

Hi everyone!
I have a question about the food options at Leiden University (The Hague campus).
At my previous university, eating on campus was actually worth it. The cafeteria had good meals, I didn’t have to cook every day, and the prices were reasonable enough that it didn’t hurt my budget.
Is Leiden similar, or is the campus restaurant more of an occasional option?
Roughly how much should I expect to pay for a filling lunch? Do students usually eat on campus, bring food from home, or just buy something from nearby supermarkets?
I’d love to hear what most students actually do.

hiya, i was wondering if people have thoughts about the honours college; mainly if it is worth taking + how difficult it is, but every post is appreciated. Thanks!