VinJ 20/21 applicants

[AsiaBergamini94]

Hi everyone!
I just checked the vulcanus page and they published the documents for the 20/21 session! I already downloaded them and filled them in, yes, I'm that anxious
Last year I was shortlisted but not selected , so I hope this year goes better!

Anyway, how do you cope with the anxiety of the waiting?

[zepo]

Hi Asia!
First time candidate here
I am anxious too, I am starting to plan the gathering of the documents, whish you good luck for this year selection!

[TVi]

Hello everyone,
That will be my first application too.
I am not anxious but more excited to see the results!!!

Hopefully we will meet in July 2020 in Brussels.

[hidesagred97]

Good luck to all!

Unfortunately, I am not eligible anymore, but I will be still around, just in case I can help, (even when I failed to get in twice in a row).

Just as piece of advice. I know it is really hard to control the anxiety, but this is a long process. Once you have done your work and you have your documents prepared, try to focus in something else.

Good luck!!!

[MakesSense]

Hello everyone!

This is my last chance to get in! But since last year I didn't even get shortlisted (around 17% chance to get shortlisted), I'm not too hopeful. I'm going all in this year with realistic expectations. Last year around 700 students applied but only around 30 got it sooo, everyone's chances are around 4%

I'm a bit anxious but also not that excited since I know my chances are low.

[tinaT]

Hi everyone!
This is my last year to try to get in Vulcanus
I'm already anxious ahaha

[Speenda]

Hi everyone, it is my first time too. I'm very anxious for all these documents to gather and fill, I'm terrified that I'll make some errors and my application will be refused ahah.
I think I'm totally not able to cope with anxiety: I'm very hyped about this programme, even if it will last only until February

[elep37]

Hello everyone.

This is my first and last time applying. I already finished gathering all the documents, quite early I think. Already looking forward to seeing the shortlisting haha. Good luck to you all!

[fisherf]

Hey guys,first time here.


Can we already fill & submit the online form? Or should we wait? I have filled & gatheted every document so I want to do it and forget till february


Btw, should we sign the application form with a prior date to the submision of the online data? Or should we sign it after we have submitted the online data (I have written 5th of Dec as the signature date on the application form...).


In case you don't know, do they answer this kind of questions via support? I don't want to disturb them with inappropiate questions.

Thanks in advance

[Speenda]

It seems LOP is already available. Do you already have some preferences?

[hidesagred97]

Hey guys,first time here.


Can we already fill & submit the online form? Or should we wait?

If I dont remember it wrong you should wait until you have sent the documents, since you can´t change anything in the online form and the answer needs to match, (speaking from memory)

[tinaT]

Hi guys! I have two questions :
1. I completed my two years of master's degree this September and I should graduate this April... What should I write in B-A6 and B-A10 of application form? "Official year you are enrolled in..." is 2 or 3 (that is the first year "out of course") ?
2. Do you think I can use the same motivational letter as last year? (the motivations are always those at the end ) For those who has already applied for last year, rewrite the letter?

Thanks

[hidesagred97]

Hi guys! I have two questions :
2. Do you think I can use the same motivational letter as last year? (the motivations are always those at the end ) For those who has already applied for last year, rewrite the letter?

Thanks

Hi Tina, I applied last two years and I was shortlisted both. I did some changes in the letter even if the core was the same. The part that I changed the most was the academic and profesional background since I had studied and focused in an specific field.

I would try to update the letter. Also, you still have quite time to the deadline. I would try to make other letters with different approach. In the worst case scenario you will train yourself for the last motivation letter.

Good luck!

[Speenda]

Hi everyone, I'm not very sure about the motivation letter template. I see that normally motivation letters should begin with the sender's name and address together with the recipient's data. Since in this case all information is already stated in other documents in the folder, is this standard template necessary? Including it greatly reduces the letter length :/

[tinaT]

Hi everyone, I'm not very sure about the motivation letter template. I see that normally motivation letters should begin with the sender's name and address together with the recipient's data. Since in this case all information is already stated in other documents in the folder, is this standard template necessary? Including it greatly reduces the letter length :/

Hi! It's not necessary I wrote only the title "Letter explaining why you wish to take part" and text of letter.

[fisherf]

Hello everyone, quick question:

I'm graduating in June 2020 (B-A8), can I leave the B-A9 field without ticking?

I just noticed that I didn't ticked cuz it says "IF your graduation is scheduled during vulcanus" and it won't be scheduled during vulcanus...


I have already deposited the documents at my IR office and I could change them but It would be hard to deliver (i'm currently abroad...), that's why I'm asking

Thanks in advance!

[Unicornslayer]

Hello everyone, quick question:

Do we really have to send the documents through a courier or post? Or am I just missing something?
It's not cheap at all for me - around 70 euros, just to send some documents.

[tinaT]

Hi! I have another doubt Can I graduate before the start of the program? Because I should graduate this April, if all goes well.
Thank you and sorry for the anxiety ahaha

[fisherf]

Hi! I have another doubt Can I graduate before the start of the program? Because I should graduate this April, if all goes well.
Thank you and sorry for the anxiety ahaha

Copy-paste from the main website

Are you eligible?

You must be:

*citizen of an EU Member-State * or a COSME ** partening country.
*a student of engineering or science *** at an EU / COSME university, enrolled –at the moment of application– in between the 4th official year of university studies (3 undergraduate + 1) and the penultimate year of PhD.

*able to provide a certificate of enrollment at the university valid until at least 3 months prior to the starting of the programme

So yeah, you can graduate this year i believe

[mario_meissner]

Hello everyone! I'm a current participant at Vulcanus. It's sad to see that not so many current or previous participants are active in the forums. I'll try to stick around. Let me know if you have questions that I could answer.

Good luck with your applications!

[hidesagred97]

Many thanks Mario!!! It´s sad but most of former participant, (selected or rejected), just move away from the forumn. It´s sad but understatable since life changes and without a direct motivation it is normal to forget about this.

I´m sure any help you may provide will be really helpful for any of the participants this year.

PD: How is Vulcanus going for you? You should start the internship this January, are you nervous? Good luck and happy new year!

[mark_f]

Hello everyone!
Sorry guys but I have so many doubts
The curriculum vitae has to be in European format or customized according to our preference? In your opinion, moreover, needs to stay in one page?

[ArthurK6]

Hi all! I was shortlisted last year, but not selected. Good thing is that this year I am not nearly as anxious about this as last time.
Happy to see many "familiar" people here

Hello everyone!
Sorry guys but I have so many doubts
The curriculum vitae has to be in European format or customized according to our preference? In your opinion, moreover, needs to stay in one page?

There were no rules (at least last year) about this. I made it in Europass CV format, but it can be any way you see fit.

[mark_f]

Thank you very much for your reply.
What about B-C SCHOOLS (from secondary education on), what they want to know?

[tinaT]

Thank you very much for your reply.
What about B-C SCHOOLS (from secondary education on), what they want to know?

I've inserted years, name and final grades of the high school and the university (only triennial).

[Poky]

I am a current Vulcanusian and I am working at Advanet in Tokyo right now so if you have any questions about the company or anything vulcanus related you can also ask me directly.

[CacahuateLoco]

Hi guys! I have been reading this forum for sometime, but only now created an account as I will be aplying for Vin20/21.
Since this is the only active thread, may I ask if anyone has a clue of the importance of each part of the application? (e.g. do the uni grades count more, or does the motivation letter/CV count more?).
Good luck to all!

[Speenda]

Hi everyone,
Today I spoke with my advisor that agreed writing me a recommendation letter, so I can participate too
I have a question btw: how should the recommendation letter be sent? I know that it should be included in our folder (so I have to send it, not him), but normally recommendation letters are private. Does he have to give the letter to me in a closed envelope, so that I include the envelope in the folder?

[CacahuateLoco]

Hi everyone,
Today I spoke with my advisor that agreed writing me a recommendation letter, so I can participate too
I have a question btw: how should the recommendation letter be sent? I know that it should be included in our folder (so I have to send it, not him), but normally recommendation letters are private. Does he have to give the letter to me in a closed envelope, so that I include the envelope in the folder?

Since you are not obliged to send the original recommendation letter, he can just send you a PDF or word file for you to print.
But if you want, you can send the original. It up to you.

[Speenda]

Since you are not obliged to send the original recommendation letter, he can just send you a PDF or word file for you to print.
But if you want, you can send the original. It up to you.

Point is, normally when someone requests a recommendation letter the one who asked for it shouldn't read it, or at least this is what my advisor told me. That's why I'm a bit confused ^^'

[CacahuateLoco]

Yeah, but you have to send 2 copies of the letter. As far as you reading it or not it doesnt make any difference in this case if I'm being honest.
Either way, if the professor doesn't want you to read it, ask him for another copy, because you will need it.

Also, they say they want all documents in a sub-folder, inside the same envelope, so I dont know if the recommendation letter can be in an envelope by itself, but maybe someone who was at least shortlisted can advise you on that part ^^

[Ilias95]

I am a current Vulcanusian and I am working at Advanet in Tokyo right now so if you have any questions about the company or anything vulcanus related you can also ask me directly.

You've got a pm!

[Unicornslayer]

About the university grades - is it okay to print from the official site?
I mean, I could hit inspect and modify my grades before printing the page...

Did I understand it right?
I just want to make sure

[Poky]

About the university grades - is it okay to print from the official site?
I mean, I could hit inspect and modify my grades before printing the page...

Did I understand it right?
I just want to make sure

Grades are not that important, trust me, I'd know
I personally have scanned my bacchelor diploma as I have only been in the first year of my masters and therefore had no grades in my masters yet but my bacchelor grades were all written on my bacc. diploma.
Also, maybe check at your university, most of universities have some kind of paper that you can get that confirms your grades.

[CacahuateLoco]

Grades are not that important, trust me, I'd know

Would you mind tell me your university average? (here or by pm if you dont want to share it). Since its not one my strong points , I'm really worried about the magnitude of the average over the quality of the other documents.

[Poky]

Grades are not that important, trust me, I'd know

Would you mind tell me your university average? (here or by pm if you dont want to share it). Since its not one my strong points , I'm really worried about the magnitude of the average over the quality of the other documents.

My university grades were around average, maybe slightly below average. I definitely got my average slightly improved by having some easier courses but I also had a barely passing grades on courses that could be considered related to my current work such as embedded system, electronics and similliar.

[fisherf]

Grades are not that important, trust me, I'd know

Would you mind tell me your university average? (here or by pm if you dont want to share it). Since its not one my strong points , I'm really worried about the magnitude of the average over the quality of the other documents.

My university grades were around average, maybe slightly below average. I definitely got my average slightly improved by having some easier courses but I also had a barely passing grades on courses that could be considered related to my current work such as embedded system, electronics and similliar.

Hi, thanks for sticking around and answering questions.

If it wasn't your grades (I know there are other factors), what do you think that got you selected? Your field of study, your languages, laboral experience, having a PhD...

On the titles part, among your year's participants, have you seen many people with just a graduate degree? Or would they have mostly at least a masters degree?

Thanks in advance!

[Poky]

Hi, thanks for sticking around and answering questions.

If it wasn't your grades (I know there are other factors), what do you think that got you selected? Your field of study, your languages, laboral experience, having a PhD...

On the titles part, among your year's participants, have you seen many people with just a graduate degree? Or would they have mostly at least a masters degree?

Thanks in advance!

No problem, it is a long weekend here so I have time.

I think the most important factors are going to be motivational letter, compatibility with a company that is looking for interns (if you are interested fringe topic and there is no company it is going to be much harder for you to get a spot), cv and of course a bit of luck. I do not want to stress you but the selection can be very nit picky at times for certain companies and certain students while it can be little more relaxed for the other. For example, expect that it is going to be much harder to get an internship at Square Enix than it is going to be for other places. You have to realize that right now you are applying to people in EU Centre and you have to convince them why they should choose you and present you to the japanese companies. Only after you get shortlisted are you writing a new motivational letter that will be sent to the company you will choose together with your cv.
Disclaimer: I do not know what is the final criteria for decision but I did hear some stuff from other vulcanusians and from the people leading the program. Do not follow all I say as a word of law because I am not that knowledgable

I do not think graduate degree matters that much, I cannot give you number right of the top of my head now but there were a few people who only finished bacchelor thesis (one guy even finished it during the first month of vulcanus programme), quite a few of us who are in masters right now and some who already finished masters degree before coming here. There is one guy who was doing PhD and he returned to his country during winter holidays to take the last exam for his post masters degree. The moral of story, I don't really think it matters as long as you fulfill the conditions.

[CacahuateLoco]

quite a few of us who are in masters right now and some who already finished masters degree before coming here. There is one guy who was doing PhD and he returned to his country during winter holidays to take the last exam for his post masters degree.

If you'll allow me, I also have a question regarding to this. If you are still mid-Masters can you choose as preference Internships that require "Level of Student - M" in the LOP file of the Vulcanus Website? Or can you just pick undergraduate? (In my case im doing an integrated masters, so i have not yet graduated, but currently taking a masters degree)

Thanks for taking time to answer all our questions.

[fisherf]

Hi, thanks for sticking around and answering questions.

If it wasn't your grades (I know there are other factors), what do you think that got you selected? Your field of study, your languages, laboral experience, having a PhD...

On the titles part, among your year's participants, have you seen many people with just a graduate degree? Or would they have mostly at least a masters degree?

Thanks in advance!

No problem, it is a long weekend here so I have time.

I think the most important factors are going to be motivational letter, compatibility with a company that is looking for interns (if you are interested fringe topic and there is no company it is going to be much harder for you to get a spot), cv and of course a bit of luck. I do not want to stress you but the selection can be very nit picky at times for certain companies and certain students while it can be little more relaxed for the other. For example, expect that it is going to be much harder to get an internship at Square Enix than it is going to be for other places. You have to realize that right now you are applying to people in EU Centre and you have to convince them why they should choose you and present you to the japanese companies. Only after you get shortlisted are you writing a new motivational letter that will be sent to the company you will choose together with your cv.
Disclaimer: I do not know what is the final criteria for decision but I did hear some stuff from other vulcanusians and from the people leading the program. Do not follow all I say as a word of law because I am not that knowledgable

I do not think graduate degree matters that much, I cannot give you number right of the top of my head now but there were a few people who only finished bacchelor thesis (one guy even finished it during the first month of vulcanus programme), quite a few of us who are in masters right now and some who already finished masters degree before coming here. There is one guy who was doing PhD and he returned to his country during winter holidays to take the last exam for his post masters degree. The moral of story, I don't really think it matters as long as you fulfill the conditions.

Thank you for your answer.

I have another quick question, after you get shortlisted, from what I've read I've assumed that you have to choose one company and they will recommend you another. Do you have to write two application letters or are you only allowed to choose one between your election and recommendation?


Thanks in advance

[mario_meissner]

I'm a little late but I wrote up a quick blog post regarding my thoughts on the application process.
https://mariomeissner.github.io/vulcanus-application/

[mario_meissner]

I have another quick question, after you get shortlisted, from what I've read I've assumed that you have to choose one company and they will recommend you another. Do you have to write two application letters or are you only allowed to choose one between your election and recommendation?
Thanks in advance

The committee will send you a match (not exactly sure how much attention or thought they give to this though) and you will have to choose a primary and a secondary option. You can choose to ignore their suggestion, but in that case I would contact them first. There are two matching phases, in the first phase you only apply to your primary option, writing one motivation letter. If the result of that matching is negative (i.e. the company rejects you) you might have the chance to participate in the next round and apply to your secondary option, writing yet another motivation letter. At least, this is how I think it worked last year.

[AsiaBergamini94]

The committee will send you a match (not exactly sure how much attention or thought they give to this though) and you will have to choose a primary and a secondary option. You can choose to ignore their suggestion, but in that case I would contact them first. There are two matching phases, in the first phase you only apply to your primary option, writing one motivation letter. If the result of that matching is negative (i.e. the company rejects you) you might have the chance to participate in the next round and apply to your secondary option, writing yet another motivation letter. At least, this is how I think it worked last year.

Yes! Last year was exactly like that.

I also think they don't pay much attention in the first matching.... I have a background study in Computer Science and Programming, but i was matched with an intership on Material Science, something about developing a new material... Which sounded very cool and super advanced! But I thougth i wasn't very suited for that role, so I refused their suggestion and chose one on my own. My only experience in that field was in high school

But in the end I didn't get selected so maybe it wasn't the smartest move ^^"

Have you already sent the application?
I have... And I can't shake the feeeling that maybe I wrote something wrong and my application will be rejected! Yes, I'm that anxious!

[Poky]

I'm a little late but I wrote up a quick blog post regarding my thoughts on the application process.
https://mariomeissner.github.io/vulcanus-application/

I will just add to this what Mario wrote. I agree with most points but I had no international experience before Vulcanus. Like I do not even live alone back in my home country so this is the first time I am living alone and abroad as well. So if I can do it, so can you! I do agree that there is a strong majority of people who had international experience of some kind.

And yes, first round is basically checking if you are fit for the program and then the second one is the company matchmaking.

[CacahuateLoco]

I'm a little late but I wrote up a quick blog post regarding my thoughts on the application process.
https://mariomeissner.github.io/vulcanus-application/

"I certainly spent more time than I should researching about where I would live and how my life there would be, even when I didn’t even know if I was shortlisted"

Yeah... About that...

Edit: Sent you a LinkdIn connection request

[vagelis.papathomas]

Hello, guys! It's my first year applying to Vulcanus and I have a question about the signing of the application form.
Do I need to write my full name or just sign? Or maybe both? I am asking because "Signature (full name)" is not very clear to me.

Good luck to everyone!

[Giulia_F]

Hello everyone! New applicant here! I sent all the documents yesterday, I hope all goes well. I'm a first year student of a MSc in Computer Science, I'm 24 and I come from Italy. Good luck to all the applicants!

[CacahuateLoco]

Hello, guys! It's my first year applying to Vulcanus and I have a question about the signing of the application form.
Do I need to write my full name or just sign? Or maybe both? I am asking because "Signature (full name)" is not very clear to me.

Good luck to everyone!

It must have a signature with your full name.

Hello everyone! New applicant here! I sent all the documents yesterday, I hope all goes well. I'm a first year student of a MSc in Computer Science, I'm 24 and I come from Italy. Good luck to all the applicants!

Thank you. Dont forget the Online Form aswell! Good luck ^^

[vagelis.papathomas]

It must have a signature with your full name.

I signed with the first letter of my first name and then my surname. Would that be a reason to disqualify me?

[Giulia_F]

Hello everyone! New applicant here! I sent all the documents yesterday, I hope all goes well. I'm a first year student of a MSc in Computer Science, I'm 24 and I come from Italy. Good luck to all the applicants!

Thank you. Dont forget the Online Form aswell! Good luck ^^

Yes, I filled it in the day before I sent the physical documents! Thanks fingers crossed!