I'm a student, living in Karachi,Pakistan. I'm currently doing my A-Levels in Mathematics,Physics and Computing. I'm in AS right now. I really want to study at ETH Zurich and do my Bachelor's in Computer Science from there. I will learn German soon, so that's not an issue. What grades do I need in my A-Levels? And will my subjects be sufficient? I got 5A's, 2B's and 1C in my O levels. 5A's were in Mathematics,Urdu,Pakistan Studies,Physics and English. 2B's were in Additional Mathematics and Islamiyat. 1C in Islamiyat. In my A-Levels I'm hoping to get 3A's. Will I get accepted in ETH Zurich?

Thank you very much in advance.

1C in Chemistry*

That's what you think.
http://www.rektorat.ethz.ch/students..._qual/index_EN

All the required information is online. I'll give you a hint to get started: http://www.inf.ethz.ch/education/prosp_02/

Be aware that as the course language is German you will need a high level of proficiency in the language (C1 certificate from Goethe Institut). This is not a trivial requirement.

They say in the website that language of instruction is German but that some courses might be in English or.... in French !

I have 1.5 years to learn german, I believe that will be sufficient. Thank you Quark, but I've already checked the website, I couldn't find anything about A levels or the subjects required in A levels or the grades required. I want that information. And frankly, I would like to know my chances.

Start today then.

It is two clicks away from you, the link has been given to you.

and?

Love your confidence. Go get em tiger...

Thank you

Sorry, but still couldn't find anything on grades and subjects required for A levels. :/

http://www.crus.ch/information-progr...e-laender.html

Click on the country of your liking. If your A-levels are a British diploma, you'll be submitted to the same conditions as the British nationals with the same diploma.

Thank you very very much. I had been there, but I clicked on my own country and there was nothing about A levels there So got a bit confused

Yes, it's a bit mixed with you. Some conditions will be linked to the A-levels from Britain, other conditions will be linked to your nationality. You'll have to comply to both.
Now go and study German. You perhaps will have to take extra exams... so you'll need the language. The documentation for the "reduced" exam are in German: http://www.rektorat.ethz.ch/students...redAP_2013.pdf

I believe the first entry requirement to get into ETH is to understand the entry requirements. Your grades don't look too impressive compared to what your potential fellow students will have achieved. Do you speak ANY German at the moment? You do know that we don't really speak "German" in day to day life, but a dialect that even Germans find hard to follow sometimes?

You also know that you may get in, but STAYING in will be another matter? Do you have the funding to live in one of the most expensive cities of the world? None of my ETH friends worked next to their degree without it impacting it negatively - and they were the terrifically bright ones with girlfriends/flatmates who helped out. Do you realise that a very large number of students is kicked out after the assessment year? Essentially, in Swiss universities, they don't really want you there until you get interesting, i.e. at Master level. You will have to be incredibly independent and work very hard, I flat shared with an ETH student who was top of his class in school, incredibly bright and still he was ALWAYS studying.

But most importantly - if you think that obtaining information on what may be the most important decision of your life from a bunch of strangers on the internet is a better option than a) trying a bit harder to read the entry requirements and THEN b) contacting the ETH (finding the right person to contact is another hurdle you have to climb) directly and asking, well, I'm not sure how suited you are to an institution that is very big on thinking for yourself and excelling at it... Just my two rappens...

Hi ShazzyK:

Kittster is right in that you will find incredibly hard to survive the first year.
There is really no way you can learn German in the remaining time. Even if you do manage to get the required certification, you will not really possess the language.
For example: Let's say you are in the first semester and attending Linear Algebra. If you have to even think about translating (or if you cannot understand the professor's accent), then you risk staying behind very easily. Also, after the first year, a huge percentage of students is brutally thrown out (the exams take place during the summer time). Important: The first year is basically consisted of mathematics, and you got a B in "additional mathematics" in your O'levels. I was a teaching assistant last year, and even swiss students (who presumably know the system and the requirements) had difficulties keeping afloat.
Finally, ETH is not a friendly place for undergraduate students: Classes take place in huge rooms (250 people attending), you have no real connection to your teachers, and you might find it difficult to integrate.

However, if you are really keen on ETH, perhaps you should adopt a different strategy: Go somewhere else in Europe for your BSc, and then go to ETH for your MSc. MSc studies at ETH are in English, plus you will have the chance to prove yourself by then!

I even have a suggestion for you: There is a private university in Bremen, Germany, called Jacobs university (http://www.jacobs-university.de). It is not well-known, but it has excellent academic results. They teach in English. I know several people who did their BSc studies there and are now doing MSc/PhD at ETH.

Good luck!

Let's raise the negative tone a bit: I went to ETH Zürich to study computer science with, at the time, reasonably weak German, and unless things have changed dramatically it will not kill him nor outright ensure his failure. It may, however, take an extra year or two!

There is plenty of English-language instructional material and it's a lot easier to understand domain-specific vocabulary than hold general conversation, especially as the first few weeks will essentially be a re-hash of his A-levels in German.

(by the way: I think the entire contingent of Jacobs turns up at ETH every year!)

To be honest your reply has scared me quite a bit, but not enough to let me back out. In my O levels I was quite the slacker indeed, but soon I gained some sense, and thus the 5A's. In my A-Levels I'm trying my best and 'God Willing' I will get 3A's,Amen. As for the 'German' transeuropeancheese's reply pretty much helped and I will work very hard on it to ensure there are no negative outcomes because of the language. Funding is not really an issue for me, at least for the first year. The third thing about contacting and asking them directly, well I'm on that stage and you sure are right I need to find the right person to contact. I understood the requirements, and fulfilled them almost completely, the only thing confusing me is the requirement of a language subject as the 3rd subject for A level. As I have 'Computing' as the third one. After researching I found out that on C.I.E's official website that the degree of 'GCE O Level English' is sufficient of any other degree of the language, and for proving it to the University to which students are applying we must send a copy of the syllabus for the GCE O Level English with our application. When I called the ETH admission office and told them the following details, the woman said she doesn't know, and the assessment of my case will be done when I hand in my application. The only problem troubling me now is that, which I can currently rectify as I'm only in my As-Level yet, so choosing another subject would not be a bother. But, yet haven't found a direct answer on what to do yet. Hopefully, I will. Thank you for your concern and seriously you gave me a lot of information, I'm grateful to you for that.

Or a few years ago, preferably.

Perhaps there was a reason he was always top of his class at school. Like he was always studying. You can only get so far on raw intelligence and ability. Regardless of what I may have thought as a yoof.

Exactly what I was going to suggest. I believe they're taught/supervised in English.

As someone working within the ETH system, I'd like to further warn you that in Swiss universities, the filtering of mediocre students happens at the first year of undergraduate studies. We have no qualm about failing 50% of the students in their first year. This is different to many other universities in the world.

Wish you good luck.

I will study as hard as possible I've researched a lot on this, and yes, indeed the University clears out after the 'Basisprüfung'.