the Stockholm syndrome

Today I've got my first application rejection letter from Sweden. Here it is:

Dear --------,

We would like to thank you for your interest in the Erasmus Mundus Programme EMDC.

The assessment for category A applicants for the Erasmus Mundus Master’s Programmehas now been finalized. We regret to inform you that your application has been unsuccessful.

Your application, nr. -----, did not fulfil the general requirements and was not processed further. General requirements encompass English requirements, acompleted Bachelor’s degree of a minimum of 180 ECTS credits or equivalent academic qualifications from an internationally recognized university, and correct certification of the application documents.

Listed below are the most common reasons why an application is considered ineligible.

English requirements

· There is no proof of English language proficiency submitted.

· The test results did not meet the standards set by the programme.

· If you’re education was in English, this must be evident from the transcript of records or from a written statement from the degree administration/ examinations office (or equivalent department) at your university. Certifications and statements made by professors or the head of department are not accepted.

· The TOEFL-test results were not sent directly from ETS to KTH.

· The TOEFL-test results arrived at KTH after the deadline.

Bachelor Degree

· The requirement of a degree from an internationally recognized university that is listed in the Unesco World List was not fulfilled.

· The requirement for undergraduate studies equivalent to three years of study at a Swedish university, i.e. a Bachelor's degree equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen (180 HE/ECTS credits), was not fulfilled.

Correct certification

· The application was not sufficiently supported by officially certified documentation. Diplomas from previous education and transcripts of completed courses and grades must be submitted. Copies should be stamped and signed by the issuing institution or a notary public both in original language and translation.

· If your degree was awarded in Cameroon, Canada, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan or USA, an official transcript of record should have been sent directly from your university in a sealed envelope.

· If your degree was awarded in Pakistan it should be sufficiently attested and signed by the Higher Education Commission, HEC. Each page of the transcripts and diplomas must be attested by the HEC.

· Students who do not hold the required degree, but are registered for the last semester of a programme leading to a degree, can be conditionally accepted. An official document stating this must be included in the application. Certifications and statements made by professors or the head of department are not accepted.

· During the assessment process, requests for diploma/transcript verification are sent to the issuing universities. If the efforts to verify the documents have been unsuccessful or if the issuing university, or college, requires a fee for verifying the documents, your application will not be processed further.

· The signature and/or stamp on your diploma/transcript, or the document itself, does not correspond with our reference material from your university. Efforts to verify the documents have been unsuccessful.

Please don’t hesitate to apply next year. Application rounds for 2011 entry will open in autumn 2010. Information on the website will be updated in due course.

Kind regards,

KTH (The Royal Institute of Technology)

Admissions Office

Last year I've got the same message from Studera (The institution which processes applications for various Swedish universities). They even didn't answer my questions later.

This was an Erasmus Mundus application that I sent directly to KTH this year! It was submitted before 30th November and now I receive this stupid letter after 80 days. They even did not bother themselves to explain exactly why my application was not successful.

To feel the difference let me tell you another story. I have also applied for a university in the Netherlands. Upon arrival of my documents they notified me that your English results are missing. I contacted ETS and they confirmed that my test results are sent. After some E-Mail communication they have agreed to continue my application conditionally. Two days later my English test results arrived and they confirmed its arrival either. It is still in process. Can you see the difference? Responsiveness and Respect are two essential properties which obviously some institutions and countries don't poses.

"Please Don't hesitate to apply next year????" Yeah Sure! You asshole motherfuckers! I have also applied via Studera this year. I have sent my documents on 20th January but there is no indication of their arrival yet. Because KTH were also amongst my choices this year, I wait till mid May and then I know what I should say to them!