UNDERSTANDING UNIVERSITY ENTRY
A strong GPA alone may not meet a Swiss university’s requirements; AP subjects and exam results can be decisive. With or without APs, we assess your child’s record and identify suitable universities and any additional steps needed.
A personal conversation with an admissions counselor.
Selected public university routes · 2026/27
High School Diploma plus the required six-subject combination.
AP maths, a natural science and a language, each at least 3, plus four accepted school subjects. Otherwise, the comprehensive exam applies.
AP results do not create automatic direct admission. EPFL assesses which exam syllabus applies.
What this means for your childOfficial AP exam scores count; taking AP classes alone is insufficient. Without the required APs, an eligible entrance-exam route or an institution with different entry criteria may be more suitable.
See the full university requirementsHOW SWISSADMISSIONS HELPS
You do not have to work through every university’s rules alone. We turn your child’s school record and study plans into a clear way forward.
Discuss my child’s optionsWe assess the diploma, subjects and grades against the requirements of the intended programmes.
We build a shortlist around your child’s academic profile, interests and preferred teaching language.
We prepare the application with you. If something is missing, we explain the accepted alternatives and preparation options.
Explore the detail below, or let us review how it applies to your child.
A US High School Diploma and a strong GPA do not, on their own, establish eligibility for every Swiss university. The AP examinations actually taken can be decisive. Start by separating the diploma, school courses and external AP results, then compare the complete record with the institution’s requirements.
| University | What to check |
|---|---|
| University of Geneva | High School Diploma plus six accepted general-education AP exams, each scored at least 3. The required breadth includes two languages, calculus, natural science, humanities/social science and an accepted sixth subject; exclusions must be checked. Official requirements |
| University of Bern | High School Diploma with six qualifying AP exams at 3 or above, covering the required independent general-education subjects. An AP-heavy STEM profile still needs the required language and humanities coverage. Official requirements |
| ETH Zurich | The reduced entrance-exam route requires the diploma plus AP mathematics, a natural science and a language, each at least 3, and four additional accepted subjects studied in the last three school years. Otherwise the comprehensive entrance exam applies. Official requirements |
| EPFL | The published country route is the High School Diploma plus EPFL’s entrance examination. Exam eligibility, the full or reduced syllabus and any separate CMS possibility must be checked against EPFL’s current rules; APs do not automatically create direct admission. Official requirements |
Selected public university examples, not a complete admission decision. The full subject combinations, language requirements, application deadlines and programme rules still apply. Medicine has separate restrictions. Universities of applied sciences (HES/FH), private and hospitality schools assess applicants under their own policies. Recheck the conditions for your intended intake.
Applied universities (HES/FH), private and hospitality schools have their own entry requirements, which may include practical experience. We assess your child’s record to identify suitable options across these institutions.
Prepare the application and official score documentation, with the school transcript alongside it. Verify the exact accepted subject names and avoid assuming a university will infer equivalence between similarly named AP courses.
Make a subject-by-subject gap list while your child can still register for exams. Check whether the additional results and their timing will be accepted for the intended intake. Balance the workload against final-year school commitments.
Identify a route that accepts the actual profile: a federal-institute examination where eligible, another recognised qualification, or an institution with different entry policies. Compare its duration and academic demands before choosing preparation. A one-year course is not an automatic equivalence.
A high GPA or SAT score does not replace the AP exams required by the routes above. If AP subjects are missing, we can assess which alternative admission routes fit your child’s record.
A US programme can be taught abroad. The university assesses the qualification, the recognised school context and its own rules on the education system in which the required results were obtained.
No. ETH’s published US-diploma route includes an entrance examination; the AP profile affects which examination route applies.
Bachelor admission requirements for 2026/27, checked on 4 October 2026.
These references cover the stated academic year. Check the rules for your intended intake when they are published. Meeting an academic threshold does not guarantee a place.
PERSONAL ADMISSIONS SUPPORT
Tell us about their school background and what they want to study. We will help clarify the entry requirements, identify suitable universities and organise the application.