Themes that recur
Two accounts, both grade B, both from international students — which already tells you something important about UVMB Budapest. This is not a pool of typical domestic applicants. Maitha Alhassani came from the UAE via a UAEU inter-university agreement; Joseph Oscar Ullomi came from Tanzania via the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship. Neither went through the standard UVMB entrance exam.
What both share:
- International background, high motivation to study in Europe
- Prior veterinary or animal science education that shaped their admission path
- Positive experience of the academic environment once enrolled
Maitha specifically praises the open communication between professors and students: "no need to wait for anything." Joseph frames his whole experience as a net positive despite the challenges of moving countries.
What surprised applicants
The biggest reveal from these two accounts: there are multiple routes into UVMB that bypass the standard entrance exam. Maitha's UAE-UAEU exchange agreement exempted her entirely. Joseph — via Stipendium Hungaricum — went through a different multi-stage path:
- Online application to programme priorities
- Nomination by the Tempus Public Foundation via his country's Ministry of Education
- Short interview with nominating authorities (not UVMB directly)
- Exemption from UVMB entrance exam due to prior vet education (certificate + 2 years at Sokoine University)
- Oral examination
- Visa paperwork
That's a very different process from what most people would expect. If you're an international student considering Budapest, the entry path depends heavily on your country, your prior qualifications, and which scholarship or partnership applies to you.
Where the accounts diverge
The two accounts describe completely different admission routes, so they don't really contradict — they illustrate different pathways to the same institution. What I can't give you from these two accounts: any description of the standard UVMB entrance exam, since neither person sat it.
If you're applying as a direct-entry international student without a prior vet qualification or an established scholarship pathway, you'll likely face the standard entrance exam — but neither of these accounts covers that experience.
What I'd tell my past self before this interview
With only two accounts — neither describing the standard entrance exam — I'd be cautious about drawing conclusions for a typical applicant. What I can say with confidence:
- Research which entry pathway applies to you specifically — Stipendium Hungaricum, bilateral agreement, or direct application each have different processes
- If you have prior vet or animal science education, check whether it exempts you from any component
- Joseph's arc — a Tanzanian student who moved to Budapest and found the advantages outweighed the disadvantages — is genuinely encouraging for anyone nervous about making that move
UVMB is Europe's oldest veterinary school (1787). The culture Maitha describes — professors accessible, communication direct — suggests an environment that values straightforward engagement. That's something you can walk in expecting.