General
Where is Milestone located?
We are located in the heart of Budapest, at 1077 Wesselényi utca 17. For further information please contact us directly.
How much does it cost to attend Milestone?
The planned tuition fee for the academic year of 2023-2024 (consisting of three trimesters) is:
- Core Programme: HUF 1,175,000
- Access Programme: HUF 1,530,000
Due to the current highly unpredictable international and domestic situation, we are preparing for the possibility that the state of the economy could change suddenly and even dramatically during the remainder of 2022. In this case, please note that we may have to adjust the above rates. Final tuition fees will be confirmed by 31 January 2023 at the latest.
To make our programmes more accessible to students, we offer scholarships and instalment payments for students in need.
For more information about our scholarships, go to the “Tuition Fees & Scholarships” section of our website.
When do I have to pay my tuition fee?
Payment is required upon admission to the programme, until 15th May 2023 or as per the instalment payment agreement (if applicable).
Is it possible to pay the tuition fee in instalments?
Instalment plans are available upon request, subject to a case-by-case decision. Applications for payment in instalments should be submitted in writing to finance@msinst.org
Do all of Milestone’s students gain admission to top universities?
Milestone students generally proceed to one of the world’s top 100 institutions of higher education. Although we cannot guarantee successful admission in every case, the fact that virtually all of our alumni have received offers from top universities speaks for itself.
Where do Milestone students tend to apply?
Our students apply to a wide variety of universities both within and beyond Europe, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, The United States of America, The Netherlands, Canada, The United Arab Emirates and many more.
Will students be able to apply to and attend universities in the UK after Brexit?
All EU/EEA/Swiss students starting university in the UK (England, Scotland and Wales) after the academic year 2020/21 will be considered overseas students, therefore they will no longer be eligible for student loan and have to pay overseas tuition fees. Students can still freely apply to study in the UK, upon acceptance finance their studies personally or through scholarships. At the Milestone Institute, we are following the updates continuously and support our students’ to achieve their educational goals regardless of their financial means.
How did Milestone deal with the COVID-19 pandemic’s consequences? How do you plan to deal with it in the future?
At the Milestone Institute our number one priority is the well-being of our students and staff. Therefore the Institute has been promoting disciplined cooperation and social distancing to lessen the spread of the virus and protect those most vulnerable to it since the beginning of the outbreak. We are constantly monitoring the news regarding the outbreak and the proposed international and national policies. It is our policy to follow the guidance issued by the Hungarian government’s Operative Group applicable to schools. We transferred to online teaching with effect from 16 March 2020, and our entire spring trimester of the Academic Year 219/22, as well as the summer, autumn and spring trimester of the Academic Year 2020/2021 was held online with great success according to our latest student satisfaction survey. Starting with the summer term of the Academic Year 2021/2022, we returned to offline module teaching, still enabling online mentoring for, particularly vulnerable students upon request. Should the COVID-19 situation or government restrictions change, we will adapt and be prepared to switch to in-person teaching quickly and effectively during the term.
Can I request a personal consultation with Milestone staff or faculty?
To request a personal consultation and make an appointment, please consult the “Personal Consultation” section of our website.
What happens at an Open Day?
Our Open Days offer you the opportunity to obtain a real feel of the Institute’s buzzing academic and social life, and to learn about Milestone first hand. Attending an Open Day is not a requirement for applying to Milestone, though we highly recommend it, so you can gain a greater understanding of what we can offer. To find out more about our Open Days, click here.
Admissions
When and where can I apply for admission?
Admissions for the 2023/24 academic year are open as of 16th September, 2022. To find out more about our entrance exam, click here. If you wish to apply, please use our application form.
When does the admissions period begin and end?
Our online application form is open from 16th September, 2022. For the first round of applications the deadline is 5th February 2023. For the second round of applications the deadline is 5th March 2023.
Do students already enrolled in Milestone have to submit an application to continue their studies in the next programme year?
No, if they fulfil all the requirements for completion of their current academic year, students do not have to apply for the following year.
If I am not able to attend an entrance exam in person because I am not in Hungary, is there an alternative?
After the candidate’s initial admission is accepted, and the candidate receives an invitation for the admissions test, the candidate should be prepared to take the test at Milestone Institute, located in Budapest, 7th district (1077 Budapest, 17. Wesselényi utca). In exceptional circumstances (e.g. the applicant is completing studies abroad) a separate request can be made to take the test and/or attend the interview online by emailing admissions@msinst.org.
How can I find out more about the admissions process?
You can read about the admissions process in detail here.
Can I find out why I was not admitted to Milestone?
Unsuccessful applicants can request feedback about their performance in the entrance examination and the admissions interview. Such requests should be sent to: admissions@msinst.org
Is it possible to resit the examination?
The entrance examination may only be taken once in each cycle. Those students who did not receive an offer of a place are encouraged to apply again in the following academic year.
Is there a chance to defer my studies?
In certain exceptional cases, such as an exchange year abroad, requests for deferral to the next academic year may be granted. For further information, please contact: admissions@msinst.org
What level of English is required to gain admission to Milestone?
As a general guide, applicants are expected to be able to understand complex texts and ideas in English and to be able to express and articulate their thoughts, both orally and in writing, in plain and intelligible language. Candidates who apply for the Core programme’s Junior and Senior years are required to communicate fluently and effectively at C1 level. Candidates who apply for the Freshman or Sophomore programme are expected to have a solid (at least B2 level) command of English.
Academics
When does the academic year start and finish?
Each academic year starts in May and lasts until the following May. The academic year is divided into three trimesters: summer (from May to August), autumn (from September to December) and spring (from January to April).
How much time do I need to dedicate to Milestone?
On average, students in the Core programme have 14-16 sessions with their mentors during each academic year. Additionally, they take modules worth 32 credits (usually four 8-credit modules in total) over the course of each academic year, each module involving a weekly 50 minutes long in person session in the Institute. For each mentoring and module learning session at the Institute, students will need to prepare 4 to 6 hours individually. Students in the Access programme participate in three pathways. In the Thinking Pathway students have 90 minutes sessions biweekly and for each session they will individually prepare for 3 to 5 hours. In the Reflection Pathway they participate in 60 minutes long biweekly supervision group discussions requiring 1-2 hours of preparations. As part of the Action Pathway project teams have 4 meetings each trimester. In addition cohort building weekends take place once a term, and one-to-one advising sessions, taking place at least two times each trimester. Overall there is no upper limit to the time students may spend at Milestone: many of our students spend much more time here than they are required to.
Is it possible to manage the Milestone workload in parallel with secondary school?
According to our recent student satisfaction survey, 85% of Milestone students answered ‘yes’ to this question, though the programme of course requires commitment.
Why does the Milestone programme run partly during the summer holidays?
The main reason is that since students do not have to attend high school during summer, they are able to focus exclusively on their Milestone studies in the summer term, which takes place largely in June and July. Additionally, by establishing a proper schedule, students learn to manage their time effectively, given the relatively short period before the autumn and winter university application deadlines. We therefore recommend that students take their vacations in August, which is our teaching-free period. Students in the Senior year of the Core programme are required to make themselves available in June and July.
Is it possible to balance my studies at Milestone with time-consuming athletic or other extracurricular activities?
Many of our students are involved in sports or other extracurricular activities, such as drawing classes, that take up much of their time. While the same rules apply to these students, we do our best to respond flexibly to their needs. Moreover, we also encourage our students to engage in activities that would contribute to the success of their application for universities and scholarships.
When do modules take place?
Given that our students are usually in school during the day, most of our modules do not start before 5pm on weekdays. Furthermore, we hold many modules on Saturdays, not least to facilitate the attendance of students who do not live in Budapest.
Is it more difficult to participate in Milestone if I do not live in Budapest?
The short answer is yes. We try to be as flexible as possible (for example by allowing students not resident in Budapest to have mentoring sessions via Zoom), but personal attendance at the modules is required, also to benefit fully from our academic programmes. Nevertheless, 30% of our students live outside of Budapest.
Does studying at Milestone substitute high school?
No. Milestone supplements the education students receive in their secondary schools, but it cannot replace it.
Can I participate in mentoring without taking any modules?
No. Taking modules and attending mentoring sessions are both essential elements of our student-centered educational programme.
Is it possible to enter the programme after the start of the academic year?
We advise against this, not least because the tuition fee covers the educational services we provide during one academic year.
Does the Milestone Institute provide language courses?
No. However, since the official language of instruction is English, the language skills of our students tend to improve significantly.
Does Milestone organise preparatory courses for IELTS exams?
No, but we can provide information and counselling upon request.
Do you offer SAT prep courses?
Yes, students can take SAT exam preparation courses as part of their Milestone education.