The application process for Macromedia University students has a very simple structure which includes the following steps:

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1. Nomination. Each student needs to be nominated by the International office of Macromedia University of Applied Sciences. After the nomination representative of Vilnius College of Design will get in touch with each student individually to explain further procedure.
2. Application. Each student needs to fill out the application form which can be found here.
3. Portfolio. Each applicant needs to submit a collection of their works in a digital format. Here are some useful tips:

3.1. File format. Since portfolio is basically a collection of your works in order to get the best impression of you as a designer, please put those works all together in the same file (no need to send 5 different projects in 5 different files, put them together into 1). Have in mind that the best format for handing digital portfolios is a pdf file or a website (our students usually use behance.net or wixsite). For a pdf creation, use illustratior/photoshop or you can even use the simple powerpoint and save it as a pdf.
3.2. Content. A portfolio usually includes best parts of your works as well as a short brief of yourself. If you have a big project, do not include all of it. You need to include just the relevant and the best (according to you) parts with short descriptions, that will be enough to get an overview. If you’ve got hobbies like photography/sketching/fashion design/etc., you can include those as well but not too much (couple of pages is enough). As an example, our student portfolios are usually up to 10/15, max 20 pages/slides. The perfect thing if you can make your own, unique touches and design to it.
3.3. File size. This part is usually the most tricky, since some schools require portfolios to be not more than 5/10 MB, which is a big challenge to balance out the good enough visual quality and size. In our case, it is easier, focus on having a portfolio not bigger than 100 MB. If you see that your first version is, for example, 500 MB or more, try playing with resolutions and compressing files. Of course, if you are going the website path, this part is not an issue.
3.4. Contact info. If possible, please include your contacts in the final page/slide of your portfolio. This is just in case if our Creative Industries Design Department, who will be reviewing your portfolios, would want to get in touch with you directly about certain points.

4. Skype interview and confirmation – After all documents are submitted, a skype interview is organized to share general information, discuss students‘ motivations and expectations. Afterwards an official confirmation email is sent.

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Deadline for document submission – May 15th.

Having a checklist of everyting you have to do and the thing to be taken with you to Vilnius will definitely help you a lot with your preparations. It helps you with the planning and getting an overview of all the necessary purchases you need to make before your upcoming semester abroad as well as all the things that should to be done in advance.

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Here you’ll find a short checklist for you of the most important items to bring and things to do.

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Important items:

• Passport or Identity Card (only if you live inside of the EU)
• Visa: if you come from outside of the EU
• Insurance Card
• Other important documents (which?)
• Money (Currency of Lithuania is the €URO): Credit Card or Mastercard (only if your Bank is from inside of the EU)
• Umbrella: It really rains a lot in Lithuania
• Computer: always useful and as a student, you will probably need it
• Smartphone: It is a lot easier to guide yourself around the city with an interactional map on your phone, also you can check the public transport lines there
• First aid kit
• Necessary medicine for yourself
• Vitamin D: especially in autumn, Vilnius has a big lack of sunshine. If you are a person who needs a lot of sunlight to be in a good mood, this can seriously become a problem for you here because you can easily become depressed, trust me on that, I experienced it myself. It’s nothing unusual, winter depression is a known disease… but don’t worry, Vitamin D tablets help against that and keep you on mood even if the sky stays grey for a whole week.
• Cosmetics
• Note/writing pad and stuff: something to take down you notes is always a good idea
• The Checklist: in the end, you should check, if you are taking all the stuff back home with you, that you brought to Vilnius. It’s basically to check, if you lost anything and to make sure that you don’t miss anything in Vilnius.

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​Clothing: Wind and waterproof clothes in any case!!!, jackets , underwear, socks, T-Shirts, pullovers, pants, leggins, sleeping clothes, comfortable stuff to relax at home, rain Boots.

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Special for Winter: Winter jacket/Thick coat, Thick pullovers (Fleece, Thermotic), thick shoes, thick socks, thermotic underwear, scarf, gloves, hat or headband, house shoes: the floor in the apartments could be really cold, use Layer System to be prepared for every weather.

Living in Vilnius for a longer period of time you have multiple options in terms of finding accommodation. One of the options is finding accommodation before leaving for Vilnius. If this is what you are planning on doing, here are a few websites we would like to advise you.

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One of them is www.1home.eu. This is an Estonian company that rents apartments to international students in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. They have apartments available all over the city. Rent prices include internet, utilities and a weekly cleaner. When renting an apartment via www.1home.eu , you rent a room within a shared apartment. This allows you to meet other international students or live with your friends in one apartment. The apartments are located in nice buildings, the rooms include all the basics such as a closet, bed, a desk and a chair. There are also tools like a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, an iron and a hair dryer available.

Many other students find their apartments via Airbnb and www.Vilniusapartments.com . The average price for apartments is about 350 euro per month (including utilities). The difference in prices however varies between 600 and 160 euros p.p. This variety in prices is mostly caused by whether people share apartments or not. Living alone allows you to have a lot more privacy, but sharing apartments means you can share the rent.

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​Another option is to live in a hotel for a few weeks and look for apartments while already in Vilnius. The perks of this is that you get some time to get to know the city before you decide where to live. This allows you to find the location that suits you best.

​In terms of locations the Senamiestis (the Old Town) is the most recommended neighbourhood. Followed by the Naujamiestis, if you live in the eastern part of the neighbourhood, which is closest to the old town. The rent tends to be higher in the Old Town, but the location is highly recommended by students, as it allows you to live in the centre of all that is happening within Vilnius.

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Looking for accommodation can be a tricky thing. We recommend you to stay away from landlords that show even the slightest bit of suspicious behaviour.

For further information please do not hesitate to contact us:

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Mindaugas Latišenka
The Head of International Relations and Project management Department

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Phone +370 650 37727, e-mail.: erasmus@dizainokolegija.lt