I’ve learned that the inside of a building in Warsaw is often much more impressive than the exterior.  The building of my Airbnb looked quite dumpy from the exterior even through the entryway and stairways.  The inside held one of the nicest and most modern Airbnbs I’ve stayed in. The same can be said for Kozminski University. The building was bought, not built, by the University in 1993 so the outside does not look particularly impressive. The facilities inside, however, are modern and well maintained. Kozminski is unique in that all of its facilities are on one campus and are quite extensive, including a sports hall, two sports fields, a gym, post office, ATM machines, four cafeterias, multiple computer labs, a modern library, and a simulation courtroom for law students. The campus is about 20 minutes from the city center but is right across the street from a tram line that connects directly to the city center and a monthly transit pass costs only about $25 (and even less for students)! So let me back up for a minute back to the impact of Communist rule. Privatization was prohibited until after the Cold War ended in 1989, so all of the private universities in Poland are still quite new. Kozminski was founded in just 1993, so it is especially impressive that they hold the prestigious triple-crown accreditation and has very high ratings from the Financial Times. Their tuition, at around $4,000 a year, is an unheard-of bargain for those of us familiar with the astronomical US prices but is thought of as high for Poland, so Kozminski recognizes that they need to provide high-end value and student satisfaction.  To that end, they focus on combining practice with theory and also developing relationships with companies around the globe that provide their students with employment, internships, lectures, and workshops.  Some of the companies they have strong relationships with include Accenture, Deloitte, Loreal, and 3M. Recruitment events occur throughout the year, with some that focus on bringing in employers from one specific country at a time. They also have an entrepreneurial program called Grow Point, in which mentors from various companies help students turn their business ideas into successful ventures.  An impressive 90% of their graduates find work within 90 days of graduation! Kozminski has three different English conducted bachelor’s programs which are all three years in duration.  There is a program in Finance and Accounting, one in Management (with specialization choices of Entrepreneurship, Marketing, or International Management made after the first year), and a Management with Professional Placement program.  This is a double degree program with DHBW in Germany.  Students spend their 1st and 3rd year at Kozminski and their 2nd year at DHBW.  Summers are spent doing paid work for the companies who actually make the admissions decisions! There are two other double degree programs (one with the European Business School in Germany and one with KEDGE in France), but students don’t apply for these until they are already in their first year of studies. Classes are a mixture of lectures, seminars, group work, and case studies.  Most classes have both graded work through the semester in addition to a final exam, which students are able to retake if they don’t pass.  Polish law requires all students to complete a three-week minimum internship, though most Kozminski students intern for at least a semester. The small school size of 8,000 allows smaller class sizes (usually around 30) and access outside of class time to professors. The admissions process for international students is quite simple.  Students do need to have their high school studies completed at the time of application, but the admissions period does not even open until May and continues through August, which should allow for students to attend in the fall after their senior year.  No entrance exam is needed, students complete an online application and upload their documents. Students generally receive an admissions decision within 10 days. About half of the programs at Kozminski are conducted in English and 70% of the students in the English-conducted programs are international students from 70 different countries, which makes Kozminski the most internationalized school in Poland. Though English is widely spoken at Kozminski, students may choose to take Polish as a second language (with other language options provided as well). The Student Services department helps incoming students find housing. Kozminski does not provide housing and most students choose to stay in apartments that range from 200-300 Euros per month. Kozminski holds a one-week orientation program before school begins and international students can participate in a buddy program.  Both Erasmus Student Network (ESN) and the Student Council arrange social events like parties and trips throughout the year.  As in most European colleges, student life extends outside of the university into the city far more than it does in US schools. International students at Kozminski have put together a blog that gives great insight into student life. We have also written extensively about Affordable & Outstanding College Options in Poland.