u/Conscious_Issue_8549

Hey everyone

I’m currently an undergraduate Finance student about to enter my 4th (final) year. I'm planning to apply for a Master’s program in Finance (taught in German) at Goethe University Frankfurt for the Winter Semester.
To be completely honest, I didn't realize how much the final GPA matters when I was a freshman, so my first-year grades weren't great. However, I’ve worked really hard to pull my average up since then. Right now, my 100-point scale average is 85. By the end of next semester, I am on track to bring it up to 86–87. If my calculations using the Modified Bavarian Formula are correct, this should translate to around a 1.8 – 1.9 in the German grading system.

I’m aiming to be as transparent as possible, so here is my profile summary:
Target University/Program: Goethe University Frankfurt (Finance / Money, Macro and Finance)
Language of Instruction: German
Expected German GPA: ~1.8 – 1.9
Language Certificate: Taking the TestDaF this October, aiming for a clean TDN 4x4 or higher.
Work Experience: 5 months of official, part-time experience in the finance industry.

Realistically speaking, how competitive is a 1.8–1.9 GPA for Frankfurt's finance master's programs? Does the selection committee look at the upward trend in grades? Also, will my 5 months of relevant work experience give my application a meaningful boost, or do they mostly look strictly at the bachelor's credits and GPA?

Let me know if you need any extra info, and I'll gladly update the post. Thanks in advance for any insights!

Hi everyone!

I’m trying to understand whether my timeline is realistic and would really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people who passed TestDaF or got into Germany.
I’ve just finished my 3rd year of bachelor’s and I’m planning to apply for a Master’s in Finance in Germany. For admission I need TestDaF with TDN 4 in all sections (so basically C1 level)

I’ve been learning German for almost 1.5 years and attending courses regularly. According to my course level I’m currently in B2, but honestly I don’t feel like a solid B2 myself. If I had to estimate, I’d probably say somewhere between confident B1 and moderate B2

The problem is that I’m confused about timing. I keep seeing completely different opinions online about how long it takes to get from this level to passing TestDaF. Some people say 2–3 months with intensive study is enough, others say 6–12 months
I’m also not sure about university application deadlines and when I should ideally have my German certificate ready in order to apply on time. This part confuses me even more because every university seems to have different deadlines

My exams at university are basically done and I’ll have the whole summer available, so I can spend a lot of time studying

How realistic does this sound? When would you recommend taking TestDaF? And if anyone was around B1/B2 before preparing, how long did it take you to reach TDN 4 and still manage to apply in time?
Thanks in advance

Hi everyone!

I’m trying to understand whether my timeline is realistic and would really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people who passed TestDaF or got into Germany.
I’ve just finished my 3rd year of bachelor’s and I’m planning to apply for a Master’s in Finance in Germany. For admission I need TestDaF with TDN 4 in all sections (so basically C1 level).

I’ve been learning German for almost 1.5 years and attending courses regularly. According to my course level I’m currently in B2, but honestly I don’t feel like a solid B2 myself. If I had to estimate, I’d probably say somewhere between confident B1 and moderate B2.

The problem is that I’m confused about timing. I keep seeing completely different opinions online about how long it takes to get from this level to passing TestDaF. Some people say 2–3 months with intensive study is enough, others say 6–12 months.
I’m also not sure about university application deadlines and when I should ideally have my German certificate ready in order to apply on time. This part confuses me even more because every university seems to have different deadlines.

My exams at university are basically done and I’ll have the whole summer available, so I can spend a lot of time studying.

How realistic does this sound? When would you recommend taking TestDaF? And if anyone was around B1/B2 before preparing, how long did it take you to reach TDN 4 and still manage to apply in time?
Thanks in advance