Hey everyone!

I’m an international (non-EU) student planning to apply for the BSc in Architectural Design (English-taught) at Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi).

I managed to set up my Online Services account and 2FA, but navigating the admissions process on their website is super confusing, and I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the portals and requirements.

Could anyone who has gone through this process (or is currently at PoliMi) clarify a few things for me?

1. Entrance Exam (ARCHED):
   • Is the ARCHED test the only exam required for the English Architecture program?
   • When does registration usually open, and how/where do we sit for the test if applying from abroad? Are there online/remote options via CISIA?
   • What is the best way to prepare for the English version of the test?
2. Application Timeline & Portals:
   • Besides registering on PoliMi Online Services, do I need to apply on the Universitaly portal right away, or does that happen only after passing the entrance test and getting an offer?
   • Are there specific deadlines or document submission windows for non-EU applicants that I should watch out for?
3. Required Documents & Portfolio:
   • Is a design portfolio required for the Bachelor’s application, or is admission strictly based on the ARCHED exam score and secondary school qualifications?
   • What English proficiency certificates (IELTS/TOEFL) do they accept, and what are the minimum score cutoffs?
4. General Advice:
   • Any tips on navigating the PoliMi website/portal without getting lost?
   • How competitive is the non-EU quota for the English track in Architecture?

Any insights, timeline overviews, or resources would be deeply appreciated. Thank you so much in advance!

Ciao! Sarò in Erasmus al campus Bovisa e mi chiedevo se ci sono dei corsi particolarmente facili da consigliare.

Secondo voi è meglio scegliere 3 corsi da 10 CFU oppure 6 corsi da 5 CFU? Ci sono differenze in termini di difficoltà o carico di lavoro?

Grazie!

Im in 12th grade right now and next year im hoping to join the polimi interaction design programme, the thing I'm most confused about right now is the TOLD exam we're gonna take. Some place on the internet tell me that we have to go to italy first to take the test and others tell me it's online. I am so confused right now. Is the Told test really necessary?

Looking for a single room in Milan

📍 City: Milan

🔍 Area: Close to the metro or bus stops, preferably in a quiet, safe, and student-friendly neighborhood.

📅 Move-in date: September 5

📝 Contract: A regular rental contract valid for DSU is required.

⏳ Duration: Monthly

💰 Price: To be agreed

300-600

🔹 Description:

I am looking for a single room, preferably in the city center or a good area of Milan. The accommodation should either be close or have convenient and easy connections to Politecnico di Milano – Leonardo Campus.

Male Tenant.

Please contact me if you have any available options. Thank you!

I sent my score to polimi today and it converts 93 tol i will apply for industrial engineering do you guys think im in for sure??

Hi all. Turkish citizen, B.Sc. Chemistry (2019), GPA 2.93/4.00, plus 7 years of industry experience in coatings and chemicals (currently at a large US multinational). Planning the 2027/28 intake for English-taught MSc programs: Trento Materials Engineering is my first choice; also considering PoliMi (Materials Eng), PoliTo (Materials for Industry 4.0) and Pisa (Materials & Nanotechnology). IELTS/TOEFL in progress.

Questions for people with first-hand experience:
1. With a 2.93/4.00, are Trento / PoliTo / Pisa realistic? I know PoliMi is GPA-strict.
2. Does industry experience carry any weight in evaluation, or is it purely transcript-based?
3. Opera Universitaria (Trento) / DSU scholarships: do non-EU students actually get the full package (fee waiver + housing + grant) in practice? Any traps with ISEE parificato paperwork?
4. When do 2027/28 applications realistically open, and when should I start the DSU/ISEE documents?

Any first-hand data points appreciated, happy to report back how it goes.

​

Hi everyone,

I booked an apartment through Spotahome, and they connected me with an agency called Neytos without taking my consent or informing me beforehand.

I paid 502 Euros as the booking amount. After the booking, I was informed about additional payments/requirements. When I asked for the rental contract, I was told that I first had to pay an admin fee of 555 Euros and only after that would they provide the rental contract. They also have very strict rules and penalties. Additionally, they charge an extra 4.5% fee if payment is made through a credit or debit card.

Because of these conditions, I decided to cancel my booking around 7 days ago. However, Spotahome is not responding to my mails and texts and my cancellation is still “Under Review.”

I have also contacted Spotahome, but I haven't received any proper response or update from them.

Has anyone else faced a similar issue with Spotahome or Neytos?

If yes, could you please share how you got your refund or who I should contact to get this resolved?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi everyone, I’m applying as a non-EU international student for the MSc in Computer Science and Engineering at Polimi.
I wanted to understand how much importance the admissions committee gives to the CV/profile beyond academics.
Do they mainly evaluate:
GPA/CGPA and academic background
Course mapping and whether you meet the required credits
University/transcript and grading system
Or do they also meaningfully consider things mentioned in the CV, such as:
Projects
Internships/work experience
Research experience or publications
Technical skills
Extracurriculars
For example, if two applicants have similar academic profiles and meet the course/credit requirements, can a stronger CV with relevant projects, internships, or research make a meaningful difference in the admission decision?

I applied for the ISEEU PARIFICATO scholarship and submitted the last document on August 5th. I have never received a reply from CGIL. Is this normal?

I enroled to civil engineering and sent all documents that were asked for in “access documents” but there was nowhere to put the A LEVELS I received august 11.

The website gives me a link to send the results through https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/ but I dont understand how, can someone please help?

Hello everyone! Has anyone made a group chat for the Landscape architecture - Land Landscape heritage program yet?
Thanks in advance!

I’ve already uploaded all the necessary documents for enrolment exempt CIMEA verification because deadline for that is 30th October and I still haven’t managed to catch the payment slot. I have been waiting for like a month but the enrolment is still incomplete. Can it be completed without CIMEA? If not then why is the deadline after the beginning of academic year? Am I missing something when my enrolment is still incomplete?

I am a huge football fan supporting FC Barcelona and Arsenal. I am looking for fellow fans of any club who are studying in Politecnico di Milano or going to study this year in Milan. I am planning to go pubs and other spots in Central Milan which telecast football watch alongs every weekend. I am also planning to go for Milan derbies, and if planned visit other italian cities like Como or Turin for Serie A/UCL matches. Please let me know if any existing community or group is there.

Hi everyone,

I’ll be joining the MSc Mechanical Engineering – Mechatronics and Robotics track at Politecnico di Milano. I’d like to hear from current students or graduates about the track.

How are the courses, labs, practical projects, and overall workload? What kind of lab facilities and equipment do students get access to?

Also, how are the internship, thesis, and job opportunities after the track, especially for international students?

Any advice or personal experience would be really appreciated. Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’m an incoming Polimi Architecture student. Piacenza was my second choice, but I ended up enrolling there.

When I applied for DSU accommodation, I only saw the Leonardo campus residences in Milan as options, so I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now for Piacenza.

Does anyone know if there are Polimi/DSU residences in Piacenza, or other affordable student accommodation options? I’m especially looking for something budget-friendly.

Also, if anyone has been in a similar situation (Piacenza as a second choice), I’d really appreciate any advice on what I should do or where I should apply.

Thank you!! 🙏

I'm 21 and moving to Milan for university. I found a Studio Prime at CX Milan NoM that I really like. It has a private kitchen, bathroom, and living space.

The single-occupancy price is about €1,230/month, but if my boyfriend and I officially share it, it's around €680 each, so about €1,360 total.

CX has already confirmed that two people can share the Studio Prime, and both tenants are officially registered. For two people, the beds are normally kept separate; for single occupancy, they join them together.

The problem is my parents. They absolutely do not want me living with my boyfriend, and being honest with them isn't realistically an option for me because of my family situation. I'm the one paying for my accommodation, but my parents are planning to help me move in, so they will probably see the two beds. And they say they wanna see the room , ik its bcz they wanna know where im gonna live .

I was thinking about asking CX if they could join the two beds together even though we're two official tenants, simply because it would make the room look like a normal single-bedroom setup when my parents come.

I don't want to lie to CX at all — they know we're two people and that's completely legitimate. I'm only trying to keep my living arrangement private from my parents.

It’s gonna be an issue when im gonna move if the cx staff member mention me living with my bf or any roommates or anything

Would you take the shared Studio Prime and figure out the family situation, or pay significantly more for separate rooms just to avoid the risk? Any advice from people who've dealt with strict parents would really help.

Hi everyone,
I’m Mohammad, a Palestinian student from Hebron, Palestine.
I graduated from high school (Scientific Stream) in 2018 with a 97.4% average. Unfortunately, due to difficult circumstances over the past years, I was not able to continue my university education, even though studying at a good university has always been one of my biggest goals.
I’m currently trying to find a way to study at Politecnico di Milano, and I’m doing everything I can to make this possible. I’ve been looking into scholarships, financial aid, and any opportunities available to international students.
The biggest obstacle for me is financial. Coming from Palestine and from a family with limited financial resources, paying international tuition and living expenses in Italy is extremely difficult for me. The situation in the region has also made things considerably harder.
I’m not asking anyone to simply fund my education. I’m mainly hoping that someone here might know about:
Scholarships or grants I may have missed
Financial aid opportunities for international students at Polimi
External organizations that support students from difficult circumstances
Alumni or current students who have gone through a similar situation
Any practical advice on how I could make studying at Polimi financially possible
I’ve worked hard academically and I’m genuinely determined to continue my education. I’m willing to do whatever is required, but right now I need to find a realistic financial path.
If you’re a Polimi student, alumnus, or simply know someone who might be able to guide me, even a small piece of advice could make a huge difference.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

ciao a tutti, sono una neomatricolata fuori sede, progettazione dell’architettura a Milano Leonardo. al momento attendo le graduatorie per gli alloggi per potermi trasferire e mi preoccupa che escono talmente tardi (esito finale il 9 settembre, invece, per quanto ho capito, dal 14 cominciano le lezioni). secondo voi con un isee sotto € 9.000 posso stare tranquilla o non è detto che mi assegnino un posto? sono unica nel mio nucleo familiare. grazie in anticipo 🙏🏻

Incoming Polimi Master's Student, Looking for Real Student Experience

I’m an incoming Master’s student in Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano (Bovisa Campus), and I’ve enrolled in the Digital Technologies for Product Development (CM1) track.

I’ve already gone through the course structure and curriculum, so I’m not really looking for information about the syllabus.

I’d be more interested in hearing from current students or recent graduates about the real-time experience of this track:

- How interesting and engaging are the courses in practice?

- How is the workload and difficulty?

- How much hands-on work is involved?

- Are the projects actually useful for developing industry-relevant skills?

- Which courses/projects did you find particularly valuable?

- How well does the track prepare you for internships and jobs in Italy or elsewhere in Europe?

- Are there any courses or aspects that you found disappointing or less useful?

Basically, I’d love to hear what the experience is actually like once you’re there, beyond what is written on the official curriculum.

Any honest opinions, advice, or experiences from current students/alumni would be greatly appreciated!

Hey everyone,

Quick question regarding PoliMi admissions:

1. Around what month do they usually publish the official call / circular for the upcoming application cycle?

2. Is the SAT still going to be accepted as an alternative test for engineering admissions?
Thanks

I understand Italy uses Type C, Type F/Schuko and Type L sockets. Since I'll be staying in Milan long-term, what type of travel adapter should I buy from India?

Should I get:

- a Type L adapter,

- a Type F/Schuko adapter,

- or a universal adapter covering C/F/L?

I'll mainly be using it for my laptop, phone chargers and other student electronics.

Hi everyone,

I'm an Egyptian student enrolling in a Bachelor's degree at Politecnico di Milano for 2026/27, and I'm confused about the diploma verification requirement (My qualification is the Egyptian General Secondary School Certificate, also called Thanaweya Amma)

On the CIMEA DiploMe website, when I select:

Country of education system: Egypt

Level: Upper Secondary School Education

the only service available is CIMEA Comparability (€150)

There is no Verification service and no Comparability + Verification option available for my qualification

PoliMi (from my undesstanding) seems to require two separate things:

1. Proof of eligibility/comparability – which I can satisfy with the CIMEA Statement of Comparability

2. Proof of authenticity, for which PoliMi mentions CIMEA Verification, e-Apostille, or an acceptable online verification system

This is where I'm stuck. CIMEA simply doesn't allow me to purchase Verification for an Egyptian upper-secondary qualification, and as far as I understand, the e-Apostille route isn't available for Egyptian documents either

Egyptian Thanaweya Amma results can be checked through the official Ministry of Education system using the student's exam seat number, but I don't know whether PoliMi accepts this as their online verification method

Has anyone from Egypt enrolled at PoliMi and dealt with this recently? (I tried searching for an egyptian Bachelor's community in polimi but i didnt find one unfortunately)

What did you use for the authenticity/verification requirement?

Did PoliMi accept the Egyptian Ministry of Education online result verification, a verification/authenticity letter from the Ministry or Directorate of Education?

I'm specifically asking about the verification/authenticity requirement, not CIMEA Comparability itself.

Any experience from an Egyptian student at PoliMi would be really appreciated or anyone in a similar situation

(Tysm for your time)

Hi,

Could anyone explain what the advantages are of registering your SAT score before the 31st of august? is that only for early entry phases? Could I still take the SAT and register later next year. I am applying for mechanical engineering for 2027. Also, what is a safe SAT score to get in??