Congratulations on taking this first big step in deciding that you’d like to formally study games development. Hopefully you’re here after having cherry picked some universities and you’re trying to figure out what to put in your application!

Fear not! I’ve been here before and I can tell you what I did for my applications 🙂

Before we get into it, please do make sure to read what your University has asked for as part of their application process, and answer what they’ve asked. DO take a step back every so often and check if you’ve answered what has been asked. 
This document is simply covering some common questions I’ve been asked in terms of reading between the lines for the application process. You’ve got this!

And now, without further ado –

Letter of Intent / Statement of Purpose

Think of this as a cover letter you’d write to the University you’re applying to. It’s usually one page, has a heading, main body and conclusion.
But what are they looking for in a Letter of Intent?

• Who are you? What are you like? What’s your interest in this field and how did it develop?
• Why you’re interested in this course – what do you think you’re getting out of it?
• Why is this course going to help you build skills or connections to achieve what you’re setting out to do?
• What do you intend to do after attending the course?

Why is it important?
Those looking through applications will likely see a wide variety of skill, talent and workmanship. The Letter of Intent allows them to have a glimpse into your own motivations and personality. This is where you can stand out from the crowd, so do take a moment to think about what you’re writing!

 

The Portfolio

This is something I found really interesting when speaking to people who’ve asked me to look through their portfolios – the work is highly polished, and the best of their works. 

However, what gets left behind is documentation. When looking at portfolios, its important to also see the thought process behind decisions as well as some process work displaying how it was achieved. It doesn’t HAVE to be your best work. You can show off your experiments too, to show how much you’ve delved into.

My initial portfolio when I applied comprised of my jam games, 3D models and other works that I put together on my own personal portfolio website.
I’m aware however, that ArtStation / Behance is the preferred place for artists to display their work, GitHub for programmers and usually itch.io for designers (not sure about sound designers…). I chose to display my portfolio on my own website as I had an amalgamation of various things I wanted to put on display. Have a think about what suits you. The advantage of your own portfolio website is being able to give it your personality and show off who YOU are as soon as the page loads!
As a side note, I do know people who compiled their own portfolio as a zip file with games, art and sound. So there is this option too, but going forward, having a portfolio website will do you wonders.

 

Design Tests

Some universities might ask you to do a test as part of your application. This is a great way to see someone’s skills on display. I personally find it a little difficult and freeze when I’m told I can do anything under the sun, but my general advice for this would be to keep it simple!

Simple design – easy to playtest, easy to polish and easy to review.
Also make sure you document your initial design, why something changed as you attempted to put it together and therefore how you came to your solution. All this helps them understand your thought process and how you got to the finish line.

There’s not too much more I can add here, but I believe that if you’ve used an engine before, this should be a piece of cake. Otherwise, might be time to pick up and learn an engine. Take your time, trust your instincts. Everyone wants you to succeed, so give it your best shot.

 

Scholarships

Most countries will have some sort of scholarship you can apply to. I’d highly advice doing some research during your initial application process to see about the scholarships available locally.

Some universities will offer a scholarship of their own, but there’s also lots of government grants and scholarships you can apply to (depending on the region). There’s usually scholarships available for various fields, so find one that pertains to your course and give it a go.

What do they usually ask for in scholarship applications?

• Why this country and this course?
• Why this scholarship will make a difference to your networks, how it’ll enhance your career and promote said country?
• What relevant skills do you have (they usually mention what they’re looking for), and evidence for the same?

Scholarships can help ease the financial burden, but let me tell you, their networks are fantastic.
Unfortunately mine was a bit limited because I was a Saltire Scholar during the Covid-19 pandemic (feels like a lifetime ago), but I’ve made lifelong friends from the network. Apart from meeting really amazingly talented people, the scholarship stood me in good light – I was asked to present, talk, and just generally see a side of opportunities I might not have as a regular student. 

This helped me grow more confident in speaking publicly, attending conferences, and further on in the future be part of panels for talks. 

Side note: The Saltire Scholarship is a Scholarship awarded by the Scottish Government for education. Here’s a link to some Scottish Scholarships on the Scotland Government’s website!

 

This should generally cover some of the things you see in applications for universities. I wish you all the very best for your future endeavours!