The Sims 4: How to Apply to University

Applying to University is one of the most stressful times in many young adults’ lives, and can be the same way in The Sims 4. You have so many decisions to make about which school you’ll attend, and where you’re going to live that it can all be a bit overwhelming.

This guide is going to dive deep into the process of applying for university in The Sims 4 and teach you exactly how to apply for maximum success.

If you’re here, I’m going to assume you’ve already read our article on scholarships and have applied to all the applicable scholarships for your sim. If not, head there now and get that out of the way before your sim applies.

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How to Apply

Before you apply to University, your sim may find it comforting to do some research on the two Universities on the computer before they apply so they know if they are going to the right school.

You can also email your former guidance counsellor for advice, which will give you information on scholarships.

There are two ways to apply for University in The Sims 4, the first way is to click on your mailbox and the second is to use a computer. You’ll find the apply to University button in the university menu for both.

Sending in your application for University is going to cost your sim §75 which isn’t outrageous and is affordable for most sim’s families. After you send it in, you’re forced to just sit and wait at least a day before you’ll find out.

Your acceptance letter will come in the mail the next day, if it doesn’t, you can also check your application status on the computer under the university menu.

No matter what, your sim is going to be accepted into all of the regular degrees in the game. However, there are distinguished degrees that you’ll be rejected form unless you have the required skills.

When you get your acceptance letter in the mail, you can either wait or immediately enroll in school. Your acceptance letter will show every program you’ve been accepted to from both Universities, so it’s now time to make a decision about where you’d like to go.

How to Enroll

When your sim has finally gotten their acceptance letter after waiting an entire day, they can now actually enroll in school and start their adventures.

You can enroll in University through the same menu that you used to apply, either on the computer or the mailbox. When you click enroll in University you’ll see a large pop-up that will guide you through the process of choosing a school, picking a degree, deciding where to live, and how to pay for it. Let’s go into all of those individually.

Picking a School

In The Sims 4: Discover University there are 2 separate Universities to choose from which both have their benefits if you’re accepted into any of their distinguished degrees.

Both schools are going to offer every regular major allowing you to go wherever you choose if your sim isn’t looking to be distinguished. However, they will have specific distinguished degrees that are only available at one school.

You can choose whichever school you like, and you’re able to switch schools after your semester is over if you choose!

Picking a Degree

The second and probably most important decision your sim will make is which degree they are going to choose for their future. This is also the page where you’ll choose your classes and how many you’re going to take.

It’s important that you make sure the degree you are choosing is going to match up with whatever career your sim is going to want in the future. You can read this in the details for each major and it will tell you exactly which careers will go with which degree.

At this point, you still have the option of going back and choosing the opposite University to see if that’s a better fit for your sim.

After you’ve chosen your sim’s desired degree they now get to choose how many classes to take. This is a really important decision because the Sims team has made taking a full class load of 4 classes really hard if you want to do well.

If your sim wants to have a thriving social life and join an organization or maybe a secret society, they may want to take 2 or 3 classes to have more free time. Your sim needs 12 credits to graduate, so you’ll need to also decide this based on how long you want to be in school, with each semester being 5 week days.

You can also choose to take an elective which counts toward your degree but isn’t a class in your major. You get to choose which class this is and these classes will give your sim some extra skills based on which class you choose. For example, you can choose a class about cooking and gain the cooking skill!

Choosing Where to Live

The 3rd decision your sim is going to have to make is where they are going to live while they study. They have a few options and can actually choose to live in any world, not just in Britechester.

The first option is for your sim to stay in their current home, this is going to cost your sim no money and allow them to live with mom and dad while they get their degree.

The second option is to move into another home off-campus in any world. You could choose to live in an apartment in San Myshuno, or in the vampire world of Forgotten Hollow, it’s entirely up to you. However, you must be able to afford the lot yourself because student loans do not apply for this.

Finally, you have the option to choose University Housing. You can move into a dorm situation where you’ll have a ton of roomates, or you can choose one of the smaller housing lots on campus where you’ll only have a few roommates.

Each of these University housing options is going to cost a different amount of money, so make sure to factor that into your decision.

Paying Your Tuition

Your 4th and thankfully final decision to make is how you are going to pay for your University tuition. This is also the screen that will show you how much each class is going to cost you, as well as how much you are paying for housing.

If you have applied for any scholarships they will also appear here and will be deducted from your total cost. If your scholarships aren’t going to cover your total costs of school, you’re going to have a decision to make.

Your sim can choose to either pay the tuition with their household funds, or they can choose to take out student loans. These loans are required to be paid back starting when your sim finishes school and you’re also charged interest on these loans, if you don’t pay them, a repo man is coming for you.

Final Thoughts

Your sim is finally enrolled in University! Are you excited? You’re going to have so much fun. If there’s anything you feel we’ve missed, let us know in the comments!