Perhaps the most critical part of the application is determining if your foreign secondary school degree qualifies you for direct admission to the university. For example, a US high school diploma alone would not generally be accepted – you would first have to take part in preparatory studies, known as a Studienkolleg, before enrolling in a degree program. A diploma may, however, be combined with further qualifications, such as a certain score on the ACT or SAT, AP courses, or a few semesters of study at a North American university, in order to qualify to begin directly with a Bachelor's program. The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) offers an excellent database on admission requirements, which can be found on their website. 

If you would like to continue your studies in Germany by pursuing a Master's degree, you will have to check the requirements for the specific degree program. While a Bachelor's degree is often recognized as such in Germany, you may be asked to complete additional courses, especially if you are entering a Master's program in a different field than that of your Bachelor's degree. Each university and degree program handles the evaluation differently.

On the other hand, a Master's degree from a North American university is usually sufficient to pursue a doctorate in Germany. 

For all degree programs, you will likely be asked for official copies of your transcripts and degrees. You may also be asked to have them translated, though documents in English are often accepted.

Some degree programs in Germany have restricted admissions, or what is referred to as a numerus clausus or simply NC. This means there are a limited number of spots in the program and that admittance will be largely dependent on the student’s GPA. Some programs will have a required minimum GPA, others will give the select spots to the applicants with the strongest GPA, such that the minimum can change depending on the strength of the applications. Be sure to check with the International Office if your planned program is restricted in this way, as it may make a difference in your application decisions. 

But don’t fret yet – the bulk of degree programs in Germany are unrestricted and anyone with a passing GPA is generally accepted. Restricted programs are primarily found in the fields of medicine and law.

As mentioned above, you will need to purchase health insurance here in Germany, as everyone in the country is legally obligated to be insured. You may decide yourself from what company you choose to purchase insurance, but the basic plans will often be very similar as there are relatively strict regulations on what must be covered. Be sure to mention that you are a student in order to get the student price. You will likely be asked to supply your certificate of enrollment from your university.