University
University Prep Spanish
Everything you need to pass the entrance interview, write academic essays and thrive in your first semester at a Spanish-speaking university.
About the Course
University Prep Spanish bridges the gap between conversational fluency and the formal, academic register that admissions committees and lecturers expect. You will practise the exact tasks you will face at university: motivation letters, oral defences, note-taking from lectures and structured argumentation.
What you’ll learn
- Write a persuasive carta de motivación and academic CV in Spanish.
- Take structured notes from fast, lecture-style Spanish audio.
- Defend an argument orally in a mock admissions interview.
- Master the formal register: connectors, passive voice and nominalisation.
- Read and summarise academic articles and set texts.
- Reference sources and avoid calques from your native language.
- Handle enrolment, tutorías and student-services vocabulary with confidence.
Course program
7 modules · 30 lessons
Module 1 El discurso académico
5 lessons- Formal vs informal registerRecognise academic tone in Spanish texts.
- Connectors of argumentLinking ideas with sin embargo and por tanto.
- NominalisationTurning verbs into noun phrases for formality.
- The academic passiveSe-passive and ser-passive in essays.
- Hedging & precisionMatizar your claims like a scholar.
Module 2 Carta de motivación
4 lessons- Anatomy of a motivation letterStructure and committee expectations.
- Persuasive openingsHooking an admissions committee in one line.
- Showcasing your profileDescribing achievements without arrogance.
- Closing and call to actionA confident, memorable final paragraph.
Module 3 Apuntes de clase
4 lessons- Lecture listeningFollowing fast, academic Spanish.
- Abbreviation systemsNote-taking shorthand in Spanish.
- Signposting languageSpotting a lecturer’s hidden structure.
- From notes to summaryCondensing a full lecture into a page.
Module 4 El ensayo académico
5 lessons- Thesis statementsFraming a clear central argument.
- Paragraph architectureFrom topic sentence to evidence.
- Citing sourcesIntroducing and referencing quotations.
- Counter-argumentConceding and rebutting opposing views.
- Editing for cohesionPolishing a finished essay.
Module 5 La entrevista de admisión
4 lessons- Common interview questionsPreparing model answers in advance.
- Talking about your goalsFuture plans and ambitions in Spanish.
- Defending your choiceWhy this programme and why now.
- Mock interviewRecorded practice with expert feedback.
Module 6 Textos y fuentes
4 lessons- Reading dense articlesStrategies for academic texts.
- Summarising sourcesParaphrasing without plagiarism.
- Referencing conventionsAPA-style citing in Spanish.
- Building a bibliographyOrganising and formatting sources.
Module 7 Vida universitaria
4 lessons- Enrolment vocabularyMatrícula and student services.
- Tutorías & office hoursEmailing professors correctly.
- Library & researchFinding and requesting resources.
- Campus lifeClubs, housing and daily routines.
Your teacher
Elena Márquez Ríos
Academic Spanish coach, 12 years preparing students for Spanish universities
Elena holds a Master’s in Applied Linguistics from the Universidad de Salamanca and has spent twelve years preparing international students for Spanish-speaking universities. She has coached hundreds of applicants through motivation letters and oral defences, and knows exactly what admissions panels look for. Her classes are structured, warm and relentlessly practical.
Student reviews
★★★★★“The motivation-letter module got me an interview at my first-choice university in Madrid.”
★★★★★“I finally understand the academic register — my essays read like a native’s now.”
★★★★★“The mock admissions interview was nerve-wracking in the best way. So worth it.”
Who is this for
- Students planning to study at a university in Spain or Latin America.
- B1 learners who need to reach a solid academic B2 quickly.
- Anyone facing a Spanish-language admissions interview or motivation letter.
Frequently asked questions
Ask a question about this course
Our team usually replies within one working day.