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ESOP questions ETH has already answered

First window, pre-proposal, referees, February interviews, and the difference from Swiss Government ESKAS — from official ETH pages and the ESOP FAQ PDF.

Answers ETH already published

Drawn from the official ESOP page, the official ESOP FAQ PDF, the Master's dates page, and the pre-proposal PDF. If ethz.ch updates a paragraph, ETH wins. Planning aid, not an official decision.

No. ESOP is ETH Zurich's own Master's scholarship, filed in eApply. ESKAS / FCS is a federal research award for people who already hold a Master's, filed in GO ESKAS. Separate handbook: /swiss-excellence/.
Not for ESOP. ETH requires the first application window. April 2027 is the Swiss Bachelor admission window only.
No. Holding a Master's, or already being enrolled in an ETH Master's, makes you ineligible.
ETH says this is based on self-assessment. Your transcript still has to be consistent with that claim. The ESOP page does not ask for a separate percentile certificate.
Official FAQ: explain in more detail why you deserve an Excellence scholarship and explain more of your extra-curricular achievements. German or English.
Only if you work in industry: then one professor and one non-professor (for example an employer). Otherwise two professors. Letters are uploaded by the professors after a system email if the programme itself did not already require references.
Official FAQ: no nomination for ESOP — admission to the Master's is unaffected.
Regular Master's duration: three or four semesters. CHF 12,000 per semester; from HS27 onwards CHF 13,500 per semester, plus a tuition fee waiver for that same duration. About 60 awards for 2027/28.
Possibly. ESOP page: phone/VC in February — stay reachable on the CV number. Pre-proposal PDF: interviewed by a professor or scientist; the proposal is discussed.
Dr. Barbara E. Hellermann, Financial Aid Office, ETH Zürich Rämistrasse 101 HG F22.1 8092 Zurich. +41 44 632 20 23 / +41 44 632 20 88. Confirm on the official page before you call.

Sources: ESOP page, FAQ PDF, dates.