Dance studies become Finland’s most sought-after upper secondary programme after TikTok surge

A dance-focused line at Vaskivuori Upper Secondary School in Vantaa has become the most popular choice in Finland’s spring joint application for upper secondary education, according to a report by national broadcaster Yle. The school attributes the unexpected rise in applications to student-driven marketing on TikTok.

The programme, which offers eight available slots, received 51 first-choice applications—more than six times its capacity. Tomi Hämäläinen, the teacher responsible for the school’s marketing, said the number of applicants has doubled or even tripled compared to previous years.

Hämäläinen credited the surge to the school’s first-year students, who have actively promoted the dance programme through TikTok. “This year, social media has been a major factor,” he said. “Our students have done an incredible job showcasing our activities on TikTok, and that peer-to-peer communication has clearly resonated with prospective applicants.”

He added that the visibility of dance content on TikTok more broadly may have also influenced young people’s interest in dance as an academic discipline. “It’s wonderful that dance is gaining attention and that high-quality dance education is available at the upper secondary level,” Hämäläinen said.

The joint application system, which closed on Tuesday, saw over 84,000 applicants nationwide. Of these, 45% ranked academic upper secondary education (lukio) as their first choice, while 47% opted for vocational training. A total of 216 applicants selected English-language programmes as their primary option.

US twins apply for Finland’s first English-language upper secondary programme

Meanwhile, Finland’s new English-taught upper secondary programme, set to launch in autumn, has drawn interest from international students. Among the applicants are 16-year-old twins Lucille and Penelope Pletcher, who moved to Oulu from the US less than a year ago.

The sisters, whose Finnish language skills are not yet strong enough for standard instruction, said the English-language programme aligns with their preference for a Finnish curriculum. “I’d rather follow the Finnish national curriculum than an international one,” Penelope Pletcher told Yle.

The twins, currently in their final year at Oulu International School, praised the Finnish education system for its slower pace and focus on individual interests. They also highlighted the mandatory Finnish language studies in the new programme as a valuable opportunity to improve their skills—particularly speaking, which Penelope described as “really difficult.”

Beyond academics, the sisters have embraced Finnish culture, citing nature and food as highlights. Their favourite dishes include riisipuuro (rice porridge) and karjalanpiirakka (Karelian pasties), which they can now order in Finnish.

Both plan to pursue university studies in Finland, with Penelope aiming for medicine at the University of Turku, while Lucille remains undecided on her field.