Study Abroad Consultancy & Admission Consulting Services

Every country, every university, and every programme has its own set of qualifiers for admission. Generally speaking, you have to have the minimum academic qualification and the qualifying score in entrance tests (such as the SAT/ ACT, GRE, GMAT). In addition to this, you will be expected to have a certain level of proficiency in the native language of the country that you are applying to. For example: An applicant from a non-English speaking country should have taken the IELTS or TOEFL and earned the qualifying score in order to apply to programmes in English-speaking countries. Similarly, Germany requires their international applicants to have a certain level of proficiency in German.

It is strongly advised that you thoroughly study the country’s policies for international students, the university’s regulations, and the qualifying criteria for your desired programmes before applying. If you are unsure of the acceptability of your qualifications, it is highly advised that you contact the admissions department of the university that you want to apply to.

‘ASAP’ is the word. Depending on the programme and the university, there may be one, two, or three intakes in a year. Some programmes also have rolling deadlines. Roughly, the programmes start with the Fall semester in September/October and start accepting applications as early as January/February of that year till about June/July.

However, it is important to note that there would be millions of applications pouring in, so your application process should start more than a year earlier. Start researching on the programmes that suit your profile and career aspirations and shortlist the universities. Be aware of the deadlines but do not wait for them. Get your documents in place and start sending your applications just as soon as they are ready. After all, it is the early bird that gets the worm!

Again, this depends on the programme and the university, but mostly it is the country that you are applying to. Studying in countries with a high cost of living will cost you more than the other countries where living costs are low. You also need to consider the duration of the courses because that will determine how long you are staying there and incurring those living costs along with the tuition.

With respect to tuition fees, in most cases, state universities have a lower tuition fee than private universities. Then, there are also countries that have no tuition fees at all, such as Germany and Norway. Almost all countries allow their international students to work part-time, but you need to strictly adhere to the rules regarding the number of hours you can work.

As mentioned in Q2, you need to set the ball rolling as early as possible, a year at the least. The whole process needs to be carried out painstakingly because a minute lapse can wreck your chances of admission in your dream university. Research for the most appropriate programmes and the best universities which not only help you in your journey towards your career goals, but also meet your preferences in location, duration, costs, etc. This will take considerable time and this time you would have to afford.

If you are ambitious enough to apply for a competitive programme, then you must be competitive enough to attend an admissions interview. As an international applicant, you may be required to connect over a digital medium such as Skype for an interview. An admissions interview is usually most common in case of MBA. UG and PhD applicants are sometimes invited for an admissions interview.

Most programmes, especially those for longer durations such as one or two years, require a valid student VISA. Courses of shorter duration like three months or less do not need a student VISA specifically and can be managed with a Tourist or Visitor VISA. It is however advisable to check the VISA policies of the country you wish to study in.

The first option will be the campus accommodation and if there is no room available, you will have several options to choose from. In most universities, there is a Student Support Team or a Students’ Union which will guide you in finding an accommodation. From hostels and spare room listings to shared accommodation with other students, there are plenty of options that will also comfortably fall within your budget. You can also rent an apartment, if your pocket allows you to.

The type of VISA you have determines whether you can work and how much you can work. The work hours also vary between term days and holidays. Most countries allow students to work for 20 hours a week during the term and full-time during the holidays. Though you can work, you cannot depend on these part-time earnings to fund your living expenses because right at the time of applying for a Student VISA, you will have to show that you have ample funds for your tuition and living expenses.