7 Things to Keep in Mind While Looking for Study Abroad Consultants

According to a study, approximately 94% of the current Indian students are eager to begin their higher education in a university or college abroad. Even though the global pandemic initially reduced the number of students leaving the country to go abroad by a 55% dip, this year, a minimum of 70,000 students are expected to fly out to their abroad locations for education.

Given the popularity and preference to study abroad nowadays, it is very important to have the right support and guidance from professional study abroad consultants who can advise you on your options. However, as this market is growing rapidly due to the sudden border reopening declarations from top education hubs like UK, USA, Australia, etc., the number of study abroad consultants is far too many but not all are highly professional and well equipped with data and information. So, how do you decide between the different study abroad consultants? Let us find out some of the important things to consider before choosing one below-

#1 Requirement of Service

Each of the different study abroad consultants has all services under their umbrella but they specialize more in one particular field or career choice between undergraduate studies, postgraduate studies, degree programs, etc. So, the first thing to do is decide the requirement of services like whether you want assistance with the application process, scholarship, and other financial planning, just a quick list of colleges as per your interest, or everything from A to Z for admission.

#2 Transparency and Trust

The decision of going to study abroad is very quick to make. However, when you are choosing  study abroad consultants for support and guidance, you need to ensure that the level of trust and transparency is fully there. This is important to avoid feeling lost, out of the loop, or misinformed at any point in time, which can hinder your final decision or application to your desired college.

#3 Budget

Another important criterion to keep in mind when choosing abroad educatio consultants to guide you through is the budget. It is not always that you get the exact services required in the same amount in all different places. Education abroad has become such a major demand in the Indian market so the suppliers or the study abroad consultants charge high fees, along with additional charges for different reasons. Thus, you need to ensure that you study the catalog for any of the study abroad consultants before making the final decision to avoid going to expensive ones.

#4 Background Analysis

In the current competitive world, it is fairly easy for anyone to claim themselves to be study abroad consultants to rip you off. Therefore, you need to be conscious and well aware of which study abroad consultants you want to go ahead with. Spend ample time researching about the background, reading the reviews, asking people around, etc. to ensure you are not making a mistake.

#5 Performance Record

Similar to background analysis, another important aspect to keep in mind when choosing a study abroad consultant is the performance rates and success stories. Performance in terms of not only the customer reviews available on their website but a deeper insight into other online mediums to know whether the claimed success rate on their website is credible. This is important to ensure you do not blindly trust any study abroad consultant and end up paying a lot and not getting the desired results.

#6 Choice of Country

There are very few people who know that their preference of country plays a major role when deciding on study abroad consultants for further guidance. This is because there are plenty of specialized consultants that work directly for the colleges in one particular country. So, if you have the clarity about which country and what colleges you want to experiment with, reaching out to study abroad consultants who specialize in that particular country is more beneficial.

#7 Red Flags

Lastly, watching out for any potential red flags before making the final decision of choosing any study abroad consultant is highly important. Red flags in terms of money demand in regards to credentials that are not in their control. For instance, if a consultant consultancy service asks for additional payment or advance payments to confirm your seat in a particular college is one of the biggest red flags. This is because the confirmation can only come from the college itself based on your scores on different entrance and language tests, as required by different colleges.

Overall, the decision to go abroad for education is highly beneficial for both personal and professional growth. However, not seeking the right support from the appropriate study abroad consultant can lead to unexpected and unannounced situations that you would want to avoid at all times. Thus, always remember to do complete research on any of the consultants or services before making the final choice. Make the investment worth it.