International students should not rely solely on the university rankings in choosing the right college to study abroad. They should also consider factors like course specifics, employment opportunities, campus perks, scholarships, and many more.
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Choosing the right college is one of the most important steps for students planning to study abroad. A lot of time and effort goes into selecting a university, so students should carefully consider their choices before making a final decision.
Rankings are the most common way for students to shortlist colleges, but are they really that important? The purpose of this article is to help international students understand how to choose the right college to study abroad. We have discussed the important parameters that students must consider while choosing their colleges.
Parameters for Selecting the Right College Abroad
The process of selecting the right college to study abroad can be intimidating and confusing, but you can be rest assured that the end result will be worth it. The parameters given below will assist you in the process of selecting the right college:
- Course Specifics
- Faculty and Research
- Cost and Scholarships
- Acceptability/Eligibility
- Campus Perks
- Employment Opportunities
- College Rankings
- Apply only to eight to ten colleges
Course Specifics
The first step towards choosing the right college is identifying which course or program you will be studying abroad. Discover which countries offer your desired course and whether the country is well known for the course. For additional information about the program structure, the resources offered, etc., you can visit the official websites to determine if the program matches their list of priorities.
After getting all the information about the country and course you wish to enroll in, you can reach out to the university/college and ask your queries via email or their listed phone numbers.
Faculty and Research
Make sure that the university has an organized faculty offering expertise knowledge. Check the program modules provided and determine if they will benefit your career development and growth. In addition to this, examine the possibilities for research projects at the university and the outcomes of studying there.
Cost and Scholarships
Studying abroad is an expensive affair. Therefore, it is critical to determine the fee structure of universities/colleges and whether they provide financial aid to international students. Most of the institutions do offer financial support in terms of scholarships, grants, bursaries, etc. Additionally, you can find endowment committees on the web that offer scholarships. Other options are education loans that are provided by banks located in your home country.
Acceptability/Eligibility
It is important that you carefully review all requirements and eligibility criteria. This section provides information on the basic requirements and documents you need to apply for a course. For most study abroad programs, students are required to take English proficiency tests like TOEFL and IELTS. Get to know the eligibility criteria and explore your options for higher education abroad.
Campus Perks
Students must be fully aware of the different facilities and perks provided by the university. In every college or university, extracurricular activities are organized for the benefit of the students. Some activities outside the university/college curriculum include sports, debates, volunteer work, student council, drama, and music bands. Participating in these activities helps a student to develop his overall personality as well as his communication skills. Additionally, it allows them to socialize with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Employment Opportunities
It is one of the most essential criteria for international students. They must do extensive research on the placement opportunities offered by the college. Choosing a college that offers greater placement opportunities proves the overall worth of the institution and secures an individual's professional background. Hence, students must benefit from taking the course in terms of learning and job prospects.
College Rankings
There are several leading ranking agencies that publish rankings for top universities around the world. The rankings of some companies are country-specific, while others are global. It is important to understand that every ranking is based on specific parameters of excellence. Each of these parameters is given different weights for calculating the rank of the university. Therefore, college rankings usually vary across different publications.
It's important to realize that just because a university is ranked highly overall, that doesn't mean that it ranks highly in the field you want to study. So, students should consider course-specific rankings for different universities.
Apply Only to Eight to Ten Colleges
Most of the time, students who find it challenging to narrow down their choices of colleges end up submitting too many applications. It isn't a good idea to follow this approach since writing applications require a significant amount of time, work, and effort. It is usually recommended to apply to 8-10 colleges. If you burden yourself with 20 applications, the quality of your statement/essays might get affected. Remember to be practical when shortlisting colleges since applying to every college costs money. Therefore, it is important to carefully select the 8-10 colleges based on your eligibility criteria and the likelihood of acceptance.
Tips on Finding the Right College to Study Abroad
Students must have got a clear idea of how to choose the right college to study abroad through the parameters given above. Following are some of the useful tips that they can take into consideration for choosing the right university for their studies abroad:
- Do your research or gather information as early as possible so that you do not have to rush the college application process.
- Decide in advance as to what course you will take.
- Identify which country/countries are the best options for this course.
- Write down your priorities and advantages of studying abroad.
- Determine which colleges would be the best fit for you.
- Reach out to the university/college for more details or doubts regarding the program/course.
- You can seek out classmates or friends who have studied abroad, inquire about their experiences and ask them questions when you have doubts about studying abroad. This will help you discover all possibilities of studying abroad.
- You should make a priority list including factors like the environment of the college, level of education, duration of studying abroad, etc.
- Consider attending education fairs.
Top Colleges to Study Abroad
Top international universities offer top-notch education, excellent career prospects, world-class facilities, globally recognized degrees, and much more. You must be aware of the factors that you must consider while choosing the right college to pursue higher education abroad. Let us now take a look at some of the top universities/colleges around the world:
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University |
Country |
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USA |
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USA |
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UK |
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UK |
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Canada |
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Canada |
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Australia |
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Australia |
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Germany |
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Germany |
The decision to attend a particular university is highly personal, and it is therefore essential that you identify the parameters that will affect your decision when shortlisting colleges. After these parameters are defined, students can do research to determine which colleges best match their requirements.
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