WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO PLAN YOUR FOREIGN EDUCATION?

If you are planning a foreign education, the ideal time to start is at least 3 to 4 years prior to application. An early start allows you to effectively learn about the pre-requisites associated with applying to different universities and geographies, and provides you ample time to build the appropriate profile based on your preferences and aspirations. It is important to note that most universities abroad have a holistic admission process that focuses on academic excellence as well as leadership strength, professional experience, extra-curricular engagement, community service and more!

Here are a few important points about what you need to do and why:

Prepare thoroughly: Your education is an investment in yourself – so it’s important to do your due diligence and pick the right options. Starting just prior to applications will not allow you enough time to do your homework and delve into the countless details involved in the college admission process. Beginning early enough allows you to:

Learn about the strengths each geography provides
Scour college websites to understand the ethos, application process, class profile etc
Visit your selected universities
Speak to students, alumni and professors
Take the standardized tests in time and without undue pressure
Understand the cost structure and plan for the upcoming cash outflow
Start and build on all the necessary requirements.

By starting the research early, a high school student targeting the US would have learnt that everything from 9th grade onwards counts. Or, a student looking to pursue a postgraduate degree would have found out academic achievements and extra-curricular activities conducted during undergraduate years play an important role in applications.

Build an appropriate profile: Now that you have done your research, and you know what the expectations are, the next step is building an appropriate profile. An application that not only speaks about your academic pursuits, but also reflects your interests and non-scholastic achievements will hold great value with the admission team. Some indicators on which you must build your profile include:

Academic readiness: Portray that you have versatile academic exposure. In addition to maximizing your grades, develop other academic credentials by taking tests conducted by national/international educational agencies like Olympiad, Maars, etc or publishing research in your area of interest. Remember, your academic orientation will also be judged on how consistent your performance has been. However, if your grades are not that great but you improve them considerably as you move to senior grades, you still have chance. Admission committees recognize hard work and perseverance as a sign of a successful individual. If you are applying for post graduate studies, universities would want to see your academic rigour at the undergraduate level. Hence, prepare to take challenging course-works in college. Don’t forget to prioritise standardized tests, and make sure your score aligns with the expectations of your target colleges. This indicates whether you will be able to thrive in a competitive academic ambience.

Internships: enrol in an appropriate internship program to consolidate your knowledge and to widen your experience. This adds an edge to your resume as it shows that you are focused and serious about your aspiration. Furthermore, education in foreign universities relies heavily on hands on approach to learning, and your internships will be viewed favourably, especially if you have maximized your impact during your time there.

Extra-curricular activities: Unlike Indian colleges, foreign universities do not consider academic performance as the only yardstick to assess a candidate’s eligibility. Applicants from diverse education systems cannot be judged on one parameter. Students are evaluated based on their involvement in activities outside of their work/classroom and on their soft skills. Not only do they look for involvement, but the consistency, growth and achievements attained are evaluated too. If you are not into extra-curricular activities yet, join a hobby class/sport/drama & theatre etc. much before the time of application to attain a level of expertise.

Plan your finances: Financial planning is one of the pre-requisites of a foreign education. You need to start as early as possible to be able to draw a comprehensive plan, tap into various resources and build your funding pool.

Start by making a list of the vital components associated with studying abroad such test fees, application costs, tuition, travel costs, health and travel insurance, food and housing etc. This is a time taking process as you need to do considerable research about college costs including staying abroad expenses. By starting early, you can understand the trend of expenses over the years and based on your observations decide which areas require more spending and strategize accordingly.
Once you are aware of the costs, you can start determining financing options from tapping into personal/family funds to applying for scholarships or loans. Scholarships and financial grants are offered to international students by various universities and countries based on specific criteria like merit or financial need. Check out these options early to learn about the requirements and understand the process of application.
Last but not the least, educate yourself about handling finances independently. If you start managing expenses at home, in the long run you’ll know how to cut cost and be on budget. This aspect pays off immensely when studying abroad.

By starting your financial planning process early, you can avoid any adverse situations before you leave for your dream destination!

Studying abroad is a life changing venture which cannot be organised overnight. Brace yourself to plan and prepare well in advance. Invest appropriate time and your efforts will certainly reap a positive outcome. Commence your journey at the earliest with an open mind and an eye for detail. You will have a rewarding experience, world-class education and promising career prospects.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

ReachIvy is a premium education and career advisory that helps aspiring students get accepted into top tier educational institutions globally. We have successful admits at MIT, Columbia, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, London School of Economics, University of Michigan, Oxford, University of Chicago amongst others.

Vibha Kagzi, Founder and CEO, ReachIvy, holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University. She has also pursued courses at the University of California, Berkeley, the London School of Economics and the Indian School of Business.

Our global team of counsellors have also acquired their degrees from premier institutes and are passionate about sharing their experiences with students worldwide.