Things to keep in mind while shortlisting universities

University Shortlisting is a quite calculative and time-taking process. It doesn’t just get over in a day or two. You need to explore and review certain factors associated with the university shortlisting process so that the student's interests are best-taken care of. It is a one-time investment in the research so that the students not only have the education of their choice but are also benefited considerably.

Considerations for shortlisting universities:-

• Preferred Location – This is the foremost point of consideration as a student is always inclined to study in a particular country. And what a country has to offer in terms of facilities such as transportation, weather, quality of living, study environment, etc., needs to be reviewed beforehand. 

If you love design, then you might want to study in Los Angeles, Madrid, or even New York. You would also like to check about cultural shocks and experiences in foreign countries.

• Courses and structure – Shortlisting of courses becomes easier if you have your desired discipline in mind which depends on your areas of interest, specific courses offered by the university, and the industry demand.

You need to carefully assess the course structures’ offered by the universities in terms of their mode of teaching, their division of subjects in the modules, and the respective curriculum.

• Cost of living – Looking at tuition fees and financial aid is like looking at a price tag. Without knowing the additional expenses to be incurred, a student would not be able to properly evaluate his cost of living over the academic period of his study.

• University rankings – A university’s ranking allows an individual to check the current reputation of a university. The most authentic university rankings are QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education. 

With GoToUniversity’s tool of ‘Compare Universities’, you can compare two or more universities on the basis of several parameters such as subject rankings, tests, cost, location, etc.

• Immigration rules- A student would usually prefer a country that has a smooth and streamlined visa process. Post-pandemic, several changes have been made to the immigration rules. For instance, Canada has opened its arms to students wanting to do higher studies due to its immigration policies being made more open. Even the UK provides relaxation for work permits these days.

Abroad education consultants help students by evaluating their profile, and admission processing, and help with the documents and the overall procedure.

• Internship opportunities and future prospects –Providing exposure to the students so that they can implement their classroom learning is a key element in shortlisting a university. With the help of that, you can showcase your skills and in turn, you will gain work experience. 

There are universities that also offer placements after the course completion. One can view that by looking at the industry collaborations of the universities.

• Scholarships –To handle the expenses of your course, many universities offer scholarships to students. The criterion for a scholarship could be based on academic record, excellence in sports or other extra co-curricular activities, or even a student’s financial conditions. There are often local and renewable scholarships available in many countries.

There are various admission services that we provide such as financial planning, interview training, and visa counseling.

To study abroad, you need to make the right decision since it’s a very crucial part of a student’s life. So, don’t rush into the process of shortlisting, have options and reasonably evaluate each one of them before you go out there and study!