How to Find the Best Overseas Education Consultant in Dubai
Choosing to study abroad is a decision that is followed by a lot of excitement and anxiety at the same time. Once you have finalized that you wish to go overseas to pursue your higher education, the next step is to find someone who can guide you through the dizzying maze that is applying.
There are a lot of overseas education consultants across Dubai today, and there are many sought-after education destinations as well. This blog will help you figure out how you can find the one that will be the best for you.
Let’s first take a look at the tips that you need to follow to find the right higher education consultant.
- Research
- Check referrals and credibility
- Can they find the right program and the right school?
- Make sure they are reliable
- Visa and Accommodation Guidance
1. Research
It is a known fact that places such as Canada, the UK, the USA, and Australia are popular options among students who are looking to move abroad for their education. These places also have an abundance of universities and schools that are open to overseas students.
The first step to finding the best overseas education consultant in Dubai is to do thorough research on your options. You’ll want someone to find someone who will listen to your requirements and concerns. Make sure that you yourself are sure about a few factors such as the type of course or program you want to pursue, the country you want to pursue it in, and if you have enough finances to pursue it. If not then, will you be needing financial assistance? These are things you and your overseas education consultant need to be aware of.
Your research should help you find consultants who have experience with the kind of school or institute you want. If possible, ask around where people have gone through their programs so that they can give advice on what worked and what didn’t work for them.
Before hiring an overseas education consultant, make sure that he/she has been certified by one of these organizations: International Baccalaureate Center (IBC), Council on Foreign Relations Education, Association for International Education Administrators and others.
2. Check referrals and credibility
One of the best things you can do to make your process of shortlisting consultants easier is to go with someone who has been referred to you by others, if not, then there are always other ways you check for credibility.
Check out the websites and social media presence of the higher education consultant you have liked. With social media comes reviews and comments from people who have availed of their services. Use them! Go through all the available information from the reviews and choose according to that. Positive reviews are a huge green light!
Also, note how they have handled the negative reviews (if any). This will give you a glimpse of how professional they are in their behavior. A few negative comments are okay. Make sure that there are more positive reviews than negative for a particular consultant.
3. Can they find the right program and the right school?
When looking for an overseas education consultant, look for someone with a thorough knowledge of the college or university you intend to apply to. Say, you wish to pursue a course in the UK, a basic necessity would be that the consultant has a list of the top universities related to the course in the country. It should be something like we have at M-J Global.
An agent who can provide you with information about their clients’ experiences at different institutions may be able to help you make informed decisions about choosing the right one. You should also ask whether they have any recommendations or pointers on how best to approach each institution and what steps need to be taken before applying.
If your consultant can offer advice on specific courses of study that might be relevant based on your personal circumstances like say, you’re interested in doing research but don’t know where then this is an added bonus point!
They should also be able to inform you of what you can do after your course is over. Each destination will have its pros and cons, and you should be made aware of them. For example, what makes Canada a very popular option among international students, especially when compared to the US is the lower cost of education, the wide variety of courses and schools that one can apply to, and the opportunity to apply for PR once you are done with your course.
4. Make sure they are reliable
Are they honest? A dishonest and unreliable consultant could lead students down a path where it becomes difficult or impossible for them to succeed once they arrive at their destination country (or even worse). If this happens then not only did your money go down the drain but also wasted time. We don’t want this to happen because you will be paying your fees upfront. A trustworthy consultant will be patient and not rush you to decide or pay up in a hurry!
5. Visa and Accommodation Guidance
When choosing an overseas education consultant in Dubai, you want to make sure that you get the best guidance. A good consultant will be able to also help students with visa and accommodation guidance as well as give you advice on how to prepare for your application process. They should also have experience working with students from around the world so that they can help guide you through every step of the application process.
Education counselors are updated with the visa norms of different countries, and it comes in handy when you need such information once your application goes through and you need to start the visa process. Your consultant should also be able to help you find the right accommodation which would make your move to a new country easier.
On the whole, you should feel supported by your overseas education consultant, rather than troubled. It is after all their job to make your life easier! A little research from your side will be required to find the best consultant who suits your needs, but once that is done, everything should fall into place and sail smoothly! At M-J Global we strive to provide a good experience to our student clients. You can always contact us for help and guidance with your educational aspirations!