5 Factors to Consider While Shortlisting Universities Abroad

Don’t just Google “top universities in the world” and choose an institute accordingly. So many students who want to study abroad make this mistake. Don’t be one of them. Your career needs and aspirations are different and unique. At times, the “top” universities may not necessarily offer you the right program and infrastructure that aligns with your needs and aspirations. This is why the process of shortlisting universities abroad is so critical. You must do it with utmost care. After all, this isn’t just about your college life but your entire career. A mismatched institute that doesn’t compliment your goals and plans can set up the wrong direction for your career.

To help you with that, here are 4 factors to consider while shortlisting universities abroad:

• Your goals and aspirations– What programs you want to choose? Where do you want your career to steer towards? What do you want to do in the future? These are critical questions you must address. Based on this, you can browse through the list of universities. For instance, ‘University’ A might be a popular name but it might not offer the kind of political science course you’re looking for. So, above all, prioritize your goals and aspirations.

• Your comfort level– This is one of the highly underrated factors that many students don’t even care about but it’s worth considering. Remember, you would be living abroad for years. You would spend a significant part of your life in that country, on that campus, around those people. It will shape your experience and subsequently your personality. This is why you want to find a country and university where you think you would be comfortable. For instance, many Indians choose to study in Canada because there are a lot of Indians. Many students choose New Zealand because they are comfortable around nature. If you’re not comfortable with a particular city because the instances of crime there are high or if you don’t want to go to a country where language could be a barrier for you – you shouldn’t ideally choose that country or university. Prioritize your comfort.

• Financial requirement– Studying abroad has become more affordable and accessible to Indian students. But it’s far from being cheap. So, finance is one of those things you should ideally consider. For instance, some countries or universities offer more scholarships than others. So, if finance is one of your pain points, you would certainly want to go with those countries and universities that offer you more opportunities to fund your studies. Similarly, you wouldn’t want to go with the most expensive university either. In short, do consider your financial requirement when shortlisting universities abroad.

• Curriculum– Every curriculum is unique and different in and each and every university.Choose the carriculum and university thats fits your aspiration best.

These are three factors you should consider when shortlisting universities abroad. Once you have established these things, create a list of universities accordingly. And then compare them on different aspects like brand value, faculty, department, and more to further narrow down that list. In the end, apply to a few universities. In case if you need help at any stage in finding the right universities, connect with an overseas education consultant.