Students generally apply for multiple colleges to see which accept them. This act just postpones the decision to be made later.
What to do right after you apply to top universities abroad?
- Know Deadlines: You must know what are the deadlines for each university so that you don’t stress unnecessarily. Once you have applied, you may constantly find yourself looking for a mail from the universities. However, you know that doesn’t help.
- Connect: You can use Yocket (Similar Profiles, Find Profiles) to connect with peers who have also applied at the same university. At the same time, it won’t hurt to connect with the seniors via LinkedIn, Facebook, or through the college. You can use this time constructively to search and identify what are the pros and cons of various universities. It is best to make an excel sheet with list of options, pros, cons, replies from university, admits, etc. (perhaps we can provide a sample excel sheet)
What to do once you get an admit from a university to study abroad?
If you are one of those lucky ones to get multiple admits, rejoice! Now the ball is in your court. But how will you decide?
- Look at your current findings: If a university is low on ROI, lower ranking, let go. If there is something very convenient like proximity to family or a business you have contacts in, you may consider.
- Negotiate Scholarship: If you have a university that has already offered you a scholarship, you can use it to negotiate some amount with another university. If done perfectly, this one can be a game changer. Don’t rub it in their face but brag about your achievements and explain how you deserve a scholarship.
- Research, labs and assistantships: See if the university has good opportunities for research and learning. Also, it won’t hurt if you can work under a professor as an assistant. Write to professors and the university and see what they say. It is important to write a carefully worded email. To know more about it, read the blog - Scholarships and Assistantships.
- Social Media groups: Join Social Media groups and pages of these universities-courses. Check their latest updates, and how their students respond to it. You can also join Yocket Group Chats (available for both: Android and iOS).
- Do not let the rankings fool you: Rankings are generally taken out for university, while you are admitted to a particular course. Check if your course is also shining out or not.
It is well and good if the best university (better ranked) also turns out to be the right university for you. But at times, it may not be the case. The top ranked university could be way out of budget or not seem worth or inconvenient in some other way. Or the other university maybe offering a good scholarship. You need to choose what is right for you.
Once you have finalized your college, it is time to respond to the offer letter, pay the tuition fee required to confirm admission if at all and move forward with your visa application to that particular country.
