How to start your study abroad process?

“I want to study abroad but don’t know where to start!”

“Where should I start my research from?”

“What resources should I use?” … and many more such statements.

If your conversations about studying abroad sound something like this, then congratulations! 🎉 It’s because you have taken the first step correctly - coming to the right place. It is only human to get yourself the best out there. And at Yocket, we understand, appreciate, and enable you to do exactly that.

Studying abroad is an exciting and life-changing experience that can open up numerous opportunities for personal growth and career development. Who wouldn’t want to have a degree from the best global university, right?

However, the process of beginning your study abroad journey can be daunting, especially if you are new to the process. Well, that is what Yocket’s here for! To make this process easier for you. To begin with, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you start your journey with ease and comfort!

1) Pick a country and university

Countries are different in terms of the educational environment - some are research centric and some specialise in a particular industry. You can start by deciding which country provides you with the best opportunities.

Don’t decide on the basis of climate or the sights. Keep in mind that this is an opportunity of a lifetime; guide this decision by thinking that studying abroad is a small investment in your bright, potential future. Make sure to connect with peers and alumni already studying in your target universities and/or in your target country. Compare available options.

Then go for choosing your top university picks. Best way to go about it? Try aligning universities with your educational goals, universities with better resources, facilities, and materials, and universities offering the programs you want to take.

And if you need help with finding universities that match your interests and alignment, you can always explore top universities with Yocket’s College Finder!

2) Check eligibility and pre-requisites

What’s better than applying to your dream university? To check if you are eligible for it. Sounds obvious, right? Well, not really. Many aspirants apply to universities just by looking at it and do not look if they’re even eligible for it. Be ambitious but also pragmatic. The respective university’s site would contain all the information you need to check eligibility. Several programs demand prerequisites. Double-check everything!

Want it to be easier? Go to Yocket’s University page and you will get to know everything about all of the top global universities!

3) Meet an Education Counsellor/Academic Advisor

Whenever you feel a little bit of pain or discomfort anywhere in your body, what’s your instinct? To Google your symptoms, yes. (... even we know it tells you that you have some serious disease). But then, you consult a doctor, because they are there for a reason - they know it better. Right? Exactly with the studying abroad dream! Treat it with care and you will see the best results soon.

Early in the process, it’s better to consult an Education Counselor. Discuss your academic requirements and get help from professionals. They will guide you throughout the selection process. Review your application deadline, program details, and other requirements.

💡Yocket Pro Tip: Evaluate your profile with the help of an expert to shortlist the best Universities and understand of chances of getting scholarships!

Explore Destinations

4) Review your finances

This could very well be the first and most crucial step. Consider the cost of your education, accommodation, travel, etc. Are you able to support yourself? Will someone sponsor you to help with your expenses? It’s quite expensive to study abroad, so make sure you have the answer to these questions.

Ready to explore your loan eligibility? Click here!

5) Start preparing for the application process

Contrary to popular belief, the application process actually begins a lot earlier than the actual date of application. So, start building your profile, talk to alumni, and plan your standardised tests like English Proficiency Tests (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/GRE/GMAT, etc).

Recently, taking the GRE exam in India became more expensive than before. And if you wish to get the deserved ROI from investing in the exam, understand and prepare for it the best way in the market - with Yocket’s ultimate GRE platform!

Kickstart your GRE journey today with Yocket Prep!

6) Get your SOPs, LORs, and essays ready to go!

Everything can be perfect about your application - the credentials, your profile, your background education. It can all be top-notch but the statement of purpose will either make or break your application’s success.

Writing an SOP can be a tedious journey of multiple edits and iterations beyond your patience - we get it. But it doesn’t have to be this difficult. With a few things, you can give your SOP a better structure and flow. Listen to what our expert has to say about AVOIDING MISTAKES WHILE WRITING YOUR SOP.

A recent wave of tech has also made aspirants think about using ChatGPT for their SOPs. And we often get this question - is using it beneficial to use ChatGPT for writing SOPs? And the answer: No. As a trained machine learning model, ChatGPT will do to your SOP what other counselling services do - one template for all SOPs and nothing unique for you.

But we understand the power of ML and tech in writing SOPs. With a decade of experience in this industry, Yocket Premium has been developed with a machine-learning text editor to give your SOP the best shot and have fewer iterations. Focus on your dream of studying abroad and leave the rest to Yocket. Give your dream the best shot it deserves with Yocket Premium!

Tap to know more about Yocket Premium.

Along with SOP, the letter of recommendations are also something that can skew your application’s success. Getting 2-3 LORs from your professors or your employers, whoever better suits the course you are applying for, can be a good strategy to go ahead with.

This is what the step-by-step guide looks like for starting your study abroad journey. But it is natural that everyone wants an edge over others for their applications to succeed and convert into an admission. So what are those few things that you can tweak to make your application stand out?

Top Tips

1) Start Early!

The more time you spend on your application, the better it gets. The better it gets, you get an edge over other applications - giving you the best shot at your applications. And how do you spend more time on your application? Start Early! This also gives you plenty of time to better your study abroad experience, like better finance, part-time work, insurance, and a lot more.

2) Keep checking those deadlines

You do everything you can to make your application stand out. All the efforts you put in only turn to fruition when you send the application and meet the deadlines. Put an alarm, set a reminder, and make your calendar look like a textbook guide for the timeline - just don’t miss the deadlines!

3) Ask for help

It feels like too much, a little overwhelming, right? Well, you don’t have to do it all alone. Having a seasoned supporter and guide will help you feel confident and take your best shot at your dream university. With Yocket Premium, we will take you through your admission process from end to end, with a personalised counsellor JUST FOR YOU. With Yocket Premium, the counselling is done for you - totally unbiased - to get you a seat in your dream university.

Check out Yocket Premium today and get your dream admission!

These steps will help you not only start your study abroad journey on the right foot but will also help you to start with full preparedness!

So what are you waiting for? Start with step 1 and tick off the entire checklist soon! ✅

We wish you all the best in your journey!