Contrary to popular belief, it isn't difficult to enter a foreign university if you prepare for it. First of all, decide on the country and set the budget.
Education abroad is a dream of many students. The reasons may vary, some find education outside of their home country more affordable, some are unsatisfied by the education system of their home country, and some just look for fresh new experiences. Contrary to stereotypes, entering a foreign university is not that hard, you just need to prepare. And the first thing to do is decide on the country and the budget you are willing to spend.
Many believe that the system of higher education abroad is better than in their home countries, but few know why — usually it is just the case of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence. In reality, depending on the country education somewhere outside your motherland may have a number of very specific advantages:
Effective organization of the educational process. After coming to grips with various types of study abroad, you may find out the country where the learning process is much more effective than the one you are used to. For example, when students choose western universities they go there to study and do it with complete dedication. The prospects for teachers there are also much better than in eastern ones. They are not worried about low salaries or meeting the requirements of the study plan, but about transferring their knowledge to students. It is this atmosphere of mutual motivation and the pursuit of knowledge greatly increases the likelihood that students graduate not only with a diploma but with a head full of knowledge.
International recognition of the diploma. If you think that an engineering diploma from a neighbouring small university will not make you a world-class engineer, a degree obtained in a major educational institution of Europe or the USA will definitely open new doors on the career path. The labor market is well aware of the education systems of various countries, therefore, a degree obtained for the sole purpose of “hanging it on the wall” does not guarantee good employment prospects anywhere in the world. If that is the case for your home country’s system, you can be sure that with a foreign diploma, it is easier to build a career both at home and abroad.
An opportunity to stay and work in the country. A foreign diploma increases the chances of staying in the country as a professional for a prolonged period of time tenfold. Despite the widespread belief that “no one needs you there”, many countries deliberately attract foreigners: for example, Denmark has launched a special program to “catch” promising graduates and then employ them in Danish companies, US universities are putting extra effort so their graduates can find their place in life and offer several career opportunities, and successful global companies are willing to hire engineers with a diploma of French polytechnics.
Higher starting salary. Investing in a foreign education is usually rather pricey, but in many cases it pays off in spades. The minimum starting salary abroad may be several times higher than in your home country. For example, you can clearly see the difference between Central/Northern Europe or the US vs Eastern Europe, Russia, and the CIS countries. At the same time, for those who do not plan to leave their homeland, a foreign diploma can also be a huge bonus. Employers appreciate workers with foreign qualifications and attract them with more favorable working conditions and higher salaries.
Invaluable experience. Degree aside, anyone who goes abroad to study, gets something unique: the experience of living and interacting in a new environment, useful contacts, and life skills. Education abroad, even if it is a month long English course, really changes consciousness, teaches you how to communicate with people of different cultural and mental backgrounds, and reveals new facets of life.
The idea is that you may or may not see the advantages mentioned above as advantages taking into account the conditions of study in your home country. You may fail to benefit from these but find others. That is why it is so important to know that higher education abroad is built differently depending on the region. For example, in Eastern Europe, universities are not much different from CIS. In English-speaking countries — the USA, Great Britain, and Australia — the educational sector is commercial, although this does not mean that studying here without money is totally impossible. Do not ignore the countries of Africa and the Middle East, which also have their own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Affordable tuition, clarity of the admission process, English-language master's programs, exchange programs with countries in Europe and the world, low competition, late application deadlines
Few English-language bachelor’s programs, low renown of universities
Low prices in state universities, financial support for students, student autonomy, exchange programs with countries in Europe and the world, English-language programs in the fields of exact sciences, good faculties of the liberal arts and social sciences
Often the need to learn the local language, crowded groups, bureaucracy, high cost of living, complex admission process, migration issues
Large scholarships, exchange programs with countries of Europe and the world, low number of students, technical innovations, high research activity, sometimes — free education
Few foreign students, often the need to learn the local language, high cost of studying and living for foreigners, high competition for admission, early application deadlines
Low tuition costs in state universities, Exchange programs with Europe and the world
Complex admission process, the need to learn the local language, few scholarships, far from ideal economic situation in the countries, bureaucracy, difficult legalization procedure of foreign diplomas
Small student groups, high research activity, studying in English, prestige of universities, excellent prospects after graduation, global integration, large scholarships, cultural diversity, flexible curriculum
Extortionate prices, strict admission criteria, extremely high competition, elitism, the difficulty of obtaining a visa
Universal admission scheme, small student groups, high research activity, studying in English, prestige of universities, excellent prospects after graduation, global integration, big scholarships, cultural diversity
High prices, strict admission criteria, small number of scholarships, the difficulty of obtaining visas
Affordable tuition, high ranking social sciences and liberal arts faculties, good ranking of medical schools, students’ autonomy, low competition, monolingualism of the entire region
Low international integration, corruption in education, often the need to learn the local language, difficult economic situation in the region
Strong departments of sustainable development, proximity to humanitarian operations hotspots, the opportunity to study in English or French, low costs of accommodation and tuition
Few foreign students, often poor living conditions, often the need to know the local language
Top of the line faculties of natural sciences, IT and engineering, promising labor market, advanced universities
Huge competition, large number of students in the group, need to learn a local language, sometimes strict admission criteria when entering top universities, education focused on memorization
In Russia and most CIS countries education is built according to the Bologna system, which allows graduates to study and work abroad. Education in local universities and schools is quite cheap, and sometimes free due to the availability of state-funded places. There are about 40 reputable universities in Russia, 5 of which are included in the top 500 of the world ranking THE, 17 in the QS ranking. They are also regularly ranked in other rankings, especially in the fields of natural sciences. Among the disadvantages are low financing of the educational sector, low level of globalization, and a significant separation of education from science. Moreover, Russian universities have standardized curricula and very rarely offer students to choose courses on their own. On the one hand, this ensures that all of the necessary material is learned on time, but on the other hand, it makes it almost impossible to develop one's own academic interests.
Baltic States
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are often countries of choice for students from former Soviet countries. The bulk of the programs here is in English and national languages, but in rare cases there are also programs in Russian. Many university sites have Russian-language versions, and the admission committees often have staff that can speak Russian, which makes the admission procedure more understandable for many students from the CIS countries. Universities in the Baltic states may not have the highest authority in the academic community, but thanks to the membership in the EU, they are perfectly integrated into the European network. ERASMUS exchange programs are widespread, and getting into them from here is much easier than from Western Europe. In general, local universities offer quality, affordable education. Upon graduation, students have a chance not only to stay in the country of study, but also freely go to other countries — diplomas of Baltic universities are recognized everywhere. An important point — deadlines for admission to Latvia and Lithuania for foreign students are usually late — you can apply to some universities until summer, while in other European countries, including Estonia, the admission usually closes in the winter.
Eastern Europe
Higher education in Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania) is even more integrated into European space. Some universities were founded at the time of the emergence of higher education (XIII-XIV century) and to this day have a good academic and teaching reputation. Prices here are pretty low. Universities are actively involved in student exchange programs. However, mainly immigrants from Eastern Europe and the CIS countries study here, and only a small percentage is other Europeans[1] (especially in English-language programs at medical schools). Due to the bureaucracy, the benefits of low competition come amid heaps of overly complicated paperwork.
Central Europe
Germany, France, Austria were among the pioneers of ideas of the Enlightenment and to this day remain the ideological beacons of European education. They have many things in common despite huge cultural differences. Education here is democratic: in comparison with other countries, studying here is pretty cheap, you can get a scholarship that will cover living expenses and independently choose subjects for study. Most importantly, the student always has the opportunity to protect his rights thanks to student unions and syndicates, to which you can report violations of rights, discrimination, or other issues. However, this model has a number of drawbacks: red tape upon admission, large student groups (up to 100 people at a lecture), and the predominance of national languages in universities. Central Europe is very popular among international students. But it is almost impossible to overcome high competition for admission with poor or even average grades. In addition, in most state universities there is a strict principle of rotation of scientific and teaching staff, which, on the one hand, does not allow teachers to occupy the position indefinitely, but on the other hand, leads to a fierce competition for short-term contracts. This does not always have a good effect on universities — the motivation of teachers is dwindling as they may not be interested in giving all they’ve got to a university with which they are associated on a temporary basis.
Northern Europe | Scandinavia
The educational system of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland is democratic and has a good reputation worldwide. Here some of the best European universities are located, where good conditions are created for both young students and established scholars: good funding, scholarships, sometimes free education (for example, in Norway and Finland), good salaries for teachers. Not that many people live in these countries, so universities are not overcrowded. This reduces competition and also allows to modify and improve universities more efficiently than in Central Europe. At the same time, Scandinavia itself is not a very popular destination for studies[1]. The influx of foreign students is hindered: many universities have already introduced paid programs for students from countries outside of the EU (Denmark, Sweden), the cost of living here remains high, and for admission you often need to know local languages, which are difficult to learn due to their rarity and geographical isolation. It is also worth considering that in universities in Northern Europe the admission deadlines are quite early — January-March.
Southern and Western Europe
In Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal (we also include Turkey as it has similar features), the national approach to education is very pronounced: there are very few English-language programs, almost no scholarships are provided for foreigners, and global integration leaves much to be desired. The admission process is often complicated by a multitude of bureaucratic procedures that require not only money, but also willpower (for example, the process of recognizing a certificate/diploma). However, in all of these countries there is the possibility of student exchange under the Erasmus program. Spain and Italy are among the most popular destinations in Southern and Western Europe[1]. Applicants will be pleased with the low tuition costs and relatively low admission requirements. In general, the education model resembles Eastern European.
The UK | Switzerland and the Netherlands
The UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands are united not geographically but by qualitative features: a high level of globalization, programs in English, high tuition and living costs, and the prestige of universities. In these countries, education is built on the Anglo-Saxon model, which dominates the education market. The traces of this system could be found in all countries. This means that after graduation, you can easily continue your studies in North America, Australia, Europe, or Asia. Graduates of British universities often have an advantage in the education market due to effective training and the authority of educational institutions. The high quality of training, however, has its drawbacks: unaffordable prices, an extreme level of competition, and severe stress.
North America
The education system in the USA and Canada owes its origin to English universities, but in North America it has acquired several distinct characteristics like even higher competition (especially in top universities), extremely high tuition costs and at the same time higher number of scholarships that cover all of the expenses and are available for students with outstanding academic achievements. Studying here also offers more promising prospects due to high global integration and closer ties with employers. American education is often crowned "the best" because of its effectiveness and huge investments, but not everyone succeeds in getting here. To enroll in the most prestigious universities you need to either have a lot of money or a lot of talents — when entering any higher education cycle, one needs to pass a very strict selection process. However, there is still a number of universities that are accessible to a wider range of people.
Australia and New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand are also part of the Anglo-Saxon education system, but have a number of features of their own. First of all, it is high international activity, thanks to which students can have exchange programs anywhere in the world — from Hong Kong to South Africa. Almost every university offers Foundation programs, all universities have approximately the same application deadlines and program starting dates — all of this somewhat simplifies the admission process, making it universal. Compared to the United States, Australian and New Zealand universities have less competition and relatively modest scholarships. These countries are a good option for those who have the means to study and want to get a quality education without extreme stress. It is noteworthy that the student community of Australia and New Zealand has a high number of human rights activists — in universities you can be safe from discrimination and freely defend your rights.
Latin America
From a social point of view, the countries of Latin America have been in a state of crisis for several years: high crime rate, poverty, political tension in relations with the United States, an abundance of political unrests and revolutions over a century — all of this does nothing to contribute to investment and the globalization of education. International students are not frequent guests in this region, which makes student groups fairly uniform in ethnicity. The main language of the region is Spanish. There are almost no English-language programs. However, there is a positive side here: some universities in Latin America are a center of new social and economic studies, which attracts leading specialists to teaching positions. In addition, education here is cheap, and in some cases completely free (for example, in state universities in Brazil).
North Africa | Middle East
We attribute the countries of the Middle East — Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar — to North Africa. It might surprise some but these countries have developed education systems, which rise in quality by the day. It is mainly characterized by two features: an Americanized model and a homogenous student body. Most Middle Eastern universities are paid and relatively elitist when compared to the general standard of living in the region. In almost every country in the region, there are 2-3 American colleges or universities built on the cultural initiative of the United States. Due to the harsh climate in the region, the main focus is on engineering research that will help to use the resources of the desert for economic development. The rich history of the region and the proximity to various archeological sites increase the ranking of archaeological and historical faculties. Also, universities (especially in Israel) have well-developed faculties of natural sciences and medicine with the possibility of studying in English. In addition to high prices, the disadvantages include the complex admission process, which requires passing various entrance tests, and often knowledge of the local language. Do not forget that the majority of the population has traditional or sometimes radical views regarding women's rights and the LGBT community, and the political situation in the region is often unstable.
South Africa
At first glance this region might seem unworthy of attention for a potential applicant. Nevertheless, in Sub-Saharan Africa, there are many universities where very promising foreigners go to study. Despite having some relatively developed cities, Africa remains the poorest and most problematic region in the world. However, this provides some advantages, like the immediate proximity to research locations. The most prominent area of African universities is development studies — which includes a number of disciplines from economics, sociology, engineering, geography and statistics. These studies aim to develop ways of quickly and efficiently meeting the basic needs of millions of Africans living below the absolute poverty line. Interestingly, such a complex humanitarian challenge attracts many volunteers and leading academics. You can study in African countries in both local and one of the European languages — mainly English or French. The most attractive country in the region is South Africa, where universities have rich traditions (4 of them are in the top 500 of the QS ranking), and the campus structure resembles universities in the English-speaking countries.
Asia
Today Asia is a "star" region of education. This is due to the region’s prospects: certain regions of East Asia (China, South Korea, Taiwan, India) are a growing economic force, which is projected to become dominant globally over the next 30 years. In addition, in Asia there are already regions that have surpassed many cities in Europe and the USA in their development — Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, and Kyoto. All of these places developed an impressive system of higher education, which is steadily gaining weight in the academic community. The reason for this is the combination of the principles of the Anglo-Saxon model and Asian meticulousness, as well as the consistent progress of Asian scientists and students. Most of all, the growth rate of the Asian educational system is impressive, both from a financial and scientific points of view. Asia is a great place for students of science faculties — from biology to mathematics, as well as IT and engineering. The disadvantages include the huge competition created by brilliant local students, the prevalence of entrance exams and the need to learn the local language. In addition, given the enormous population density in the region, universities are often overcrowded.
Types of education abroad
Despite some peculiarities, higher education in most countries is generally represented by three general cycles:
Bachelor’s. The main entry level program of higher education that lasts for a period of 3-4 years. A bachelor's degree involves the study of a specialty (sometimes two — major and minor) and opens up access to employment;
Master’s. The second stage, which lasts for 2 years, deepens, expands, less often — changes the specialization received at the bachelor’s cycle. In addition to studies, master's students spend a lot of time on research activities;
Doctoral. The final cycle of higher education takes an average of 3 years. PhD candidate is a future teacher, researcher, and scientist. As a rule, the main goal of doctoral studies is to conduct research and defend a dissertation.
To enter master’s and doctoral programs it is usually enough to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited university, but when it comes to bachelor’s things start to become more complicated. Read more
A special place among the educational options is held by the MBA — Master of Business Administration. The cost of an MBA is usually an order of magnitude higher than other master's programs. Everyone can apply, regardless of the specialization received at the previous education cycle, but at the same time, applicants should have work experience (on average 3-8 years).
Many countries also label vocational education/short-cycle programs as higher education, which are implemented by trade schools, colleges and sometimes universities themselves. Upon completion, students receivediplomasandcertificates, less often — country specific degrees (Associate's degree, Foundation degree).
Depending on the country colleges abroad, as well as professional education in general, can offer great value. For example, in Singapore, about 65% of graduates of applicants choose this path, 25% of them study at technical education institutes (ITE)[2].
Colleges can become a starting point for university entrance. So, in the United States, community colleges are widespread. In them, students receive associate's degrees, which allows you to find a job immediately after graduation from the two-year program or to continue training in the 3rd year of bachelor’s studies.
For those who are not yet ready to receive higher education abroad or just search for new experiences, there are other options like language courses and international internships.
Language courses abroad
Learning a foreign language in the country where it is spoken is the most effective way to master it. Foreign language schools offer the most effective teaching methods in which students completely immerse themselves in the language environment. Students use a foreign language not only in the classroom, but also during their free time — with new friends, with their host family, in public transport, in museums and restaurants — everywhere.
Language courses abroad are more than simply mastering a foreign language. This includes regional studies, intercultural communications, and the exchange of experiences with students from different countries, this is an opportunity to visit historical places, theatrical premieres, sports events, and interesting exhibitions. Language schools help their students to become a part of the city and enjoy the cultural events of the country. After 4-6 weeks abroad, students make a "language breakthrough", which, when studying at home country, sometimes takes years or even decades.
It is important that with the help of language courses and schools anyone can go and study the language, be that a child or an elder. Perhaps this is the easiest way to gain experience in foreign education — for admission and training you need only a few weeks/months of free time and some money. There are both courses for beginners (Elementary), and specialized programs (Business English, preparation for IELTS/TOEFL). There are also special language courses at a university with further admission to this university (often held as part of Foundation programs).
A separate kind of language courses is summer schools, which offer more comprehensive programs, including the study of other disciplines: from the technical and liberal arts to architecture, fashion, and photography. The duration of such schools is from 2 to 8 weeks — for the whole duration, the students are provided with full board and an entertainment program.
There are summer schools for various age groups:
Junior children. The bulk of the program consists of language classes and general subjects, but creative tasks and sports are also included.
High schoolers. Schools of this level are aimed at students in grades 9-12 planning to go abroad; schoolchildren learn the basics of a future specialty, can additionally choose preparation for international exams and a number of elective disciplines;
Adults (18+). Students and young professionals who want to acquire additional professional skills come here. Basically, these are business courses from 2 to 4 weeks, but there are summer schools for other specialties: journalists, programmers, teachers, etc.
In a broad sense, education abroad involves not only studying at universities, but also a huge number of international internships. Whether it is an educational program on youth entrepreneurship in the United States, advanced training at a large IT company in France, or a humanitarian program to help children in India — all of them are aimed at developing skills, broadening one's horizons, and getting to know the culture.
Typically, internships:
Last from a week to 3 years;
Are paid or free, professional or volunteer;
May be organized by educational institutions, companies, government or non-profit organizations;
One of the main advantages of any internship is an additional experience that can be mentioned in the resume, which is taken into account by both employers and prestigious educational institutions. The presence of such experience can be a decisive factor in the competition for any vacancy, grant or scholarship.
There are no uniform standards at the level of secondary education — curricula and periods of study vary from country to country. More often than not, 12 years of secondary education is enough for a majority of educational institutions, but in some countries the education system implies only 11 years. If that is your case, you should be aware of the academic requirements which vary depending on the country, university, and program. In general, there are some common patterns when applying to a foreign university for bachelor’s studies:
At the same time, there are countries where the recognition procedure of certificates and diplomas has exceptions. Here are a few examples for those who completed 11 years of school:
You can enter Singaporean universities only through Foundation programs or after 1 year at a university in your home country, but recently some universities (NUS in particular) have announced that they will accept students immediately after grade 11 if they have excellent grades;
Switzerland accepts some foreign students only after 2 years at a university of the home country, but at the same time, the EPFL still considers excellent students immediately for the program[3];
In the Netherlands everything depends on the type of institution: at the universities of applied sciences, one can enter immediately after grade 11, while research universities only accept students after a year of study at a university of a home country or after a Foundation program.
Finally, even if your certificate is enough for a particular country, you need to take into account the chances of admission, which consist, first of all, of your GPA and the results of language exams. Some students consciously choose to:
Study a couple of years at home university to improve their GPA;
Go to college with the possibility of transferring to a partner university to simplify the process of admission and save money (college education is often several times cheaper).
Preparatory programs in foreign universities — Foundation
According to statistics, more often than not foreign applicants need to enter Foundation programs before enrolling in university. They are held in many foreign universities and help future students to adapt to the unusual rhythm of life and prepare for further studies at the university.
As a rule, Foundation programs involve studying specialized subjects in a foreign language. If necessary, extra hours could be dedicated to learning the language itself. After passing such programs, some foreign universities enroll their students in the first year of Bachelor's studies automatically, without needing to pass entrance exams or competing with other applicants.
Education systems of each country have their own distinctive peculiarities. Different countries and different universities establish their own rules for admission and documents, their entry requirements and deadlines. A period after submitting an application can be even more treacherous: at any time the admission committee can request additional documents and relevant data — and here it is important to correctly understand and timely fulfill the requirements. Without knowing possible pitfalls, you can simply fail the admission process without really knowing why, even if you meet all of the requirements.
If you are not a 100% sure that you can make it on your own and be victorious in the end, then we can offer our professional help:
We will help you to collect the necessary package of documents that has maximum admission chances;
We will check and edit your documents;
We will increase your chances of receiving financial assistance from the university;
We will save your time, which you could otherwise spend on studying and exam preparation;
We will reduce the risk of failure due to formal errors.