Why you must avoid study abroad consultants?

Let’s examine the facts. Before you sign up with an agency, you need to know more. Know what to avoid and look for.
We shed light on the pitfalls of employing educational consultants for going abroad.

Lack of information about the institution

You would expect that a top-notch education consultant would have all possible information at their fingertips.
If you, as a parent, are willing to spend ₹50 lakhs for your child’s dream, you need to know the alternatives.
At the very least, you would like to know about the top ten institutions in the USA and five more in UK and Canada.
      ● What are the requirements for admission?
      ● What is the acceptance rate?
      ● TOEFL/IELTS score and SAT/GRE score required
      ● What are the courses they offer?
      ● What are the specializations?
      ● Scope of on-campus jobs and assistantship
      ● Availability of accommodation on and off campus
      ● How many international students study there?
But the replies you receive from study abroad consultants would be surprisingly vague. The reason being none of these agencies have first-hand interaction with any institution. That would not be a problem except that they pretend that they have.
All they are doing actually is reading a brochure someone mailed them.
Question to ask—How many students have you sent to these institutions in the past five years and can any of them be available to speak with?
Lack of information about the cost
Going abroad for studies is expensive. Most universities have scholarships and bursaries for international students, but it is limited. Often such financial aid would cover no more than 20% of the expense.
There is another factor at play. Financial aid might be available after the student begins education.
During the process of admission, proof of funds has to be shown, though all of it might never be needed.
You need an educational consultant to give you facts and figures that are reasonably accurate. There might be a slight cost overrun, but not much.
In real life, all that you would get is a ballpark figure. A vague sentence “somewhere between ₹40 and 60 lakhs”.
And also a subtle hint that if you are not willing to cough it up, many are waiting to do so.
Going abroad to study cannot mean uncertainty. For most middle-class folks, the difference between ₹40 and 60 lakhs is quite considerable.
SelectRight, on the other hand, gives accurate and firsthand knowledge.
Question to ask—Can we have an estimate that is accurate to within 10% of the cost of tuition and board?
Concealing own interest
This is the worst possible offense. Yet it happens all the time.
All foreign universities are not esteemed. They lack students, which means they lack income.
These institutions have a tie-up with education consultants from not only India but also the rest of South Asia—Bangladesh, Pakistan, etc.
They send students and get a fat commission.
The student gets easy admission to a foreign university with minimum effort. Low scores on SAT/GRE and TOEFL are overlooked.
The university earns from tutoring a foreign student at an inflated tuition fee.
Yet at the end of the day, when it comes to the job market, the degree has little or no incremental value over one in India at a fraction of the cost.
Sadly, education and noble pursuit of wisdom has been turned into this charade, but it is true.
Question to ask—Why are you recommending one university over others?
They are expensive
The last point, but not least. Education consultants would charge a hefty fee for their services.
The fee for guidance and facilitation can be upwards of a lakh.
That is indeed a lot for a suggestion about which university to study at and a few basic facts about the visa process that can be obtained using Google.
What a student has to remember is that his ability and acumen are the reasons he is going abroad. Once he knows this fact well, there is no longer any need to pay a vast agency fee. The acumen he showed to ace his exams are enough to help him fill up the visa and scholarship forms.
Question to ask—Is it a flat fee or does it vary with the school where the student gains admission?
Common education consultant scams
1. They offer admission to universities that are not recognized. Ensure that the university has the seal of approval from the department of education.
2. Never visit any agency that guarantees you admission or a visa. No one can guarantee admission to a good institution. The visa process is lengthy, and no one can claim to have an inside track.
3. Find out if the course you are admitted to has accreditation. In India, all courses are certified by bodies such as UGC and AICTE. The same for every developed nation.
4. Ask the institution through email and later video call (if possible) your queries about accreditation, tuition cost, and boarding expenses.
5. Do not hesitate to ask questions about the school and the overseas education consultant on Quora and Reddit.