Top 5 Preparatory Steps to Take Before Applying to Study Abroad
Preparing to study abroad can be stressful and tiring especially for your first time trying to move abroad. There are many applications, deadlines, and preparations to make; things could go wrong. Still, there are things you can do to ensure that you have a smooth transition and make the most of your academic abroad experience.
Here are the five most important things you need to do before you apply to study abroad.
1. Study and Choose a Program
The first step to studying abroad is knowing your course of study and finding the best program available. Your career choice and where you want to study determine this. In studying, you’ll know the program and what kind of school is best suited for it. This process also informs you of the necessary requirements for the program. e.g. the minimum GPA and the certifications. This process is important because it is the reason why you are making the decision.
2. Choose a school
This is selecting the best out of the range of choices in your study location or country. There are schools that are better suited for certain programs than others. This is dependent on certain factors like the university’s credibility and reputation. Choosing a school might also be difficult because you might be working with a budget. This is why you need to check out schools with scholarship schemes in your country or location of study. With scholarships, you can downsize the expenses as well as make the best choice for you.
3. Get prepared for the TOEFL or IELTS
This test is necessary if your first language is not English and you’d like to study abroad. The test seeks to evaluate your English language skills, especially for none English nationals going to English-speaking countries.
Depending on your English language skills and your ability to use the English language, as well as the score the university requires, you’ll need time to study and get prepared for the test. Preparing for these tests is also important. A bad grade on the test can disqualify your application.
4. Get Your Documents Ready
Your documents include all your travel documents and your credentials. In the application, you will be required to fill in and upload these documents. It is better to get them ready beforehand and also scan them so they can be available digitally if they are not in softcopy already.
Documents are to be corrected and cross-checked thoroughly to avoid any wrong information or details. This should be done early enough so as to make sure every credential and paper is ready before they are needed.
Making documents available can be difficult because there are so many documents involved. There are the school certificates, the national identity card(for some countries), an international passport, the certificate from IELTS, and language tests. These documents should be available long before the application time. If you are applying to study a program taught in English abroad and you are not from an English-speaking country, you will need to translate your documents (including your diploma and grades) into English(and the same is applicable to other languages). Your translations should be by a verified authority to avoid penalties. Some of the documents needed for your travel preparations are;
- Application Form,
- Statement of Purpose (SOP),
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume,
- Academic Transcripts,
- Letter of Recommendation, and
- English Language Proficiency Test Scores(where necessary)
- Make the application.
The school you have chosen has its own application deadline, so it is best to apply on time. The early application helps you gain the first come, first served advantage if the school runs the process on that. It also gives time to make necessary readjustments where there’s a need for one. Being on time in the application helps you avoid the bottleneck situations that come with rush and hurry. You should apply on the school’s official website or at a verified office near you or any of the institution’s accredited patner within your locality. This is to avoid scams and fraudulent practices.
It is also important to mention that some schools would charge an application fee so you will be expected to pay that as you commence the process of studying abroad so you just have to include that in your budget.
If your application is accepted, the school will send you an admission letter or an invitation letter and this letter is usually required by the visa-issuing embassy in other to verify that you are really traveling for the purpose you claim to be traveling hence, it is very important you print and keep the letter handy.
Final Words
Studying abroad is a great way to enhance and advance your career path, it gives you an opportunity to meet new people, learn new things, and network with nationals and other international students while building your career under a totally new system and environmental conditions. It can be costly but its benefits outweigh the cost.
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