Important Reminders for International Students Applying to Study Abroad

These are broad tips for international students to consider as they apply for university and college abroad.

Applying to university is exciting. As an international student, you have tons of choices of programs, universities, and even countries to choose from. You are making a big decision that will shape the next few years of your life. It is essential that you make the right decision on where to go. Every program, university, and country has positives and negatives that you want to consider before you start your study abroad journey.

The process of applying to a university abroad is very stressful for international students. To help combat this stress we have prepared a list of important reminders. Remember, you can always ask your Halp coach for more information and support.

Follow Your Passion

You are about to make a very expensive decision, with Canadian universities and colleges costing on average $20,000 per year. You want to be sure you’re spending time and money on something that genuinely excites you. University or college will be difficult, with many late-night study sessions and stressful exams. If you choose to study something you’re passionate about, these hard times will be much more manageable because you’re at least interested in the topics you’re spending hours reading about and learning.

If you are unsure about your passions make sure you have a conversation with your Halp Coach where you can discuss what you like in school and what you want in your future career.

Follow Your Own Path

As much as your parents and family love you and want you to do well, they do not know exactly what makes sense for you. Listen to your parents for advice but remember the choice is ultimately yours.

Don’t be afraid to use your friends, family, and Halp coach for guidance! People close to you will often have helpful advice that can be beneficial.

Details matter (for real)

There would be nothing worse than finding your dream program… only to realize you missed the application deadline. As with any major decision, take it seriously and pay attention to the requirements.

Once you’ve established the list of programs you are going to apply to, mark the deadlines in your calendar. Read about the application process for each school and program, and understand if it requires additional application items. On your Halp dashboard, you will be able to view exactly what is needed for each application, and the final submission deadline.

Your Halp Coach will help you organize all your applications to meet the deadlines. Make sure you check your WhatsApp and email for reminders and updates!

Talk to people

You definitely don’t have to deal with this process alone. Applying to a university abroad is a complicated process. Your Halp coach is an expert. Make sure you ask them for clarification at any step along the way.

When it comes to more formal guidance, your academic counsellors are a tremendous resource for navigating the different programs available to you. While you may be nervous to ask them, remember it is their job to help you through this transition.