1. Know yourself before choosing a university
Before choosing a university, you should understand the purpose of your application - you study abroad only for overseas gold-plating or for getting some new knowledge and skills? The answer to this question should determine the choice of school gradient. Second, you must position your academic performance and comprehensive strength, such as professional ranking, comprehensive ranking, extracurricular activities, and the level of entrusted grades among applicants. Third, you must position your own economic situation. Can you and your family afford all or part of the tuition or living expenses? Do you study abroad only when a scholarship is obtained?
Correct positioning is the first step and the most important step in school selection. A correct evaluation not only determines the mentality of the application, but also provides a compass for school selection.
2. Choose a major
Students who want to continue their studies in their current major are relatively simple in this step, and they will have a comprehensive grasp of the information. In addition to your own interests, students who apply for undergraduate study or apply for graduate study but want to transfer majors need to know more about different majors. In general, the importance of professional ranking is higher than that of school, especially when the major has professors with a good reputation in the field, or projects with rich scientific research funds.
3. Investigate the reputation of the school
Investigating the reputation of the school is one of the most important things you need to do while choosing a university. The information you need to know about includes: academic research depth, teacher-student ratio, ratio of professors with doctorate, employer evaluation, etc. When choosing a university, you should refer to the performance of a school on different rankings, so as to understand the academic characteristics and orientation of the school. However, the school's performance on various ranking materials generally shows the school's comprehensive strength, not the strength of the discipline and profession. The reference ranking when choosing a school can narrow the choice. The higher the ranking, the higher the budget and the tuition fees.
4. Find out the school hours and curriculum
Different countries have different settings for majors. For example, graduate courses in the UK generally take students one year, starting at the end of September and ending in the second year in September; the doctoral course takes three years. The majority of graduate courses in the United States take two years, starting in August and graduating in May; doctoral courses will take students 4 to 7 years. The most direct impact of the difference in study hours is the change in the cost of studying abroad.
In addition to the school hours, the curriculum and structure are also very important information. Before applying to the school, it is best to know how many courses are in the degree program you want to study, and how many teachers and hours you have.
5. Choose the location of the school
In most countries, the living conditions of large cities and small towns are different. Taking the United States as an example, the scenery and lives in international metropolises such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles and rural areas in the Midwest of the United States are completely different. Generally speaking, studying abroad at a university close to or in the city can enjoy more entertainment, social activities, and close contact with the job market after graduation. However, the obvious shortcomings of big cities are the pressure of life and the high cost of living. Therefore, when choosing a university, you must consider the affordability of the individual.
6. Calculate the cost and scholarship
If you cannot afford your own self-pay, when choosing a school, you should choose a school with short time, low tuition, and more scholarship / bursary programs.
7. Estimated employment opportunities
Employment opportunities include the possibility of local employment in the country where you are studying abroad, and opportunities to be recognized by domestic employers after returning home. Affected by the economic crisis, the employment of international students in the United States and Britain has been greatly affected. In contrast, Australia and New Zealand encourage international students to find employment in local areas after graduation. Therefore, for those students who want to stay abroad after graduation, they should choose schools in areas with easy employment policies or industries where employment is scarce. At the same time, when choosing a university, one should also consider the overall employment situation of the school's previous graduates, whether the school provides internship opportunities in related industries, and the quality of the school's employment counseling services.
In addition to factors mentioned above, the local climate of your study destination, the ratio of international students to locals, graduation requirements, etc. are also factors to consider when choosing a university. School selection is a very heat-consuming process, requiring applicants to select from and compare a large amount of information. However, you can also use CatEight, a powerful school finder to easily solve the problem.