Biz It School, a reputed overseas education consultant with
two branches in Cochin, offered us some advice on approaching overseas
education consultants in Kerala. It is rather well known that going abroad for
education and the rigmarole of processes that precede it can present a number
of pitfalls, both hidden and apparent, that need to be manoeuvred deftly. In
all the formalities that are involved in the selection and application to
universities, including loan applications, fee payment, visa assessment and
aspects of life abroad, your overseas education consultant is obliged to guide
you responsibly so that the process is expedited and you experience no untoward
hiccups. The shocking reality though, is that quite often, the very first step
itself – picking an education consultant – can be fraught.
Overseas education consultancy has boomed as a “business” in
Kerala because a lot of families here take pride in being associated with
western countries through friends and relatives and consider it an achievement
to send their children abroad for education, especially with a chance of settlement.
A high percentage of upper middle class and upper class students are leaving
for countries such as the US, Australia, UK and New Zealand among others for
their graduation and post-graduation studies. In this situation, certain
fraudulent consultants and corrupt consultancies have cropped up to take
advantage of the situation and make themselves some money.
Our advisors from Biz It School, which runs its own overseas education consultants in Kerala, at Kacheripadi in Cochin, pointed out that
certain universities form a tie up with overseas education consultants in
Kerala to provide them with students. If the consultant recruits a student to
that university, he or she gets a fixed amount or a commission from the
university that comes to around 1 to 2 lacs rupees. As a student or a parent
approaching an education consultant, there are a few tell tale signs you need
to look out for:
First, a consultant will simply keep pushing a particular
country on you, usually before you even enquire about it. The consultant
engages with the student in a jovial tone and enquires a few details about him
such as his scores, what he wants to study, etc and then directly starts
telling them that the UK (or whichever country the universities he is
associated with are at) is the best place for them.
Another tactic is to
offer free consultation for a particular country or a few of them and charge a
large amount to offer consultation for any other. If your consultant is tied up
with universities from UK and New Zealand, they may offer free consultancy for
those two countries but charge a huge amount to consult for universities in USA
and other countries. Alternatively, certain universities are presented in a favorable light while others are spoken of as being uncomfortable and generally not worth
it. Your consultant will offer accommodation and part time work options at one
place but nothing for the other. If you were told that the course you want to
pursue is available in two equally respected universities but only one of them
offers opportunity for economic accommodation and work, then chances are that
you will choose that particular one over the other.
Your overseas education consultant has the responsibility to
help you in all aspects of your life abroad; so be wary of those consultants
that present one college/university as being extremely advantageous while
offering no such help if you wish to join another. Do not be hesitant to hold
your consultant to high standards as they hold your future and your family
savings in their hands. Follow the link for more details: http://www.bizitschool.com/