In the previous episode of the Students Speak series, we explored Kathakali’s academic background, passion, dream university, coursework and reason to study abroad. In this episode, let’s understand her research mechanism and university application process.

Research Mechanism:

Offline sources to find the right information

Once she resolved to study abroad, she delved deep into research to find authentic information. Here are some sources that formed an important part of her research mechanism:

• Educational consultants
  She visited some popular education consultants at the start of her research. She gathered information on courses offered by several universities in her domain. She shortlisted a few countries – the UK, the USA, Germany, and Canada based on research.
• Her peers who study abroad

Most of her friends who study abroad would encourage her to find answers to questions such as which courses will fetch lucrative career opportunities, the career avenues and the demand in her preferred domain.

• Webinars
  She attended various webinars conducted across Delhi. Usually, university representatives attend these webinars. She utilised this opportunity to connect with them to clarify her doubts and get valuable advice.
• Mentors
  She also connected with her faculty members from her previous educational institutions, who played an instrumental role in shaping her study abroad plan. They gave her valuable references from students who have been on the same journey. According to her, finding information and inspiration from real-life experience is far more important than just Googling.

Desktop research
Her offline research helped her refine her study abroad plan. It also assisted her in verifying the information she sourced from offline resources.

• Facebook, Indeed and LinkedIn:
  Kathakali connected with students through social media sites to find relevant information. She also researched the in-demand jobs in her arena that would offer her a promising career. Furthermore, she shortlisted the study programs in her domain based on the trending job opportunities.

Meticulous university application process
Education consultants guided her during the university application process. Please remember that thousands of students compete for university spots, and hence it is imperative to stand out with an excellent student profile. When you plan to study abroad, the educational transcripts, English proficiency test scores, Statement of Purpose (SOP), and Letter of Recommendation (LOR) are part of the university application process and hence, need special attention. She explained these aspects in detail:

• Educational transcript: All your academic qualifications and marksheets, certification courses, and other educational documents will form a part of your educational transcript. It is necessary to get good grades to stand a better chance of securing admission.
• SOP: SOP is crucial from not only the study abroad admission application process point of view but also for visa application. Hence, it has to cover all the answers to the questions that would arise during university and visa application. So, mention your academic qualification, certification courses, extra-curricular activities, and rationale behind opting for the course, university and country. Also, mention skills you are looking forward to develop, the short-term and long-term goals, and your inspiration. After drafting the SOP, she shared it with her peers, colleagues, and faculty members to include their suggestions to create one perfect SOP.
• LOR: Kathakali shared a good rapport with her professors from her previous colleges, which helped her get the best LOR. Some universities have the template ready, which you can share with your mentors to add relevant information. On the other hand, some universities may ask you to get it drafted by your professors/mentors.

So, through this episode, we learnt about the research mechanism and the meticulous university application process. In the next episode, we will cover the IELTS exam, visa application process, accommodation, her education loan partner and some valuable tips. If you have a doubt regarding student loans, please remember we are just a call away.