The steps involved to study abroad

Decide which subject areas interest you the most. You might also look at some course descriptions, university reviews and locations before you come to speak with us.

Start a wish-list of your preferences and begin to narrow down your selection. Research can also include asking your friends and family for advice. Have they studied overseas? Where did they go? What did they like about it?

And if you don't know where to start, don't worry. Come in to one of our offices and our counsellors will help get you started.

When you're ready, make an appointment with a counsellor. Our counsellors are professionally certified and many have been international students themselves.

Take your wish-list and course preferences along with you to your appointment. Your counsellor will work through all the big and small details to ensure you find the best possible fit for your future university, area of study and city.

After you've chosen your course and university or school, it's time to apply. Your counsellor will support your university and course applications.

Your counsellor will personally contact your chosen university or school to make sure they support your application to improve your chances of acceptance.

If you need to take an English test to qualify for your course, don't assume you'll get the grade without practise. In a test such as IELTS you will need good grammar and spelling, as well as a wide range of vocabulary.

Once the university or school receives your application it will be assessed and you will be notified of the result. It can take a few weeks (or longer for postgraduate courses) for your application to be processed.

If your application is successful, you'll receive a letter of offer and an acceptance form. Before accepting your offer, your counsellor will carefully read it with you to check any conditions that apply.

It's natural to be nervous as you wait for the outcome of your course applications. If you are feeling anxious, please tell us and we'll help you to feel more at ease.

Brush up on your English language skills to ensure you can keep up with what your lecturers are saying, especially if English is not your first language.

Try watching TV news and talk shows, reading books or listening to podcasts where they use more formal English.

Also have some fun learning the local slang in your study country. For example, Australians have lots of different words (and accents) which differ from the British, even though English is the common language.

Now that you have been accepted, it's time to apply for your student visa. We can provide you with information to help make sure you understand and navigate this process with the authorised migration departments.

There are lots of things to think about during this time and your counsellor will help out along the way with advice on exchanging money, health insurance, mobile plans, opening a bank account and finding accommodation. If you need anything, you can turn to your counsellor for information and direction.