Some students come out of high school with their minds well set on the university they want to go to. Other do not know where to go and want to explore what the academic world has to offer; whether it is in their home town, their own country or anywhere around the world.
For those who are willing to look around it can be a daunting mission. Nevertheless, there are some tips you can follow that may help turn it into an exciting adventure.
First of all, and this might sound biased, you should contact an educational consultant. The reason is easily explained. An educational consultant is a professional who works with students to help them find their dream university Therefore it is his/her job to research, get to know and visit universities. This makes the consultant a living database that can help you out in your own research. Also, a consultant is an expert that can help you understand what kind of university is best for you. He/she can filter the research from the start.
Once the research has started, keep in mind you need to make a university list that I think shouldn’t include more than 10 institutes. This means, once you have selected a broader number un universities, you should spend some time to narrow it down by going thoroughly through their web sites. Look at the programs they offer and the requirements they ask. Read about their teaching methods. Get informations on the class sizes, the number of students on campus and the percentage of international students. Explore the facilities that are offered and the accommodations available. Ask to speak with student ambassadors, take part to virtual or in person open days. Look at the fees but also at the scholarships that are offered and so on.
At the end you should end up cancelling some of your previous choices off the list. You want to end up with is roughly 3-4 reach, 3-4 target and 3-4 likely universities. Reach universities are those universities you wish to get in but you don’t quite match the requirements. Target universities are the universities you like and for which you do match the requirements, so you have good chances to get in. Lastly the likely universities are universities where you exceed the requirements so you know your chances to get in are high. Remember that even the likelies still have to be universities that meet your expectations, and correspond to what you want from your college experience. Remember that you should be happy to get in any of the universities on your university list.