Should International Students Apply to Multiple Study Abroad Destinations? Find Expert Answers!
Multiple study-abroad destinations cater to varying academic and professional goals of international students. Each of them provides unique advantages in their offerings, such as diversity in courses, placement opportunities, access to networking opportunities and many more. Keeping these perks in mind, most international students tend to apply to multiple countries for studies for fear of missing an education opportunity from such recognised academic institutions abroad.
So, will multiple abroad university applications eliminate these fears? What are the benefits and disadvantages of having multiple prospects open? Is applying to universities across different countries a strategic approach? To answer these questions, an international student like you should first analyse this situation from both sides. Thus, to simplify this process, we have shared a list of pros and cons to answer these debatable questions for international students globally.
Benefits Associated with Applying to Universities Across Multiple Countries
When you send multiple study abroad application forms, you unveil various academic advantages. Here are the top ones:
- Explore a Range of Academic Interests:
When you apply to multiple countries abroad, you widen the possible academic opportunities that matches your educational needs. As an international student, you will be able to witness, the different kinds of degree levels available, types of courses you can apply to, what are the learning mediums used to educate students and which course to select if you wish to pursue another degree post that. Having such a wide range of academic choices allows foreign aspirants to make a choice that will benefit them both academically and professionally.
- Access Various Scholarship Opportunities:
Pursuing any academic studies abroad is no longer unaffordable. International students can now seek the assistance of scholarships to pursue their higher education anywhere. The purpose of a scholarship is to provide funding support to international students. Almost all study-abroad destinations offer a range of government and non-government scholarships to assist international students globally. In order to get scholarships to study abroad, students should apply for a relevant scholarship, meet the set eligibility criteria listed and complete the scholarship application form.
- Decide On a Preferred Living Style:
Each international student has their own set of lifestyle choices. For instance, students that prefer to stay in cold places can pursue their academics in Canada. For those who like the beaches, Australia and USA are ideal locations. When you apply to multiple universities to pursue higher education abroad, the living factor is also important to consider. With a range of choices available, students can easily compare the best destinations that suit all their personal as well as academic requirements simultaneously.
- Make A Strong Academic Decision:
It is always better to have options in order to make a good decision. This applies perfectly well when considering the best universities to study abroad. When you have one academic choice, students tend to adjust to what is being offered to them. However, when you have plenty of academic choices in front of you, students will be able to match each university offerings as per their academic, personal and professional interests.
Problems Associated with Applying to Universities Across Multiple Countries
Many international students are unaware that there are various problems associated with applying to multiple countries. The top ones include:
- Lose Out on Admission Seats:
Admission intakes for each country vary. In order to secure your seat, students will be required to pay a deposit money. For a student who is applying to multiple universities abroad, the chances of losing out on a potential seat remain high. Let’s understand this with an example. In Ireland, the universities have a small admission intake. For the 2024 August and September intake, the seats will start filling by October/November 2023.
Thus, to secure these seats, students will have to pay a deposit amount. Now this is a tight situation because if a student has applied to multiple universities abroad, they will have to wait to hear back from them. On the other hand, if they wait this long, they may lose out on a potential seat that is available at the moment in an Irish university. Thus, on both ends, a student remains in a puddle.
- Few Countries Have Long Waiting Times:
The admission period varies from one study abroad location to another. While some have a quicker application process, a few have a longer waiting time. This is an issue for a student who has applied to multiple study abroad destinations. For instance, you have applied to pursue a Master’s degree in Germany and USA.
Your USA application letter has arrived; however, you are yet to hear back from the German university. This is one of the toughest scenarios for students for two reasons: fear of missing out on the available USA university seat and facing confusion about whether you will get accepted at the German university. On both sides, there is a risk that international students will face.
- Visa-Related Issues:
When you’re applying to various study abroad destinations, you’re submitting multiple study abroad applications and conducting a study abroad visa process too. Students will face the issue of visa rejections since the former will await the results of all the universities they’ve applied to and then make an academic decision. This waiting period may not cater to certain study abroad destinations’ visa deadline dates.
For instance, say you want to apply to Germany and UK universities, with Germany being your first preference. Most German visa processes happen in July and August. It may be a bit too late to apply for the UK visa later on as UK universities start their session in September, and German universities start in October.
Conclusion
The process of studying abroad requires an international student to have sound clarity on their academic choices. While the above list answers the common question enquired, students will still need to eliminate this confusion to make an academic decision. Here is when Collegepond’s experienced counsellors come in. By booking a 1-1 counselling session, our counsellors will be able to clear all these confusions as well as build a student’s ideal academic pathway.
