Have you decided to study abroad? That’s great! But, which country did you pick? And what about the university? Are you flexible with the country or your course choice? To any student looking to study abroad, these questions can seem a little scary. It’s completely reasonable, after all, there are thousands of universities and courses available and you only get to pick one. If you’re curious about the best way to make this decision, we’re here to help.
The most practical way to find out about study abroad programs is to ask the source directly or in this case, the university committee itself. They know best! But how can you do this? And if you’re scouting multiple universities, should you sit and email each one of them your questions? Surely, they don’t have time to reply satisfactorily to thousands of students asking them questions, right? For them, selecting from the existing application lot is challenging enough. This is a rather widespread inconvenience, so the world came up with a brilliant win-win situation. A place where students can find out about universities and universities can find students, an Education Fair!
Education fairs are an opportunity for students looking to study abroad to talk directly with university reps. With all the options available in the world, it’s hard to decide which one is the best fit for you to build your dream career. Study abroad education fairs put multiple universities and study abroad aspirants under one roof, so you don’t have to go anywhere else to get all the info you need.
- Exclusive Info: While Google is a great resource, there are things that aren’t publicly disclosed by universities. For example, funding opportunities and scholarships. Attending an education fair gets you to access this insider info. Moreover, university fairs have admissions counselors on board who can help you build an outstanding profile.
- Direct Interaction: You get a chance to connect personally with university admissions committee members, so you can ask them customized questions and get credible answers. Keep reading to find out what questions you should definitely ask!
- Practical Tips: You can discuss your resume and credentials with representatives and ask them for practical advice on how to apply successfully. Since they interact with you directly, their recommendation matters and they can provide tips that might just get you in.
- Network: Education fairs are a collection of potential students, university faculty, university reps and admissions counselors. Say your dream program abroad is in computer science, you are sure to find others at the fair with the same goal, you just have to interact with them to find out. And who knows, maybe you will end up at the same university! It always pays to build connections and expand your network.
- Do your research: Fairs go both ways; the university reps don’t want to waste their time with someone who doesn’t seem serious. So, show them that you did your research about their university and that you are genuinely interested in getting in. Come prepared with a list of questions, both general and university-specific. Here are some of the questions you can add to your list:
- Portfolio: Attend the fair with everything you can use to showcase your achievements. This includes your certificates, both academic and extracurricular. It can also include your CV, your letter of intent and a draft of your SOP. Bringing these along will help you show and talk about them with the university reps.
- Participate: You are here to gather info, so get right to it. Don’t sit around waiting for someone to come to you. The faster and more enthusiastic you are, the greater your chances of picking the right university. Also, don’t forget to socialize with other students and university faculty, information comes from many sources.
- Note it down: Attending an education fair is a long process and you learn a lot too. It’s important to note down this information if you don’t want it all mixed up in your head. You don’t want to send an SOP customized to one university to the other now, do you? The biggest lie you can tell yourself is that you’ll remember it! All it takes is pen and paper.
Now that you know the advantages of attending an international education fair, let’s talk about how you can make the most of it.
– What are the most popular courses at the university? What are their scope and relevance?
– How is the placement record and ROI?
– What are the career options open to someone pursuing a particular major?
– Are earn while you learn options available?
– What are some extracurricular activities that students can pursue?
– What do you look for in an SOP?
– What are the score cutoffs, and other admission requirements?
– What scholarships and financial aid options are available?
– Do you help with accommodation and visas?
– What are the estimated living costs for international students?
Education fairs are an all-in-one opportunity and attending them is highly recommended. Previously, fairs meant large halls with banners and booths. But with coronavirus on the loose, we at Jamboree decided to bring you the same benefits at absolutely zero risks.
Keep an eye out for our Masters Abroad Megafair and Bachelors Abroad Megafair on 26-27 September 2020! To know more, click here