Hub Prep
Top Considerations
Do you have the funds?
You will need at least US $30,000 per year for the cheapest study abroad options. The cost can be much higher depending on your choice of university and location. Without access to the required funds, studying abroad is unlikely to be possible.
Some students think scholarships that cover all or most costs are widely available. They’re not. The best most students can expect is a scholarship that will cover part of their tuition fee. That still leaves the balance of the tuition fee and all other study abroad costs such as accommodation, meals, travel, clothing, medical insurance, school supplies and other general living costs.
Student visas may allow part-time jobs in some countries and that can help but you need to address the budget issue before studying abroad becomes an option.
Do you have the grades?
Make sure you have the academic achievement required for the programme or by the college/university you want to attend. Make sure you have studied or are studying the high school courses you’ll need for the programme you want.
English Language Proficiency
You’ll need to speak English – or whatever the school language is – fluently enough to qualify for admission. There are recognised assessments by organisations such as IELTS, TOEFL and Duolingo that score your level of fluency. Make sure you meet the minimum requirement of the school you want to attend.
Key questions
1. What is your career objective?
Before you consider what to study, think about the career you hope to pursue. That will inform your decision on what programmes to consider.
2. If you’re not sure, what general subjects are you interested in?
Business? Computer Science or a related field? Science? Liberal Arts? Social Sciences? Art & Design? You can start with a general programme and that can help lead you to a specialisation. Also think about what subjects you’re best at.
3. Have you met anyone who does a job you’d like to do?
What programmes could lead to that job?
4. Consider consulting with a career counsellor or guidance teacher.
They should be able to guide you through a process to help you decide what programmes to consider.
5. Once you’ve gone through the process above, list your programme options.
If you’re still in early high school, make sure you’re studying courses you’ll need to enter the programmes you want.
6. If you have any colleges/universities on your wish list, note them.
If you have preferred destination countries or cities or locations, note them as well.
7. Determine your budget.
This must include tuition fees, school supplies, travel costs, accommodation and food, medical insurance, supplies, clothing, local transport, mobile phone, computer, entertainment – all the costs you’ll incur while studying abroad. Create a spreadsheet with a list of cost categories and how much you can afford for each category.
Costs can vary hugely depending on where you study. Check a cost-of-living table for the school and location where you want to study to make sure your budget can cover the costs. The hub can provide cost of living estimates for many locations.
8. On the budget, many students believe there are lots of scholarships available for international students.
Many students believe lots of scholarships are available for international students. There are many scholarships but most will typically only cover part of your tuition fee. Full scholarships are rare.
If you have a list of target schools, check what scholarships they offer but don’t expect them to cover the majority of the cost.
9. What are your grades?
You’ll need to meet the admission requirements for the programmes you apply to take.
10. How proficient is your English?
You’ll need to meet the admission requirements for the programmes you apply to take.
11. When do you want to start?
Knowing the answers to the questions above positions you well to start using the Hub’s AI assistant, called Cosmo.
If you’re not certain about the answers to all the questions, that’s okay. Cosmo should be able to help you determine the answers.
A tip: on the Hub, when you ask Cosmo questions, put as much detail as possible into the question so you’re getting optimal answers.