It would be an understatement to say that choosing to study abroad is an exciting decision, but it takes a lot of time and effort to make sure you are making the right choice of where to go. And, it can take even longer to put together the perfect application to make sure you get the offer you’ve been craving from your chosen university.

But, what if we told you that someone could help you make the decision, and then support you through every step of the study abroad application process?

We’re not lying, education counsellors literally come into work in the mornings wanting to help people like you! Pretty cool, right?

They’re starting to become more popular, too. It was recently revealed that a huge 75% of all international students in Australia applied to their university using an education counsellor.

If you’re still not convinced, below we list our top five reasons explaining why we think education counsellors can be a crucial part of your bid to study abroad…

They’re trained and experienced

Education counsellors from reputable companies are often certified by courses relevant to your country, and can sometimes have years of experience working in higher education. Want to find out more about the types of education counselling services on offer?

This means that they’ve gone through rigorous training sessions that leave them in the best possible position to advise you on any problems that you may have during the university application process.

A good agent will have an extensive understanding of all aspects of the study destinations that they offer to students. Importantly, many counsellors have also been international students themselves, so they know the answers first-hand to the questions you are facing.

Pratibha Sen, who has worked for a company called IDP Education in a number of roles - including as a counsellor - says that counsellors “have immense knowledge and expertise”.

So, not only are the counsellors trained, but they often have the experience of having studied abroad themselves too. There really aren’t many people better to advise you than them!

They’ll help you find the right institution and destination for you

Often, you will have an idea of which university you want to study at. Even if that is the case, it is still worth speaking to a counsellor, as they might be able to suggest an even better university for you - depending on your needs.

But if you have no idea of where you want to go, it is certainly beneficial to speak to a counsellor.

There are a variety of issues that they may bring up which could have an impact on the university you want to study at. From subject rankings and entry requirements, all the way to employment opportunities and support services, the counsellor can give you all of the up-to-date information you need to make an informed decision about the right university for you.

“Students often seek guidance on which university will be better for them”, says Pratibha. “The agent’s awareness and training plays a key role here, where they can make suggestions based on benefits of the different programmes and compare the institutions to give a better idea to the student.”

This can come in handy when you are not sure which country to study in, as well as which institution. For example, after meeting a counsellor face-to-face, they may be able to help you decide whether to choose between the USA or the UK, depending on your needs.

Face-to-face meetings with the counsellor can also come in handy for your parents, too. Counsellors can reassure them that studying abroad is a worthwhile investment, and one that you will reap the benefits of for the rest of your life. 

You’ll get top tips to help with your university application

Plucking up the courage to send off your application for a university abroad is no easy feat. What if I’ve done something wrong? What if I didn’t focus on the right things? Have I met the deadline? These are all questions that may be running through your head. However, with an education counsellor, you will be confident before sending off your application that it is going to the right people, at the right time, with the right content included in it.

Now, contacting a counsellor before you have started the application does make the process more efficient. But, wherever you are in the procedure, they will always be happy to help.

There are a lot of ways that counsellors can help you with putting together a great application. For example, some education counsellor companies offer personal statement workshops that are run in conjunction with university representatives, so that they can advise you on the options of what to include in your statement. Pretty handy!

Have a look at these articles for more guidance on applying to university.

Connecting you to the right channels for your visa

Sometimes applying for visas can feel like a difficult process, but counsellors are available to make sure you have access to all the correct information.

There are several steps to applying for a student visa. The order of these steps and how you complete them will change according to where you are planning to study.

As visa requirements can change quickly, a top counsellor will ensure you have access to official websites and make sure you have the latest applications forms.

To reduce the hassle with visas, counsellors can also help with translating and sending off your documents, too. So, now you know that you can trust a good counsellor to give you all the right tools to put together a visa application on time.

You get a mentor throughout the whole of your study abroad experience

So, you’ve made it to university after some brilliant teamwork between you and your counsellor, great! But it doesn’t have to stop there. Chances are that you will have built up a sense of trust and understanding with the counsellor by this point, so for any extra issues you may have whilst studying, don’t hesitate to give them a call.

From things to do in your spare time, to problems with your accommodation, or even help getting a part-time job to fund your studies, your counsellor will be happy to help.

So, it’s clear to see that there are lots of benefits to using an education counsellor. But don’t just take our word for it, have a look at these quotes from students who have used one too:

“I am doing MSc. in International Management and Marketing from the University of Sheffield. I had received my offer in the last moment and there was hardly any time left to apply for the visa. On my sister's recommendation, I contacted IDP Bangladesh.

Overall my experience with the service provided by IDP Bangladesh has been exceptionally satisfying. The client focus approach transpired as genuine and caring to the individual applicant rather than just a business activity. During all the process Ms. Silvia Jahangir was really reliable giving me all the requested information. The efficiency and quickness were rewarded with the impressively quick visa issued by the UK government. Thank you!” Reshab, Bangladesh.

“IDP has helped me preparing my papers to apply to many universities with all the details required. As soon as I got accepted, IDP helped me apply to a scholarship in the university and thankfully I got it… At the end, special thanks to Ms. Amina Reslan for her patience, time and full support through the whole process.” Nay Obeid, Lebanon.

IDP Education is a global leader in international education services. Their success comes from connecting students with the right course in the right university, in the right country. They’ve been doing it for close to 50 years, creating a huge network of opportunity across 30 countries.

IDP Education is also the owner of the IDP Connect.