Self Application v/s Study Abroad Agency - Which One Should You Go With?
Talk to Expert
A lot of study-abroad aspirants tend to save the consultancy charges by applying on their own and do not confuse themselves between self-apply or apply via study abroad agency. Yes, students can apply to study abroad on their own since everything is available over the internet nowadays. But, at the same time, they must remember that the efforts pay off in very few cases and students end up with disappointment in the maximum number of cases.
Since the study abroad application procedure requires a lot of time, patience and effort, the ideal time to start planning your application to abroad universities is anywhere between 8-10 months. Time consumed from the beginning of your research and making an application to getting admitted to the universities abroad along with the VISA approval as well as getting the educational loan sanctioned takes almost a year of a candidate’s life. And in this process, if anything doesn't go right then the entire amount of hardwork goes in vain. Therefore, proper planning and time management are mandatory. This is why you should go with abroad education consultants to ease up your application process and get the best of results. These consultants are expert in making applications to the abroad universities. They know exactly when you should apply for the university admissions, scholarships, accommodations and student visas.
Related Read:
- Role of Education Consultants in Studying Abroad
- Paid vs Free Overseas Education Consultants
- Complete Student Visa Guide for Studying Abroad
Differences Between Self-Application and Applying via Study Abroad Consultants
Check out what differences you may come across during the study abroad application process through the very two different pathways, i.e.e self application and applying by hiring study abroad consultants for the job.
Predict your IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE in just 4 steps!
| Difference between Self-Application and Applying via Study Abroad Agencies to Study Abroad | ||
|---|---|---|
| Parameters | Self Application | Applying via Study Abroad Consultants |
| Effort | Takes more effort as you start looking for the ideal country, college and course from scratch. You have to go through n-number of documents for application procedures, required documentations, visa application, scholarships, required funds, accommodation and more. And even after so many efforts, a slight miss in understanding the right format or series of required documents can lead you to visa denial or rejection by the university. |
If you hire study abroad consultants for starting your study abroad journey, then, the amount of efforts required from your end will reduce by a great extent as all the application and documentation works are done by your counsellors. |
| Control | You have full control of your applications. | You have very less control on your application. |
| Guidance | Since you start researching from scratch, you have very less guidance on the subject. Even asking from peers can sometimes lead you to make mistake as you are applying to study abroad for the first time that too based on the limited knowledge that you may have gathered in the initial time. | Experts in study abroad consultancies have years of extensive experience and knowledge in the context of studying abroad. They have seen various university and visa application acceptances and have worked their way through re-application or whatever seems right for student's favour. Counsellotrs may also advice on how you can prepare for the English tests like IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE to score well. Hence, applying with counsellors is beneficial for you as they always know what to do next even after their initial plan fails, if it does. |
| Cost | Self-application only includes the costs of university, visa and exam applications and any other funds required for studying abroad. | Applying with counsellors may include an additional cost either at the starting of the process or after you get the letter of acceptance from your desired university. |
Also Read: Questions to ask your Study Abroad Consultant
Below discussed are some perks of taking assistance from overseas educational agents over applying on your own:
Market Insights
The study abroad consultancies hire industrial experts who possess market insights. They remain updated with the latest industrial trends regarding the best education providers, countries with better industrial exposures, and even evolving application procedures. Self-application is more research-oriented than it seems, as you are required to follow these consultants to get access to their database. Getting updated with the latest emerging trends in your particular industry pertaining to the best education providers and the entire procedure of studying abroad becomes more challenging when you apply on your own.
Follow-ups and Time Management
You can follow up with the consultants at every stage of your application and get an update on your previous step, which would help you know what your next step needs to be and that’s how you would end up saving time. Throughout the process of application, from choosing your dream college till getting your air tickets to the country, you can get an update on each and everything you have done or have to do. In the case of self-apply, there is nobody you can refer to for an update on your status even after filing the application.
Eligibility and Shortlisting
Eligibility plays an important role when choosing your course, college, or country. Hence, understanding your profile is a priority that comes before personal preferences, since it helps in university shortlisting. The consultants have tie-ups with a lot of good and recognised universities that consider your profile even if you are not meeting their eligibility criteria, which is required to maintain a healthy relationship in the market.
References
Even if you connect with people on your own, you are most likely to get misled by the references you have, such as your friends, relatives, seniors, etc. They would share their thoughts or experiences with you, but these references are limited to a particular area or field that they are familiar with. To get a broader aspect of the options available, you should consult industry experts rather than random external help. The consultants can help you get connected with a lot of students already studying in the country and college of your choice. They can further help you explore a vast array of good colleges that offer your choice of courses with fewer tuition fees and even better industrial exposure opportunities.
Editorial Services
As we all know, applying to universities abroad has to go through a procedure of explaining your profile and clarifying your objectives with the help of supporting documents such as SOPs, Admission Essays, LORs, CVs, etc. These documents have a proper format, which is easily available over the internet, but using them wisely is very important. If not paid proper attention, these may result in a rejection. The consultants help you properly draft these supporting documents with the motive of presenting your profile strongly.
The consultants, on the other hand, evaluate your profile and understand your requirements before providing you with the university shortlist. They accordingly get the editing done from their resources who are trained to help you. The best part, in this case, is that you can mould the services, both in terms of counselling and editing, as per your preferences if you are not satisfied. Additionally, you can get back to the consultants if you do not get heard from the universities you have applied to. You can further extend your contracts with the free consultants or get reimbursement from the paid consultants in case of rejection. Another thing to remember is that the chances of getting blacklisted from any university are equal to zero when you consult experts and thus it is always the safest option.
Did you know there are free consultants in the industry who do not charge even a single penny throughout their entire service even after you get selected by your dream university? Moreover, the chances of selection by your dream universities get much higher when you apply through consultants as compared to self-apply. Check out the difference between paid and free consultants.
Documentation and University Interviews
The entire work of documentation needs to be done carefully as your financial documents play a vital role in the application procedure. Consultants can help you with samples for your guidance and help you understand how to use your academic transcripts and scorecards. They further help you with cracking the university interviews in case you are applying to business colleges or MBA courses. To increase your chances of getting selected, they can also get students and university conferences arranged for you to build rapport with the colleges.
Scholarship and Assistantship
The chances of obtaining a scholarship and even an assistantship increase when you get help from the education consultants. Since they are aware of various kinds of scholarships provided by external organisations and within the colleges you apply, it becomes easier to apply to multiple scholarships. Moreover, they can help you understand the selection criteria of each scholarship along with helping you in drafting your scholarship essays. You may miss out on these in case of self-apply.
Check out: chances of receiving a scholarship for study abroad
VISA Filing
This is a crucial step of the application procedure. Missing out on any essential information may result in VISA rejection. Nobody wants to get rejected at this stage of application especially when they have gotten an offer letter from their dream university. The agents keep updated with the changes in the VISA filing and can help you with the same. Moreover, they help you prepare for the difficult VISA interviews. If you apply on your own, you have limited information over the internet to help you with cracking this interview. It is also worth paying attention that the interviewers sitting out there in the VISA office are smart enough to figure out that you have prepared everything through the internet with the kind of answers you give to their questions.
Waivers
Studying abroad is expensive, and so is the application procedure. The application fees charged by the universities abroad are a lot, and you obviously do not apply to a single university or college. You are likely to make applications to at least 2-3 colleges to receive admission from one. When your application gets rejected fees are not reimbursed. However, the consultants can help you with getting some amount of your application fees waived so that you can easily make multiple applications. Moreover, they help you in sending the hard copies to the universities using the shipment services they have to offer, where you can save money. And this is not it, some consultants also support your expenses of the standardised admission tests such as GRE or GMAT for PG admissions, SAT or ACT for UG admissions and, IELTS / TOEFL / PTE for English language proof.
Loans and Travel Tie-ups
How would you feel if you had the offer letter from your dream university or college in one hand and a rejected loan document in the other? Nobody wants to give up on their dream when they have reached this far.
Financing your education is another crucial step that needs a lot of time, patience and awareness. The procedure of loan application and approval varies from country to country, college-to-college and bank to bank. Study abroad consultants are aware of everything in this regard. They understand the value of money and the importance of getting a loan approved to make your dream come true. Surprisingly, they have tie-ups with different banks that won’t let you down. Not only this, they even have tie-ups with the travel agencies, to help you get your travel tickets faster and even provide you with foreign currency exchange without any troubles.
Since it is an important step of the procedure, you would definitely not want to delay your loan application. Know when to start thinking about finances.
As we can see, taking expert assistance would help in almost every step of the application procedure. You may find the top overseas education consultants in every corner of India, so it is recommended to choose your consultant wisely.
Additional reads:
Self Application v/s Study Abroad Agency FAQs
Q. I wish to apply to top universities in the US, should I apply on my own?
A. You must remember that top universities in the US or any other place have stringent and strict admissions criteria. You entire application process and interview can be very competitive. In such case, you might want to consider taking help of a study abroad expert. Though there is no problem in applying on your own but it is always better to seek expertise in such complicated cases before applying from experts. There are both free and paid counselling that applicants can avail for their admissions.
Q. Which is the easiest country to apply for study abroad?
A. There is no such thing as an easy or difficult country. Even pro-immigration countries can reject your visa, and even universities with very high acceptance can reject your application. You must focus on doing your level best. Do not leave any stone unturned even if you are applying to universities with a high acceptance rate. Ultimaltely it is the effort that gets paid off based on the application process and how applicants have researched to submit a complete and compelling admission application.
Q. How can I reduce my cost of application for applying to universities?
A. Certain universities provide a fee waiver on applications. Some of them might not charge any application fee at all. For such purposes, you need to check individual university and their application fee. However, this application is only a part of your overall application. For example, there are US universities without application fees, there may be other countries also which have universitie accept admission applications without an application fee which the applicant will have to check before applying.
Q. How important are editorial services for SoP, essays, etc.?
A. Your resume, SoP, essays, letters of recommendation, etc. form a major part of your application. They might also help you fetch a scholarship. Do not ignore the importance of these application documents. In addition, your test score also matter to a great extent. Make sure to build a holistic profile. Editorial services can help you in writing these documents efficiently and as per the need of the university. Since there is a level of experience required here and a certain format is followed, it is always necessary to seek editoria services for such submissions.
Q. Can I apply for a loan by myself?
A. Why not? However, loans for study abroad applications involve a lot of paperwork and formalities. It would be advisable if you take help of some expert so that your application does not get delayed. Applying for loans can be tedious and require a lot of calculations too, thus, it depends on the applicant how he/she plans out the entire process. This is a time taking exercise, hence must be taken up within the supervision of an elder in the family.
Q: How to prepare for UK 10th board exam 2025?
Q: How can I get admission in the University of Manchester?
The application process at the University of Manchester may vary depending on the course and level of study. However, here is the application process for UG and PG courses:
The Undergraduate Application Process:
Step 1: You can apply through the UCAS common application portal.
Step 2: Go to the website and select the course you are interested in.
Step 3: Ensure you meet the Entry requirements (Academic qualifications, English proficiency, etc.
Step 4: Once you decide on the course, submit documents such as SOP, Transcripts and personal statements.
Check out: tips to improve your SOP.
Step 5: You can track the application's progress through your given credentials by UCAS.
Step 6: Once the applicant submits the application to UCAS, it forwards to the University, and the admission teams carefully analyse the application document.
Step 7: The university will send you an offer letter once selected. Hence keep checking your UCAS portal for your application status.
The Postgraduate application process:
Step 1: Select the postgraduate course you are interested in from the University of Manchester.\
Step 2: Ensure you meet the entry requirements for the chosen program, as they vary depending on the course.
Step 3: Complete the online application by providing your personal information.
Step 4: Upload the required documents, such as Academic transcripts and proof of English language proficiency ( TOEFL/ IELTS). experience in your fields and references (depending on the course). You also may require Two LORs depending on the course.
To make your admission better, check out the following: How Admission Officers Evaluate your application.
Step 5: If your application is successful, you will receive an offer from the University of Manchester.
Q: What rank is Wolverhampton University in UK?
The University of Wolverhampton is one of the best universities in the United Kingdom. The university is consistently ranked among the best universities nationally and globally. For nearly 200 years, the University of Wolverhampton has been consistently providing a quality of education to students and producing highly skilled graduates. The national rankings of the University of Wolverhampton are given below:
| Ranking Body | Ranking |
|---|---|
| The Guardian University Guide 2024 | #101 |
| The Complete University Guide 2024 | #117 |
Q: Does the University of Essex require IELTS?
International students whose native language is not English must meet the University of Essex English language requirements to get admission. The university accepts IELTS scores as proof of English language proficiency. Mentioned below are the IELTS scores required for UG and PG admission at the university:
English Language Test | Score |
|---|---|
IELTS | Overall score of 5.5 to 8.0 with minimum of 5.5 to 7.5 in each section |
The university also accepts the score of other English language tests such as TOEFL and PTE for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs:
English Language Test | Score |
TOEFL iBT | Overall score of 72 to 114 |
PTE | Overall score of 59 to 84 with minimum of 59 to 80 in each section |
Also read: Required IELTS Score for UK Universities
Q: Is university of West of Scotland good for international students?
The University of the West of Scotland has five modern and diverse campuses in United Kingdom. The University has welcomed more than 3,000 international students which are representing 1/3 of the globe. They also have 130 European partners who are actively in global study and exchange options through the Commonwealth universities programmes. The University also offers study abroad opportunities for UWS who are eligible for the same and also have more than 20 transnational education partners worldwide which helps them deliver UWS Bachelors and Masters Degrees around the world.
Q: Why indian students choose to study at Hult International Business School - UK?
Indian students choose to study at Hult International Business School in the UK for several reasons, including its highly ranked programs, global outlook, and career support. Hult offers a range of full-time master’s degrees, immersive bachelor's programs, and MBA options that prepare students to excel in the global job market. The school is the largest and top-ranked global business school, providing students with an incomparable universal outlook. Additionally, Hult's focus on experiential learning, extensive career support, and the opportunity to study at multiple campuses around the world are attractive to Indian students seeking a global business education. Furthermore, the school's emphasis on innovation and meeting the needs of students and employers may also contribute to its appeal to Indian students
Q: Is getting part time jobs easy while studying at Hult International Business School - UK?
Q: How good is Coventry University (UK)?
Coventry University is one of the renowned universities popular for its rankings, academic structure, facilities, research opportunities, and location. The university offers over 130 UG and 100 PG programs across four faculties. Coventry University also ranked no. 1 for student-staff ratio in midlands as per 'The Complete University Guide 2025' and rated gold for student experience as per the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023).
Priya Garg is a seasoned content writer and editor. With her rich experience in content writing, teaching and research & analysis, Priya believes in providing only the correct information which is also up-to-date. H... Read Full Bio
Statement of Purpose
Letter of Recommendation
Student Visa Application
Admission Essay Writing
Student Curriculum Vitae
Comments
(12)
L
a year ago
L
a year ago
V
3 years ago
3 years ago
You contact our experts here: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/apply You can also refer to: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/how-to-apply-to-universities-abroad-complete-series-articlepage-1064
Those who are preparing for the UK Class 10 exam 2025 are recommended to follow the tips below.
With proper planning and hard work, students can easily clear the UK 10th board exam.