5 ways to save as much as possible on admission to a foreign university

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

If you are thinking about getting a higher education abroad and the cost of studying is not in the last place for you, pay attention to these life hacks that will help you save money at the stage of applying to the university. Admission can cost several thousand dollars without good planning. We will tell you about the ways to reduce the cost of this process as much as possible.

1. Extract with grades and diploma

For admission to all programs of higher education, be it bachelor's, master's or postgraduate studies, and sometimes even internships, you need to provide an extract with grades ("transcripts" from the English. Transcripts of scores) and a diploma. Or only transcripts for the entire period of study without a diploma, if studies have not yet been completed. Grades must be submitted, usually in English. There are two main paths to this.

The first option is quick and simple, but quite expensive: take the Russian-language version of the diploma and extract to a translation agency, where a professional translator will perform the translation work, and a notary will certify the authenticity of the document. The cost of such services can vary from 3,000 to 15,000 rubles. Moreover, not all universities understand why the diploma was translated by some notary and not issued directly by the university. In the United States, in particular, this will not always work.

The second option is budgetary, but more labor and time consuming. This is either to carry out the translation yourself, and then take it for signature to the dean's office, or arm yourself with chocolate and go with a fighting spirit to the foreign or international department of your faculty or university. With rare exceptions, problems arise at this stage. Department employees do not always know what to do, how and in what form to submit documents. With due persistence and frequency of appearances, you can get transcripts for free.

If the university does not meet you halfway and you carry the documents to the translation agency, order only one translation and several copies (preferably ten at once). This will help to significantly reduce the cost of the entire process.

2. Courier service

In most universities, in one form or another, it is required to send a number of documents by regular mail. Without this, the package of documents is considered incomplete and will not be accepted for consideration. If you live in Russia, then only daredevils will dare to send documents. Most have to turn to courier services. From the pros: delivery is carried out very quickly; you can be sure that the documents reached the addressee and handed over personally. For example, documents can be delivered from St. Petersburg to London in 2-3 working days. Of the minuses, of course, is the cost.

Depending on the location of the university and the number of papers, the cost of delivery varies from 2,000 to 7,000 rubles. Now imagine that you need to send 5-7 packages of documents. You can save money here on domestic shipments.

If you have friends abroad, ask them to send your documents to universities by regular local mail. In Europe and the United States, state mail, as a rule, works stably and costs a penny. Even sending documents to European countries within the European Union will still be much cheaper than if you sent them from Russia by courier services.

3. Application Fee

One of the main and, as it is considered, inevitable items of expenses for admission to a foreign university is the application fee. The cost of this fee varies greatly depending on the university and the country of study. On average, an application fee can range from $ 50 to $ 250.

To reduce the total cost of application fees, especially for US universities, there is one life hack for strong applicants. Email the director of the program you plan to enroll in about your financial situation and that paying this contribution will cause financial hardship in your family or you personally. Ask to either cancel the application fee waiver, or postpone the payment of the fee until the moment when you are admitted to the university (defer the application fee payment).

Important:it only works if you have excellent grades in your diploma, have achievements, write in good English, have a really difficult financial situation and are applying for a scholarship.

If you have an average background and you just want to save money, then it is better not to do this. There is a high likelihood of turning the program director and admissions officers against you. As a rule, with good writing and a strong academic background, at least half of the letters will return to you with a positive decision.

4. Tests

Passing tests for knowledge of a foreign language, as well as international academic tests such as GRE, SAT, GMAT, usually account for the lion's share of the costs associated with admission to a foreign university. But even here you can save money!

First, check the official test website before buying the preparation guide in stores. There you can download a sample form of the test and sometimes materials for it. If there is not enough information, then on the Internet you can find a lot of free resources for preparing for the test, as well as advice from those who have already passed it.

Secondly, international tests and exams can be taken in different cities and countries of the world. And it is not at all necessary to sign up for delivery at the test center nearest to you. The fact is that the cost of the exam may vary depending on the region. In developed countries it is higher, and in developing countries (especially in Asia and Africa) it is lower. The cost of delivery, for example, may differ by a couple of thousand rubles only on the territory of Russia.

Thirdly, learn more about the conditions for passing the test you have chosen. This knowledge will help you not to waste your money. At the end of the test, for example, when the result is unknown, the taker is asked to choose up to four universities, where the results will be sent free of charge. Once they are released, each test letter will cost $ 28. And even if the result is still unknown to you, it may make sense to take the risk. If the score is not high enough, it will be possible to retake the test next month and send a new certificate. If the university doubts your level of language proficiency, it will schedule an interview via Skype.

A foreign language itself, unless you are applying for linguistics, journalism or English literature, is not a determining factor in admission. It only shows that the applicant will be able to successfully assimilate the material and lead a discussion.

5. Opportunity Initiative Grant

This is an absolutely excellent scholarship for anyone planning to continue their studies in the United States. The scholarship covers the entire preparatory process of admission, such as: passing tests, application fees to all American universities, sending documents by mail, translations, obtaining a visa, flights and a settlement subsidy (subsidy for moving and settling for the first time).

Applications are accepted all year round. You can apply for a grant through the American Councils for International Education at any stage of admission. It is clear that if you have just passed the test, you can only get a refund for one test, and if you have already moved to the United States and will soon start studying at a university, the grant will cover almost all your expenses.

Important:the grant is in the nature of compensation, that is, you can cover only those costs that you have already incurred and you can document it. The later you apply (in the sense if you have the documents for admission to the university or you are already preparing to leave), the higher the chances of getting funding. The chances of candidates for admission to American universities are evaluated (that is, the points received for tests will be considered, correspondence with US university professors, the average diploma score, achievements can be attached), this determines not only the reality of receiving funds, but also their amount.