Now, an e-way to enter your favourite college

The Dubai-based startup is the first to enter an e-commerce platform that facilitates admission processes to international universities.

 Any high school graduate who aspires to complete his higher education in a foreign university knows what an aggressive process the 'college application process' can be. From filing scores of application forms to writing the perfect 'letter of intent', graduates take several weeks or months to apply to different Universities, depending on the intensity of the university and course that they are applying to.
Making the application process slightly simpler, many education consultants in the UAE offer their services to students. The International education consultancies sometimes offer their services for free, or charge anything from Dh600 to Dh5,000 from the student as a 'consultancy commission or charges'. "Unknown to students, consultants' are paid a hefty commission by universities to recruit students," said CEO and co-founder of SchoolApply.com Daniel Bjarne.
To avoid the load of work in processing applications, students who're looking to apply for admissions to international universities mostly go to higher education 'agents'. Consultants partake in International school fairs, and market their companies aggressively on social media. "In some cases, universities pay consultants $15,000 per student for recruiting them," added Bjarne.
However, with SchoolApply.com, Bjarne and his team aim to make admission processes to universities smooth and stress-free. "There is still no major e-commerce player for higher education in the market," said Bjarne. The 10-month-old startup with its head office in JLT, Dubai, is probably the first to enter an e-commerce platform that facilitates the admission processes to international universities.
Bjarne and a team from SchoolApply spoke to Khaleej Times about how the website keeps students first with affiliation from over 4,000 universities globally. Bjarne has worked in education and tech at Google, Adobe, Education First, and Hult International Business School, and began the web portal with his business partner Eric Van Delden who has a decade-long experience in education.
As of now, the web portal has official ties with 30 top-ranking universities across the globe and will tie up with another 70 by the summer. "Some of the universities that we have signed up with include Kings College, UK; Michigan State University, USA; and Central University of Florida for example," said Bjarne.
The website is fully responsive and allows students to make their pick from a database of over 4,000 universities. Students can log in using either Facebook or Linkedin and undergo a six-step process to upload their applications.
Students can search using programme level, academic discipline, location, rankings - both international as well as School Apply rankings - and tuition fee. Other smart filters also provide students with locations and universities that they can consider to become part of the schools.
Currently, the website is trying to spread its operations to China, North Africa, India and other counties, especially since the demand for students to enter higher education is very high from the above mentioned countries. "In the UAE, many Emirati and expatriate students travel abroad to pursue their higher education. It is also common among students in Saudi Arabia as well as Qatar," he said.
However, the web portal also aims at giving individual attention to students. "We speak to students over Skype or a phone call once we have a registered interest," said Bjarne. He added: "We believe in giving that kind of personalised attention to students based on their needs, budgets, interest, etc." Students can upload transcripts, pictures, and other important documents onto the website as well.
Azzurra Hazelton, an education advisor with the website, said: "Once an application is completed and we've verified the information, we charge the students $50, with which they can apply to 5 universities anywhere in the world."
Six steps to choose the right varsity
1. Listen to your heart and head
They might take you in different directions, but both have valid points to make. Often it can be worthwhile to start by going straight to what you're passionate about, then starting to think carefully about that.
2. Be honest with yourself
Any sort of degree is a big commitment, but studying abroad is even more so. Make sure that this is something you want to do rather than something you feel you have to do. If you're doing it because you want to, it will be easier to keep going through the tough times.
3. Research carefully
Studying a degree can take anywhere between one to four years, and it can be quite expensive. Check university websites for official data, and student forums for a wider range of opinions.
4. Identify your requirements
Narrow down your search by deciding what you definitely want to do or want to avoid. It's best to set out some clear guidelines for your search. Here are some examples to consider:
>Only universities in a particular country/ world region
>No universities in large and busy cities
5. Choose your subject
If you're uncertain of what to study, you might wish to consider a liberal arts degree, famous for offering a more flexible curriculum. Otherwise, it would be wise to narrow down to a list of three or so subjects. If you're having a hard time with that, think about these questions:
>Which subjects do you most enjoy?
>What skills do you want to gain during your studies?
Source: Top Universities.com  
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com