An educational consultant is an individual who helps students and parents navigate through the complexities of higher education. Overseas consultancy is gaining ground today because more and more students wish to study abroad. Canada specifically is known for its high-quality education as opposed to the significantly low cost of living. Hence, it is a hotspot for overseas education. But reaching there alone is a little difficult. Hence, it is advised that students must rope in a good consultant for a better future. Given below are some parameters to assess the best consultants to study in Canada.
- The Two Es
The two important Es of consultancy are expertise and experience. Consultancy is not an easy job and requires good connections and understanding. Besides, all the other factors that will be listed below will be inhibited by only those consultants who have these two attributes. The long years of experience are a testimony to the fact that a consultant or a consultancy is in the business with some substance. Expertise is important to identify their area of interest. You won’t trust a cement company for making sanitary ware, right? Similarly, a company offering consultancy for the UK will not prove to be fruitful for Canada no matter how much experience they possess. Hence, the foremost factors that a client should look out for in a consultant are their expertise and experience.
Regarding expertise, the area of understanding should not just be the country. They should know about the courses and programs offered. Everything about the universities from location to amenities to fees must also be known to them. They should also make you aware of the multiple kinds of laws that shall apply to a student. Canada is preferred by most students because of the impartiality of the law towards immigrant students. The litmus test for experience would be a history of uninterrupted work of four to six years in the foreign education industry.
- Accreditation
Accreditation is a third-party assessment stamp proving that an organization has been working well in a certain industry. It is a license that states that the organization meets the standards met by the evaluating agency for a particular kind of work. A consultancy firm with accreditation is a guarantee that its services would be genuine. You are most likely to benefit from its advice. TOEFL, Pearson, ISANA, British Council, and ICEF are examples of a few accreditation agencies that certify a consultant or consultancy firm.
- The Services
The money charged by a consultant is fairly high. Hence, you would expect them to provide an all-around service. They should be able to provide you with a complete list of all the courses offered. This shall help you get a clearer picture of whether Canada will provide you with the course you would like to pursue or not. At times, you may be confused about what to pursue. An exhaustive account of all possible programs offered will also help you know what you wish to do if you hadn’t decided beforehand. Then they must provide you with information about the colleges and universities that offer your desired course. Make sure to know things like fees, the cost of living, availability of hostels on campus, location of the college (main city or countryside), etc.
Admission to these institutions requires a student to clear certain diplomas and other exams. IELTS is an English language proficiency test and is the most important of all exams. Other exams include TOEFL, GMAT, SAT, etc. So, the consultancy ought to tell you about all such exams so that you do not miss admission because of a certificate that you could have. A good consultancy will also guide you about the institutes to prepare for these exams.
Finance is an important aspect of higher education. Studying in a foreign land can be expensive because of the high conversion rate of domestic currency to the dollar. Hence, a consultancy firm must have estimates of the expected costs of living. Once that is known, students and their parents can calculate if they have enough resources to pay for it or not. If not, consultants must advise on available options of loans and scholarships and how to avail of them. Other services would include getting documents like a Statement of Purpose, student visa and others ready.
- Should Understand You
The consultant mustn’t be providing services to meet some annual goals and targets. They are taking fees from you and hence, should serve your purpose. The Internet is open to all to browse and know what all universities in Canada are taking admissions. However, it will not be a condition to know what you want or what suits your needs the best. Hence, it is a consultant’s job to understand your needs and shortlist those universities and colleges that will suit your purpose. Your needs can vary from courses to finance and feel free to put them across to your consultant.
- Reviews
The best way to be assured of the performance of any firm in any industry is the review system. Business directories will provide you with a list of consultancy firms around you. You can compare them by having an exhaustive study of the reviews. Reviews can be from experts or from people who have used them. Research them well!
- Performance
The performance of a consultant can be assessed from the past years’ results produced by them. If a consultant is good, their webpage will automatically show a record of achievers who took guidance from them. Compare the performance of different agencies well.
Conclusion
Overseas consultancy is a business and does run on profit making. Even if a firm or an individual wishes to work for social service, they will require money to carry out the necessities of a business and workspace. Consultancy costs are slightly high given the extensive nature of work and the kind of connections that need to be built. While researching a consultant, some people might be lured by the exceptionally low prices of some individuals while others may believe high prices to be a testimony to success. Both kinds of assessments are incorrect. Compare the prices charged against the services offered to have a holistic view. Also, make sure to check the above-mentioned parameters.
