Advantages of Meeting Universities Face-to-Face

MacDonald goes onto explain the value of key opportunities for prospective students to get more of the “human element” in their university search process: “Current students from the university can give excellent advice on the actual experience of being a student, while alumni can talk about how their qualification has helped them in their career, but admissions officers and other staff at seminars and education fairs can add the real detail to programs and entry requirements that the web often misses."

Where online research offers an almost unparalleled resource for many international students, however, is in both the volume of information about an enormous number of top universities and its ability to clearly explain the process of applying and, subsequently, becoming an international graduate student. 

Students can almost instantly compare the entry requirements of similar programs in different countries at the click of a mouse and some websites allow students to shortlist their choices and make direct and accurate comparisons.  

Jason Newman, Group Head of TopUniversities.com at QS, believes the role of internet and online research continues to be centrally important for any future graduate student thinking about studying abroad: “It is completely unrealistic to think that students can always visit an international university or meet with exactly the right member of staff before they make an application.

By searching online and consulting a range of web-resources, students can build a detailed picture of where they might want to study. There is no doubt that searching online and consulting resources like those at QS is only one piece of the jigsaw – but it is an important element nevertheless.”

Of course, many top universities and grad schools have successfully blended the online experience with a virtual face-to-face experience for international students who are simply unable to meet staff or travel overseas before they start their program. 

Whether through an interactive online platform, with embedded videos offering a flavor of campus life, or increased student-to-student advice through greater use of Facebook and other social media, the idea of bringing online information to life has been adopted by many universities for the benefit of their applicants and other future students. For those students looking for extra information or seeking the reassurance of something a little more human, these innovations can be invaluable.

But if the opportunity does exist to spend time with a university representative, either from the admissions office, the faculty or the current student population, nothing quite beats that time spent asking questions, discussing your options or simply getting a “feel” for a university and its programs as represented by someone who has “been there.” 

Unlike many decisions in our service driven international culture, there can be no doubt that choosing where to study for a graduate degree is not simply a question of online research. Indeed, where to study is as much of an emotional decision as it is one based on facts, statistics and university rankings and to make such a decision confidently, the human element has to be a significant factor in the equation.