Pursuing one’s higher education in renowned foreign universities has become extremely attractive because of the competitive advantage that such degrees offer in the global career market.
But, before taking a big leap into any academic program abroad, evaluating its prospects and considering some key parameters will spare you a lot of trouble. It is always wise to seek in advance whether the program you intend to pursue is worth your time, energy and money.
What should you know?
1. Validity
If you intend to come back to your home country and work here after obtaining your foreign degree, check whether the foreign degree is valid and accepted in your home country. If yes, then what would be the job prospects?
2. University Accreditation
International accreditation from a genuine body assures the quality of education you would receive from a foreign university. A valid accreditation will also help students and parents make a more informed choice. It allows students to gain a realistic picture of what an institution is really like in terms of quality, resources, student support and ethics. A proper accreditation will help a school, college, university, training provider or distance education provider demonstrate to international students that they are indeed a high-quality institution. There are many accreditation bodies, but be aware — a few may hold worthless accreditations from accreditation mills.
3. University Resources
While considering a university, other than the course it provides, you also need to check out the sources the institution provides to supplement and help pursue your studies. These include:
- University Premises
- Health and Safety
- Governance
- Library, Management and Staff Resources
- Learning, Teaching and Research Activity
- Quality Assurance and Enhancement
- Student Welfare
- Awards and Qualifications
- Marketing and Recruitment of Students
- Systems Management
- Compliance with Immigration Regulations, etc.
4. Ranking
Though popular rankings made by different organizations and academic fairs might give you an overall idea on universities, make your own informed decision.
Rather than blindly following the pleasing sales promotion and attractive brochures, you should connect with alumni who would be able to give you honest and faithful feedback based on their personal experience. You may get the required help from the online alumni registers provided in the website of various universities.
5. Reputation
While comparing the quality of educational institutions, try not to get carried away by its past fame. Instead, find out how far the institution has come, and the current facilities it offers. Seeking the number of Nobel laureates and PhD holders the institution has produced is also a very good indicator of the quality of the institution.
However, while you keep your fingers crossed about securing admission in a highly reputed university, you should also be aware that not everyone gets to study at Harvard, MIT or Oxford. Several factors including the candidate’s aptitude and financial conditions also play a significant role in acquiring admission in foreign universities.
6. Country
Another key consideration is the country you choose to pursue your higher studies. The US and the UK are two of the most popular academic destinations. Apart from these Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Singapore and Sweden are also popular. Some countries are more expensive than others while some others rank higher on the cultural diversity index. Choose based on the indicators that are more important to you.
How do you choose your destination?
Before choosing your academic destination/ university/institution or program it is always good to plan systematically and gather information about
- your aptitude
- level of education desired — undergraduate, graduate, PhD, Postdoctoral research
- subject of study and its professional prospects
- location of the institution
- the country’s culture
- medium of instruction
- duration of the program
- fees
- financial capacity of your family
- hostel facility
- standard of living
- possibilities of earning while learning
- possibilities of scholarships and other forms of assistance and financial aid
- your capability to adapt to the climate and culture
- student visa formalities
- Red flags
While doing your background research on the universities, the following things should raise a red flag which will indicate that the institution is not worth your money and time:
- Lacks accreditation by a recognised body
- The website of the institution is not up to the mark
- It has no library of its own
- Spelling mistakes in promotional materials
- Use of misleading or pretentious words
- Discount offers too good to be true
- No website or proper address
- Demands a substantial upfront financial commitment
Below is the list of 25 renowned universities that topped the 2018 top universities ranking list
- University of Oxford – United Kingdom
- University of Cambridge – United Kingdom
- California Institute of Technology – United States
- Stanford University – United States
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology – United States
- Harvard University – United States
- Princeton University – United States
- Imperial College London – United Kingdom
- University of Chicago – United States
- ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich – Switzerland
- University of Pennsylvania – United States
- Yale University – United States
- Johns Hopkins University– United States
- Columbia University – United States
- University of California – Los Angeles
- UCL – United Kingdom
- Duke University – United States
- University of California, Berkeley – United States
- Cornell University – United States
- Northwestern University – United States
- University of Michigan – United States
- National University of Singapore – Singapore
- University of Toronto – Canada
- Carnegie Mellon University – United States
- London School of Economics and Political Science – United Kingdom
Armed with the right kind of information, picking a good University can be a cakewalk
