Учеба за границей: как поступить, плюсы и минусы, перспективы после окончания вуза

The choice of country for study depends primarily on your academic goals. For example, engineering specialties are traditionally strong in Germany and the USA, humanities in France and Great Britain, and medical education in Canada and Australia.

It is also important to consider the peculiarities of the educational systems of different countries. In the USA, the emphasis is on the practical application of knowledge, in Great Britain – on deep academic training, and in Germany – on scientific research and applied development.

But in addition, you should not ignore a number of practical factors that directly affect the comfort and prospects of studying abroad:

• language of instruction and requirements for its level;
• cost of tuition and accommodation;
• rules for obtaining and extending a student visa;
• opportunity to work part-time and further employment;
• recognition of a diploma in other countries.

The cultural environment, climate, level of support for foreign students and access to medical services – all this also affects adaptation and the overall quality of life abroad. The more factors you take into account when choosing a country, the more likely it is that studying abroad will be not only high-quality, but also comfortable for you.

One of the most common mistakes at the start of preparation is choosing universities either blindly or with excessive caution. Some people simply take a list of “top 10 universities in the world” and start applying there without taking their chances into account. Others, on the contrary, are afraid to dream and choose only “reliable” universities that are guaranteed to accept (but which they don’t really dream of getting into).

In fact, the right approach is a balance between ambitions and reality: when the chosen universities simultaneously correspond to your goals, profile and real chances of admission.

How to make a list of universities correctly?

We recommend dividing universities into three categories:

• Dream — dream universities. Getting into them can be difficult, but these are the places you really want to go.
• Target — universities where you have a good chance of getting in and getting a scholarship. This is your “golden mean”.
• Safety — options where the probability of admission is close to 100%, and you feel confident.

Optimal distribution:
2–3 Dream, 5–6 Target, 2–3 Safety — a balanced list that gives both a chance and confidence.

What else is important to pay attention to?

To understand how suitable a university is for you, analyze several key parameters:

• Admissions requirements — evaluate how your GPA, language exam results (IELTS/TOEFL), SAT/ACT and other indicators meet the university’s expectations.
• Extracurricular achievements — Olympiads, projects, volunteering, sports successes — all this strengthens your application.
• Scholarships and funding — check where international students actually receive financial support.
• Deadlines and application format — keep an eye on the terms and conditions. They may differ not only by country, but also by program.

It is also important to study the program itself: its content, specialization, reputation of teachers, as well as the campus atmosphere, student support and career prospects after graduation.

Applying to a foreign university requires preparation in advance — usually 1–1.5 years before the start of studies. The deadlines and format of submission depend on the country, university, and type of program, but there is a general logic that is worth following.

Approximate deadlines for popular countries:

• USA: main admission — until January 1, early — from October to November of the previous year
• UK: until January 15 via the UCAS platform (and for Oxford/Cambridge and medicine — until October 15)
• Canada: most often — from December to March, but may differ by province
• Germany and France: admission in spring and summer, focus on April–July
• Australia: 2 waves of admission: for February and July, documents are submitted 6–8 months in advance
• Netherlands: usually until January 15 or March 1

Important: all deadlines apply to the submission of a full package of documents, and not to the start of preparation! It is worth starting in advance – at least a year in advance.

Our experts will help you collect a complete package of documents taking into account all the requirements of the chosen university.

Obtaining a student visa is an important step towards studying abroad. To pass it successfully, you need to properly prepare the documents, fill out the application form and, in some cases, pass an interview at the consulate or visa center.

The list of required documents may vary depending on the country, but most often includes:

• A completed visa application form (online or in paper form);
• A passport valid for at least 6 months from the expected departure date;
• An official acceptance letter from a university or college;
• Proof of financial solvency (bank statements, sponsorship letter, scholarship documents, etc.);
• Medical insurance covering the entire period of stay;
• Photos that meet visa requirements;
• Education documents (certificates, diplomas, academic transcripts);
• Certificates of language proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS and others, depending on the country and program).

We support students at all stages of the visa process: from the first consultation and collecting documents for study to receiving an offer. You can choose the format of assistance: from a one-time consultation on visa strategy to full support, including preparing a package of documents and preparing for an interview.

Sign up for a free consultation to find out how to make it easier to obtain a student visa and avoid common mistakes.

The cost of tuition, accommodation, food, transportation and health insurance in Europe, the USA and Asia can be very high. At SelfStartGlobal, we understand how important the issue of financing is, so one of the key priorities of our work is helping students obtain scholarships, grants and other types of support.

We are the only company on the market that specializes not only in admission to foreign universities, but also in finding and applying for scholarships. The total amount that our students have saved thanks to financing has exceeded $25 million.

Thanks to our original admission strategy, more than 1,400 of our students are already studying at the best universities abroad for free or with minimal costs.