Every year, there are thousands of Bangladeshi students applying to universities abroad for further studies after completing HSC or A-Levels. Since most universities overseas require applicants to have finished their high school education to be eligible for most of their undergraduate programs, HSC and A-Level students are encouraged to apply as soon as they complete their final examinations.
Different universities have various different requirements depending on the type of degree that they offer, so students should keep certain things in mind before applying for further studies abroad.
Research your options
Before deciding on a specific program, applicants must do an ample amount of research on certain requirements that they need to meet in order to be eligible. Different programs might have course-specific requirements and pre-requisites that must be kept in mind before applying.
Since it is very important to make a properly informed decision, feel free to leave emails or contact any officials directly through the contact details provided on their website, Linkedin or Facebook. Universities usually have a designated international student office dedicated to helping prospective international students and they are happy to help you out.
Additionally, students should consider other factors while studying abroad, like accommodation, tuition fees, and campus life. A common mistake students make is not taking into consideration additional costs that they might be subjected to, due to the standard of living in specific areas and hidden costs like, health insurance and travel expenses.
Apply!
After choosing your university and program successfully, it is time to thoroughly check out their program-specific requirements and required documents in order to apply.
Most universities usually require an English proficiency certificate like IELTS or TOEFL, And it is better to do it as fast as possible after your HSC examination. Additionally, some universities in the USA might require you to pass standardized tests like SATs. It is ideal for students to do this keeping some time at hand, in case they do not get satisfactory results on the first try.
Some universities might ask you to write a motivation letter or a statement of purpose for their application. It is very important to keep track of the application deadlines as you don’t want to miss them. Application processing times might differ from institution to institution but roughly take up to 6 weeks.
Hearing back!
After your application has been processed, you will hear back from your university via an acceptance letter and offer letter. If you get into multiple programs within the same university, you can take some time to choose which one is the best suitable option for you.
In some cases, universities offer conditional offer letters that require you to meet certain requirements before getting accepted. It is very important to properly read through an offer letter before accepting it.
Applying for a student visa
The next step after accepting an offer letter is to apply for your student visa. The student visa application process might differ from country to country and you should look up the required documents in order to apply for a student visa. Different countries have different formalities that need to be met, so it is very important to carefully fill out and submit the student visa application as soon as possible.
Getting ready to go!
Upon receiving a student visa, one should make necessary preparations for leaving the country. There are a lot of things that come up last minute before your departure so it is important to keep in mind beforehand. Students should set up a student bank account and health insurance plans before moving to their country of stay. It is ideal to have accommodation set up before your departure. Additionally, one should have exchanged foreign currency in hand when traveling to another country.