3 Ways to Prepare for Meeting an Educational Counselor

Studying abroad can seem like a challenging dream. All kinds of questions may arise after you’ve mentally decided you want to take your Bachelor's or Masters's abroad. What country should I go to? How do I find the best university for me? What are the requirements? How do I get a student visa? 

All of these questions are very normal but can be intimidating. This is why having a study-abroad counselor supporting you every step of the way can be so beneficial to achieving your dream. So Educatly is going to help you prepare for everything before you have your first call and meeting with your educational counselor.

The top ways to prepare for meeting an educational counselor:

1. Get organized

The first is easy: confirm your appointment and add it to your calendar so life doesn’t get in between. This first step will help you make a great first impression, and missing your appointment or not answering emails will not make you look interested. Before your appointment, you may need to send your counselor some documents such as your passport, your grades or transcripts, English exam, CV if you have one, reference letters… Ensure you have these handy or know how to access them so the process goes smoothly. If you want to be one step ahead and make the best impression, you could email the documents in advance. 

2. Know what you want

Be clear with what you want. Brainstorm the countries and majors you’d like to explore. Know the budget you have for university tuition. If you have this information clear in your mind, your counselor can guide you better through the opportunities around the world. 

3. Talk to your teachers, parents, or guardian

While sharing the news with your parents that you want to study abroad can be intimidating, this could be an essential step to make your experience more enjoyable and smooth. However, if you feel like you are not sure how to tell your parents, your counselor will be able to support you with this and even have a conversation with them for you. Share with your counselor if this is your case, and we can help you get an acceptance letter and all the specific details so you can show the full opportunity to them once you get accepted. 

It is also good to share with your teacher that you’re considering studying abroad. Not only could they be a great support system, but they can also support you with tips on getting the best grades and preparing for your university experience. Also, many universities will require a recommendation letter from one of your teachers, so having this conversation early could save you time!

4. Have an open mind

Remember that the counselor wants the best for you. So be open-minded about the opportunities shared with you. While it’s important to know what you want, counselors can guide you toward what you need and what fits you best. 

It is important to start off on the right foot, and some tips that will help you with this are:

• • Be open-minded about opportunities that you hadn’t thought of
• • Submitting all information on time
• • Being honest

Did you get excited to study abroad? Now is the time. What are you waiting for? Just sign up to Educatly and update your profile to get a personalized browsing experience. You can also browse through more than 40,000 study abroad programs all over the world.

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