Applying to an international university is a big decision.

Not only is it about the expense but also the experience that can easily swing from being great to harrowing, if not thought through properly. Knowing more about your own goals from life, understanding the value being added by the program you choose towards achieving those goals, and following a well-thought out plan rather than following the herd would ensure that this becomes a life-changing experience!

Once you decide to go for it, there are a few things that you need to start working upon:

– Chalk out your goals for the next 10 years

– Identify the steps you need to take to reach those goals

– Start building out the skeleton for your Statement of Purpose (SoP)

– Research the course(s) that would best fit your goals

– Find out the ranking of the universities for the course(s)

– Check out the country visa friendliness, language requirements, financial aid/loan/scholarships/assistantship options, alumni network (DO NOT FOCUS on the previous employment statistics as they change year-to-year and are largely dependent on the economic conditions prevailing at the time of your passing out)

– Check the application requirements including standardized tests (GMAT/GRE/TOEFL/IELTS)

– Schedule the tests and prepare for the same to get good scores (though not a necessary condition, it is the easiest metric to screen out candidates)

– Based on your score, identify a set of universities that you would like to apply

– Do detailed research of the course you are applying for including the course objectives, understand the culture of the country and the university, to understand and align your targeted goals

– Develop customized application packets for each course you apply to

The application packet is evaluated in its entirety and the evaluator is looking to genuinely understand your unique strengths, your goals and trying to fit you into the class in a way to enhance the course objectives. So while assessing each application, the evaluator is looking to answer 2 questions:

– How will this person contribute to the course objective?

– How will this course help the person achieve his/her long-term goals?

The secondary questions that (s)he is looking to answer:

– Is this person going to become a brand ambassador for the program?

– Will (s)he have tangible benefits that can be highlighted (increase in pay, growth in the job, future recruiter) to potential candidates?

Therefore, a well thought-through application packet, through its different components, should attempt to answer these questions in a succinct manner.

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