8 Red Flags to Watch for in a Study Abroad Consultant
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Posted by Bhupesh sahu Filed in Other #Best Abroad Education Consultants in India #Overseas Education Consultants in Ahmedabad 1 view
Studying abroad is a dream that every student wants to fulfil. Some manage to succeed while others need a mentor to support them. Many students are often in a rush to fulfil their dreams and reach out to a study abroad consultant for help. They can help you choose the right country, college and course. Moreover, they also provide support in the Visa process, language test and cultural adaptation. There are many of the best abroad education consultants in India, who can help you through the process. But you can also fall into the trap of fraud if you are not careful. So, to avoid that, you must look for some red flags in them to recognise genuine ones. Thus, this article lists a few common red flags to watch out for in them. So, let's check it out!
8 Signs to Find a Fraud Consultant & Avoid Them
With the rise in the demand for students wanting to study abroad, more people are coming up with consultancies. While many are out there to help students, some are also waiting to trap them. However, it is not tough to find a scammer if you focus on the signs. Thus, in this section, you can look into a few red flags to watch out for in a study abroad consultant to make the right choice:
Guaranteed Admission
Firstly, this is one of the biggest red flags in a consultant. Admission into any college abroad depends on multiple factors. It includes your academic grades, CV, SOPs, competition and university criteria. So, it is not easy to get into them, and nobody can guarantee the process, as the final decision is in the college authorities. However, the right people say, your chances are high even though not 100%.
Visa Promise
Secondly, similar to the first one, no study abroad consultant can promise a visa. If anyone does, just run away from him. The Visa approvals are handled entirely by the embassies. Moreover, the immigration officers personally look into the applications and interview the applicants. They also schedule the dates for interviews, and the consultants have no say or control in this process. So, the best they can do is help you prepare for the process, but not take responsibility for anything.
High-Pressure Sales Tactics
Thirdly, if you're pushed to make quick payments and enrol without any clarity, then it's a sign. Studying abroad cannot be an impulsive decision, as it is linked to different aspects of your life. Thus, they should ask you to take time, compare options, ask questions and research before making any commitment. Anything they ask you to do other than this is a sales approach, and you should get away from it.
Lack of Transparency in Fees
Fourthly, the most common complaint students have against agents is hidden fees. So, if you do not get any written quote, vague pricing and extra charges for paperwork, then you must rethink them. Moreover, you must ask the study abroad consultant for a detailed and written fee breakdown. It should include services, their costs and refund conditions. If they are not ready to provide it to you, opt out of them right away.
Pushing Only Specific Options
Fifthly, many consultants have tie-ups with certain colleges and earn commissions for admissions into them. This can be a wrong call for you as that might not be the best fit college, and you end up in the wrong place. It can also impact your future. So, if they are only pushing particular options and if those do not match your profile, then rethink your choices.
No Written Agreement
Sixthly, the study abroad consultant must give a formal agreement. It must include the services, timelines, payment milestones, application and visa responsibilities, refund eligibility and duties of both parties. But if they are not ready to offer this and are only offering verbal commitments, do not rely on them.
Unrealistic Scholarship Claims
Seventhly, scholarships are competitive and depend on your eligibility. You must have good merits, test scores and availability. So, if someone says that everyone gets a scholarship, or it's easy or free or will recover the costs, then they are misleading. It's because part-time jobs rarely cover full tuition. So, this may sound attractive, but reality is not that easy. And anyone who makes it sound so is not honest with you.
Poor Knowledge
Eighthly, the best abroad education consultants in India are the ones with good knowledge. So, you must observe the answers you get when you ask for details. If the answers are generic, unclear or confusing, then you must opt for a different person. The right process is when they look into your background details and suggest the best-fit college to you.
Thus, these are a few red flags you must look for and avoid in any consultant. If someone has any or all of these qualities, then run away from them. Moreover, the right person maintains clarity and transparency with you.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is not wrong to take help from an expert in times of need. Moreover, they offer the best aid and make things easy for first-time applicants. But, if you fall for the wrong person, it can put you in big trouble; thus, this article highlights a few red flags to look for in the agents and avoid falling into any trap. However, if you want to skip all this struggle, just reach out to gradding.com experts. They have the best overseas education consultants in Ahmedabad, Noida, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and all across India. They are genuine, trustworthy, and transparent. So, reach out to them right away!
