What to prepare for 'changes' in studying abroad?

International students in Australia - Photo: ASIA TIMES

Preparing for the 2025 spring admission period in many countries, many students have had to worry about studying abroad documents since the end of July 2024.

An upcoming trend is that major universities will not require essays when applying, instead they will focus more on extracurricular activities and personal projects that students have participated in.

Mr. Pham Hoang Phuc

"Unpredictable" studying in Australia?

2.25 times is the increase in the fee for applying for an Australian student visa, officially applied from July 2024. Specifically, the Australian Department of Home Affairs informed that the Australian student visa (visa 500) increased "all at once" from 710 AUD (12 million VND) to 1,600 AUD (27.1 million VND). In case of traveling with relatives over 18 years old, the visa applicant must pay an additional fee of 1,190 AUD (20.2 million VND).

Mr. Hugo Nguyen - representative of Sydney University of Technology (Australia) in Vietnam - said that many parents feel that this increase is quite high, but in general, it does not affect many families who are financially ready to send their children to study abroad.

When consulting on study abroad preparation, counselors or school representatives often remind parents to prepare in advance for unexpected increases in fees due to policy changes.

In addition, during the recent admissions for the fall 2024 semester, many students were surprised by the long visa application process. Previously, it only took about 2 weeks to get a student visa. But under the new regulations, some applications have to wait up to 45 days or even longer. There were cases where they almost missed the visa application deadline.

Therefore, when applying for studying abroad in the spring semester of 2025, according to Mr. Hugo Nguyen, students should make their study abroad decisions at least 3 months before the official enrollment date to avoid risks.

From July 2024, another notable regulation issued by the Australian Department of Home Affairs is to stop converting tourist visas (visa 600) to student visas. Students who are in Australia and own temporary work visas after graduation (visa 485) will also not be granted a student visa again. These students are forced to return home if they want to apply for a second student visa.

Mr. Mai Viet Thuy - Principal of University Preparation College (Australia) - said that these regulations are aimed at tightening illegal immigration cases. In general, if the purpose and documents of studying abroad are clear and transparent, Vietnamese students do not need to worry too much about failing to get a visa.

However, students from some localities, such as some central provinces, may have more difficulty obtaining an Australian student visa because many students from these localities have previously been blacklisted by immigration authorities.

According to Mr. Thuy, one piece of advice for students is to refer to the list of occupations that are in short supply in Australia when choosing a major. Of course, the student’s interests and strengths will still be the top priority, but students should look through these lists to find majors that overlap between their own desires and Australia’s labor needs. This way, students will have more opportunities not only when applying for a visa but also with plans to find a job or settle down.

More changes in Canada, US

Mr. Thai Dung Tam - Southeast Asia admissions representative of Vancouver Island University (Canada) - said that as Australia's visa conditions become increasingly tighter, students are considering other markets such as the US and Canada.

He said that in 2024, many parents said they were switching from Australia to the Canadian market. Visa processing times have been shortened to just 14 days, in some cases to just 10 days.

In the US, Mr. Pham Hoang Phuc - Vietnam market director of Ingenius Prep Education Organization (USA) - said that in the upcoming spring admissions, many US universities will require the SAT exam again. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some schools reduced the SAT exam in the application of candidates. Now, many schools in the Ivy League system require this criterion again.

According to Mr. Phuc, competition for admission to top universities is becoming increasingly fierce with acceptance rates gradually decreasing. For example, 10 years ago, the acceptance rate of Harvard University was 11%, but now it is only 4%. The reason is that more and more students are applying, while the resources of the schools are limited. This leads to increasingly fierce competition for admission and makes it more difficult for students to hunt for scholarships.

In particular, Mr. Phuc revealed that there is information that some universities are researching to completely eliminate the essay when considering admissions due to the strong development of AI applications such as ChatGPT, which are having many impacts on candidates' essays.

Still have to invest in English

According to Mr. Thai Dung Tam, in the upcoming admissions period, many universities in Canada may reduce IELTS entry requirements to attract more international students, especially those schools that currently require IELTS entry from 6.5 to 7.0. Some schools may create more conditions for students who do not meet the English requirements to participate in supplementary classes before entering the official program.

"When you decide to study abroad, you should know that English is the most important. If you plan to study abroad, invest as much as possible in foreign languages," said Mr. Tam.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuan-bi-gi-truoc-bien-dong-du-hoc-20240722084334759.htm