How to secure admission abroad?

Let me tell you two routes. Both are real. Both happen every day.

Route 1 — The Easy Start:

1.   Find an agent

2.   Tell him "I want to go anywhere in the world. I'll do any course."

3.   Pay him the money

4.   Get admission where the college pays the agent the best cut

(because in-demand fields pay nobody — only the courses nobody wants pay agents. You know this. Don't be naive.)

5.   Graduate

6.   Start working full time in the job you were doing part time — i.e. full time in a store

(nothing wrong with that IF you planned it before coming. But I'm pretty sure your father didn't think that while spending $50,000 to send you abroad.)

7.   Now the real battle begins. Out of all the foreigners trying to settle in that country — you're in the bottom 25–50% at best.

8.   Sleepless nights. Not because of work. But because of this thought:

"I can't go back — I've spent too much. But this country doesn't seem to want me either. I don't know where to go."

Life starts easy. Least thinking. Least research.

But it ends in a poker game where your cards are in the hands of an immigration department that doesn't know your name.

Route 2 — The Harder Start. The Better End.

Focused. Researched. Planned. Sometimes overthinking. But the difference between being in the bottom 25% and the top 10% is usually just this — someone who thought before they moved.

Here's what it actually looks like:

Step 1: Don't rush.

This move takes 1.5–2 years to do properly. You need to set up your documents. You need to figure out how to illustrate your competence — not just list your grades but show what you can actually do.

Yes, you can get everything done in a random 8-month course at a random college. But technology is moving fast. A random course at a random place won't get you a decent job. It'll get you base pay, visa-renewal battles, and sleepless nights — all away from family. I've seen it happen too many times.

Step 2: Find what you actually want to study.

You can always change your field. You can pivot. But don't make abrupt jumps — they need to be planned and they need to start from home, before you even book a flight.

Ask yourself: What genuinely interests me? What skills do I already have that translate? What gap am I trying to fill?

Step 3: Know your financial reality. Honestly.

•    How much can you pay?

•    If taking a loan — how much can you actually secure?

•    Do you need a scholarship or can you manage without one?

•    How much money do you actually need for this move?

Let me give you a real example:

"I want to do Robotics. I can afford USD $25,000/year for 2 years. I don't have enough for living expenses, so I'll need to work part-time — in convenience stores, gas stations, food delivery, and cleaning jobs. Fine. But because it can take up to 4 months to land that part-time job, I need $10,000 backup cash or a pre-approved loan before I land."

That's a plan. That's someone who thought it through.

Step 4: Honest self-evaluation.

Ask yourself these questions before anything else:

•    When can I give my English language test? (Almost every reputable university requires one. If you're still in school, summer vacation is your best window.)

•    What are my grades? (Higher is better, but know the minimum. Some courses need 60%, some need 80% — it depends on the country, the university, the program.)

•    If going for a research degree — how will I show my competence? Do I have research papers, conference presentations, lab experience? If not, what can I do in the next 6–12 months to build that?

•    Who are my three references? (Most universities ask for three — professors, senior colleagues, managers. People who have actually worked with you. Which means: start building those relationships now, not the week before your application deadline.)

I did Route 2.

It took me 1.5 years of planning. I left India at 23, moved to Taiwan alone, and figured out most of it myself. Then Canada. Ph.D. in Physics. Now working as a scientist in Edmonton.

Did I succeed? Honestly, I'm not sure how to measure that yet. What I can say is that I've been able to position myself so that my skills are recognized not in one country but across multiple countries. Whether that puts me in the top 25% or top 50% — I genuinely don't know. But I'm reasonably confident I'm not in the bottom half anymore. 

That didn't happen by accident. It happened because someone like me, in this case, largely alone, thought before they moved. 

You don't have to figure it out alone the way I did. That's the whole point of writing this.

Whether you're a student reading this at midnight or a parent trying to understand what your child is getting into — feel free to reach out. I'm happy to answer your questions, your dad's questions, your mum's questions — as honestly as I can.

This is Part 1 of a series I'm writing for students and parents navigating study abroad — the real version, not the brochure version. Part 2 coming next week: How to find the right university and supervisor without wasting months going in circles.

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