Where to start organizing an international education? After all, there are so many preparations, right? At this point, nothing better than seeking specialized help to help you with this task. After all, this is a step filled with very specific details and bureaucracy, dominated only by professionals in the area. That’s why it’s so important to know the best company to exchange!
However, how to find the best education agency? Hundreds of establishments offer this service throughout your country and there are many options for everyone. So, choosing the ideal agency can seem like a very confusing task.
So, which agency to choose? What criteria should be considered when choosing and what services are offered by a good agency? Read our 7 tips on the subject and have your questions answered. Check out!
How do education agency work?
The operation of companies specializing in the exchange service can be summarized in one word: support. The employees of a specialized agency are 100% focused on helping international students to have the most pleasant experience possible.
To this end, they make use of their knowledge of the bureaucratic procedures of countries abroad and, thus, assist the student in the most important processes of this new journey. Paperwork, contracts and work, study or tourism visas, for example, are facilitated by these professionals.
In addition, the education agency can make life easier for the international student in his/her country of destination, helping with housing, employment and all the emotional support so that he/she can have an enriching and not scary experience on the exchange.
How important is it to make a cautious choice?
As we can see, the education agency is very important to make the student experience abroad much more pleasant. Making a careful choice then ensures that everything goes as smoothly as possible.
Many parents want nothing but the best in terms of education for their children. This is why most choose to send their kids for an international baccalaureate program at leading international schools.
Relying on the support of an agency brings advantages in fundamental points, such as security. All this contributes to a much better quality of life and a great use of the exchange program!
How to choose the best education agent?
Now, it’s time to check out some tips so you don’t make a mistake when choosing the best company to exchange. Thinking about helping you make this important decision, we have separated infallible tips that will certainly make this task much simpler for you. Shall we check?
1. Talk to people who have already studied abroad
Good old”word of mouth” will always be the best form of advertising. For sure, there is at least one person (probably more) in your circle of friends or in your social environment who has already studied abroad. So, no shame: look for these people and chat with them!
Or, if you really don’t have any acquaintances who have studied abroad before, broaden your search even further: look for discussion groups about studying abroad on Facebook, for example, you can learn a lot by contacting them and, on top of that, you will also learn much more on the topic. Ask:
- which agency they went to;
- how was the service;
- what services were offered;
- how was the travel experience;
- if everything happened as promised;
- whether there was support during the trip;
- How was the cost-benefit ratio.
Nothing better than hearing opinions from those who have already used the service. From there, it becomes much easier to make a really accurate decision about that moment. Remember that exchange is a serious matter and therefore needs to be treated as such. All care – and research – is necessary during this trip planning period.
2. Read feedback and comments on the internet
When interested in an education agency, try to “dig” the internet as much as you can for comments. Consult social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), as dissatisfied customers often complain on the pages of service providers. The opposite can also happen – you can be excited by positive feedback!
Another channel widely used by dissatisfied consumers is the Reclame Aqui website. In addition, try to get the CNPJ of the agency you are looking for information about and search for its situation on the Federal Revenue portal – if there are any, irregularities will be pointed out there.
With a good search, it is possible to find precious information. If you don’t have much investigative skills, enlist the help of your friends and family to do this quest. Remember that you have to be thorough to make this decision!
And most importantly, don’t start your search by looking only for the negative aspects of a company. Positive feedback and interesting points can also – and should! – be taken into account. With that in mind, also look for the cool things these companies have done.
3. Look for agencies linked to well-known associations
A great advantage of the education agency is its connection with official associations in its sector.
Give preference to establishments that have connections with these institutions, as it is a strong indicator that the agency has undergone rigorous quality assessments to achieve certification.
While it is not a guarantee that the service will be satisfactory -after all, different experiences occur every day with different people – this connection with serious organizations focused on quality control is always a good sign that this is a really serious company. and suitable.
Preserving the suitability of the business, by the way, is something that should always be considered. Take this into account in your searches, as a collection of good influences is practically a guarantee that your trip will go as smoothly as you deserve.
4. Prefer establishments specialized in exchanges
When we look for a doctor, there is always a preference for a specialty, isn’t it? For example, there’s no reason to visit an orthopedist if you’re having trouble seeing long distances. This kind of thinking should also be applied when looking for an education agency.
The great demand for exchanges has motivated several companies in the tourism sector to offer this service: this includes travel agencies, operators and even language schools. It is a natural result of the demand for this type of service and, of course, these are companies that can be highly skilled.
However, give preference to agencies that specialize in exchanges – they will have more resources and knowledge focused on what you need, in addition to a long experience in the field.
This differential is undoubtedly fundamental and means that the employees in that environment, in addition to being qualified, have already dealt with many “cucumbers” and problems with travel. Added to the good reviews of the service on the internet, this shows that they know how to deal with challenges like no one else and that they are a great alternative to help you on your long-awaited trip.
5. Be wary of very low prices
Have you ever heard that cheap can be expensive? Well then, that saying has never been more true than in this situation. Now, it is important to listen to the voice of experience and not make fun of old popular sayings repeated by our parents or grandparents.
Let’s face it: studying abroad is not a cheap service – there are many products involved: external and internal transport (that is, round-trip airfare and transfer on arrival at the location), the chosen course (quality schools do not charge very cheap, although payment methods are easy), hosting, health insurance, and so on.
Even if agencies offer special values due to their partnerships with service providers, it is still not possible to do miracles. So, if the prices are far below average, be suspicious-maybe the course is not of quality or your place of accommodation is far from the central areas of the city, for example.
With that in mind, consider the value. The cost-effectiveness of the service cannot in any way be burdensome to you and your finances. However, keep an eye out when prices are far below the market average. Research many options and, from them, ponder which one seems to be the most reliable.
6. Choose an agency based or supported at the destination
Does the agency’s work end when the student boards? No way! On the contrary, after-sales is as important as any other step in the process. Especially for those who still don’t speak English, having an office or a person designated for on-site support gives enormous security.
In addition, unforeseen events happen, even with all the planning in the world. At this point, having someone to count on to help solve problems makes all the difference.
Imagine the following situation: when you arrive in your destination country, you find yourself completely helpless and alone. Being without your friends and family, in and of itself, is already a very difficult thing to deal with. Think, then, what would it be like to go through all this without support?
Therefore, having an agency that provides the necessary support for students abroad is essential. This support can have several origins, ranging from help in finding a job, school or housing, to the emotional support that many need at this stage.
7. Give value to differentiated service
This is perhaps the most precious tip. The quality of your experience will totally depend on how your service was handled from the beginning. The consultant who does the service must have fundamental characteristics to establish a relationship of trust between you and him: cordiality, attention, patience, kindness, sympathy, empathy, availability, among others.
He will be the main bridge between the dream and its realization. When you hire an education agency, a lot is at stake – your life’s dream, the step that will make your career take off and all the new experiences that will be lived. Can you imagine putting all this in the hands of a person (or a team) who won’t have the patience to solve your doubts, who will answer with laziness, antipathy or even contempt?
If you look for the agency without being sure of the type of exchange you want (which course to take, where to stay and even which country and city of destination), the excellent service will start to appear right there. A great establishment will help you find the type of trip that best suits your profile-this sensitivity is expected of every good consultant.
But what characterizes a good service, besides friendliness, patience and sensitivity? The transparency. The consultant must be sincere and objective when passing the information to you – it is not interesting to have unpleasant surprises when arriving at the destination and, therefore, everything must be very clear before boarding.
This means knowing exactly what the chosen course is like, the housing (homestay or student accommodation), what your health plan covers, who you should ask for help if you have a problem. Anyway, a good consultant will make you comfortable, confident and secure with all the information!
What are the benefits of choosing the right education agency?
Over the course of our conversation, you have probably already realized the advantages of making a good choice when deciding on an education agency, right? However, how about we synthesize everything we’ve learned so that the visualization becomes even simpler and more objective?
Below, you will see a list of some of the most outstanding benefits of a good decision. Check it out below:
- emotional support in the study destination;
- support for finding housing and other services in the country;
- more security;
- guarantee of quality education;
- more beneficial travel experiences;
- less worry about bureaucracy and other problems.
Studying abroad is a time of discovery and unique experiences. Therefore, the student needs to be completely focused to immerse himself in this culture, make new friends and acquire all the necessary knowledge. With an education agency, this becomes perfectly possible!
As we can see, choosing the best education agency to study abroad is something that requires a lot of attention and care. Not by chance, many details need to be taken into account when making such a decision. With that in mind, do a lot of research and get in touch with the agencies that seem most promising to clear your doubts!
