US Admission Consultancies in India — Good or Bad?
Students from India who are planning to study in the U.S. usually encounter a few consultants for U.S. admission (typically known as US admission consultancies).
There are a few students who apply at U.S. universities on their own, by conducting research for relevant info. But still a lot of students prefer to apply at US. graduate schools through U.S. admission consultants in India.
So the important question here is this: Is it really necessary to apply at graduate schools through them?
Inside US Admission Consultancies in India
US admission consultants are nothing else but a yet another business entity. Their aim is simply to make money from students applying to U.S. by guiding them in the admission process.
Some of them are good in providing good consulting services. However, since most of them know that students are desperate to go to the U.S., they will try to exploit them.
These students usually approach such consultancies because they:
- Will not have any or substantial idea about the US university admission process.
- Are very desperate to get admission at a US university.
- Consultants give the guarantee to get admission in at least 1 university
- Are not willing to learn about the U.S. graduate school admission process
- Believe that universities suggested by them will fit their profile 100%.
US Admission Consultant Fees
The amount of money they charge for the services they provide is unacceptable. Typically, consultancies will charge Rs 10,000 to Rs 75,000 for applications in around 4 to 10 U.S. universities.
Such fees do not include the cost to forward GRE and TOEFL scores, but cover the following assistance and services:
- Selecting U.S. universities for you from their list of schools
- Provide Sample Statement of Purpose and Letter of Recommendation
- Pay school application fees
- Fill out and submit your applications.
These fees do not also include a review of your SOP, or resumé. Most counselors working will not have any clue about the actual U.S. admission process or have actually visited the US.
The things they say will make you think that they know each and every detail about the U.S. university admission process, but the truth is otherwise.
Still, there are some consultants who have really studied in the U.S. and are willing to provide good guidance. This article doesn’t apply to them at all.
There are a number of consultants follow this blog regularly. We frequently receive emails from them. They will charge students for counseling and request us to provide them information for their students.
Well, there is nothing much that can be done about that. But that’s the nature of the consulting business. Usually, they will get admission from the university they select for you, not from your actual choice of universities.
Self – Application to Graduate School
If you want to save a lot of money, it’s very easy to complete all the application process just by yourself. Even though it will be a brand new process for you, so many students have done it before you.
All you need to do is to follow them here. All information is available online, spend time searching for that info. Here at Happy Schools Blog, you can find all such information.
Hi HSB, this is s great blog, infos are useful. I read about the TVU case first time on HSB only and continued to track the other linked reply on the same issue. I believe it happened for good. Now, at least applicants can be more careful. I read about the replies and postings on agents and consultancies, it is true that education have become a business every where but consumers always have the right to choose. Sometime we do not see the fact like, if you are planing to go to USA for further studies and looking at spending 3000k to 4000k, why you choose agents who says they will guarantee admission for free or a meager amount. First of all not anyone or everyone is expected in USA, its huge pressure there and the tuition fee will definitely leave your parents sleepless. If it is not a good university do not expect a decent career after that. Good GRE/GMAT scores with strong essays and profile can only get you there, see competition and judge yourself. It is true that USA consultants are charging huge money, some even charge hourly more than 300 USD specially for financial aids applications, they do not ask you to pay upfront but will demand 10% of the total scholarship if approved. It make sense, they get paid if they deliver. Similar with other US consultants as they know their job. My advice for Indian applicants is that, do not believe on admission without good scores and hire consultants and not agents.
Good work. Keep it up!
my gre score is 970, toefl 80, 10th 78.5%, 10+2 78%, btech 64% which universities will fit for my profile?
please help me in selecting univerisities.
I want the qualification criteria for taking masters degree in IT, i didn't see those
I want to understand Admision qualification or criteria for taking masters degree in IT,So i didn't those requirements quarifications.
yea, students in india, please dont give away your parents money to a consultant. they are over-paid, under-worked glorified google searchers. none of the information provided by them is something that is not available on the universities websites or the visa website. many of these shady operators get cuts from the lower down univs in the US, and they will deliberately add that to all their clients lists, and then have all the other univs beyond their grades, this way the admissions will be tilted in their favor. also, the good universities are not stupid, they know when the SOP and LOR is fabricated, most students get the same SOP/LOR from the consultant. if you cant write ur SOP, are u really capable of studying for an advanced degree?
thanks so much for your valuable advice.Please do help me in the admission processing for us universities.In what way can I select universities that suits my profile.
Thanku