APSACS
Career Counseling
&
International University
Placement Program
By
Riaz Ahmad (SCC)
Army Public School & College (Boys)
Peshawar
Round – II
International University
Placement
Pakistan First!
Foundation Year
In Pakistan, Intermediate (FA/FSc) is of 12 years &
A’ lvl is 13 years
Internationally, the intermediate spans over 13 years of
formal education
The students who have done their Intermediate (12 years)
will have to do a Foundation Year before starting their
Bachelor degree in order to equate themselves to
international standards of education.
Direct entry into BS Programme on 75% and above.
The Foundation Degree is completed in 9 months
…Cont
In some cases a student may not get a joint visa
for Foundation & Bachelor degree
Visa renewal is required after the Foundation
Year
International Admissions
Application Procedure
Following should be borne in mind:
Time Frame:
It is a time taking process so planning must be done
1 x year prior to commencement of classes
Study gap of more than 6 x months is strongly
discouraged
Documents preparation is also a lengthy process &
needs meticulous maintenance.
…Cont
Academic Requirements:
Academic documents are the most important part of
admission process.
These include:
Academic Transcripts & Certificates
CCAs’ Certificates
Recommendation Letter(s)
Proof of Community Work
Internship (optional)
Proof of English Language proficiency (IELTS,
TOEFL, etc.)
Financial Requirements
Getting admission & going to a foreign university
is expensive
Parents have to be taken onboard as they are the
final decision makers
Maintained bank statement(s) (3-6 months)
1 x year course fee + living expenses
Online Credibility Interview
Foreign Universities take Skype/Online Credibility Interview to
ensure whether the student seeking admission is genuine
It is a 30-40 min interview conducted by an International
Admissions’ Offr
…Cont
Skype Credibility Interview is research based about the
foll:
The student
Parents, siblings, source of income & available finances
Justification of choice of study course
The relevance of study course with student’s future plans
Relevant career options upon completion
…Cont
Title & fee of the Course, start/end date,
outline/modules, number of semesters, etc.
Plan upon completion of course including:
future job/post
intended name of organization(s)
expected salary package
short-term & long-term career plans
Statement of Purpose (SoP)
Statement of Purpose is an essential component of
the university & visa application
- SoP is an essay of minimum 500 words & must
cover:
A brief introduction of the applicant & his family
Academic background vis-a-vis future course of
study
Reason for choice of destination/country
Details of finances & sponsor
…Cont
Applicant’s latest research on chosen subject
Future prospects & career options
Career plans upon return to home country
NB: Skype Credibility Interview & Statement of
Purpose should cover the same set of arguments.
Major Int. Study Destinations
USA UAE
UK Turkey
Australia Norway
Canada Sweden
New Zealand China
Germany
Malaysia
The Basics of International University Placement
Students should start the admission process at
least
6 x months prior to the commencement of
classes
University website is the most authentic source
for all the required information
In most of the countries, students are allowed to
work part-time 20 x hrs/week
…Cont
ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for
Overseas Students) applicable for study in Australia
with an additional cost, approx. A$300/week
Post Study Work rights
Sandwich Course
There are some UK universities that conduct their
own free of cost English language test online or in
Pakistan in place of IELTS.
…Cont
Following Letters are received after meeting all the
academic & financial requirements for enrollment & visa
application:
UK: CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies)
Australia: eCoE (Electronic Confirmation of
Enrollment)
USA: I-20
Canada: Letter of Acceptance (LoA)
It is Always Better to Know…
The geographical location & capital of a country
Int. students’ saturation in a particular city
Currency conversion & fluctuation
Job opportunities related to the chosen course
Travel-time/distance from home country
Universities’ ranking
Availability of Local food/Home food
Fee Structure
Fee structure varies for every university & study
destination
The fee structure may range from US$ 8000 -
US$ 25000 & even more for International
Universities
In Germany, education is free of cost for all the
public Sector Universities; living expenses not
covered
The fee structure of each country is subject to
foreign currency fluctuation
Living Expenses & Accommodation
Students must learn & practice sensible financial
management
They need to display fine values, religious
injunctions, family’s repute, traditions & customs
Accommodation is expensive e.g. in Australia &
USA it is much higher than the UK & Canada
The main cities of every country are expensive to
live than the suburbs
…Cont
Students are allowed to work for 20 hrs/week &
full time during vacations
Students who are studying Foundation are not
allowed to work part time
Exceeding allowed working hours may risk the
visa status & imposition of legal implications
Living On-campus is more expensive as compared
to Off-campus
…Cont
Country Living Expenses
Australia $21,041 /Annum
UK Approx. £ 12,180 outside London
&
£14,500 in London
USA
Approx. $12000/ Annum on Average
Canada Approx. Can$ 20,000 to Can$ 30,
000/ Annum
Germany
Approx. €10200 / Annum
Scholarships
Fully-funded Scholarships are highly competitive & merit
based
Higher Education Commission (HEC) also offers foreign
universities’ scholarships
Universities regularly offer partial scholarships
Each year Chevening & Common Wealth Scholarships &
YES (Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study) are
announced for developing countries. These Scholarships
are mostly fully-funded but highly competitive
Harvard, Stanford University, University of Toronto Fully
Funded Scholarships are regularly uploaded on APSACS
Website
Scholarship Positions: https://scholarship-positions.com/
cess
Admission in a foreign university does not suffice
without a valid visa
Visa file should be submitted at least 3 x months
before commencement of university classes
Attainment of visa is a lengthy process & requires
a lot of documents, time & intensive effort
Visa Documents Checklist
Generally, fol. documents are required to submit a visa file:
All academic documents
Certificates of CCAs incl. community work & internship
Proof of English language proficiency
Financial Evidence incl. (Bank Statement & Bank
Maintenance Ltr. maintained for at least 3 x months)
Birth Certificate, NADRA Family Registration Certificate
(FRC), Hospital Card (place of birth) & CNIC of the
applicant & the parents
…Cont
• Affidavit of Financial Support from Parent(s)/Guardian
• Documents of property incl. agricultural & commercial
land, sales deed, etc.
• Tax returns
• Proof of income
• Bio-data pages & visa stamped pages of current &
previous passports (if applicable)
• Statement of Purpose
• Medical Report, Polio Card & Covid-19 Test, etc.
Note: All documents must be translated in English &
notarized (attested) from the Sessions Court
VISA Interview
It is a formal interview & requires
preparation
It is taken by a visa officer
It is conducted to verify the confidence level
& the research a student has carried out
about the admission process.
Note: Details shared during the Visa Interview &
University’s Credibility Interview should be similar
Safety & Security Rules
On reaching the destination International student
should:
immediately inform the International Office of the
University about arrival
follow all rules & regulations of that particular country
& be prepared for the cultural difference
…Cont
keep passport & other important documents safely
inform the immigration office if immigration status
changes
students’ focus should not be on high life or a party
time
do not expect to get a white collar job during studies.
Practical life is going to be really tough
R em
em b
Do not panic er
Be organized
Be Proactive & not Reactive
Never violate the Law
Keep your goals in mind & avoid frivolous activities
Remember each student is an ambassador of his
Religion & Country
