In June, I joined the seminars from the leading British universities. Everyday I receive questions about admissions, as well as the differences between universities and their requirements. Let’s take a look at how the pandemic has affected the admissions process to higher education in the UK and Abroad.
We must admit that all of us, educational institutions, parents and representatives of educational agencies, including me, have found ourselves in a difficult situation.
All visa centres are closed, you can’t pass language exams, as test centres are also closed, and there is no clarity about when it will all end. But‼️
At the same time, not everything is as bad as it looks at first sight:
- Everyone, including the selection committee, are working remotely. Students who are planning to study can more carefully prepare for the admission process itself and even send documents for consideration in order to receive a letter on conditional admission;
- There are a number of colleges and universities that will accept the less popular Duolingo language exam, which you can take online and get results within 48 hours for just 49 USD !!!
- If you need help with language training, many schools in the UK, Canada, and the USA offer online courses now, including IELTS Preparation. In fact, if you begin to study now, you can prepare for admission without loss of time and it will be cheaper – because staying in the country could still cost you more!!
- Some universities, understanding the situation, are now forming a scholarship fund.
- There are a number of universities that have translated their programs into an online form, and even think they will be able to offer to start their studies in September\/October 2020 if the situation does not change.
For example, there are a number of graduate programmes in Europe that offer online education with the opportunity to attend the last semester for full-time studies and retain the right to apply for a Post-Study Work visa (up to 18 months).
Of course, I have only covered the main points without referring to the details of each country.
I want to believe that everything will work out soon, and all these are only temporary difficulties.