5 Top Tips for Finding a University For Your Child

5 top tips for finding a university for your child by Michel Behrens

Choosing a university for an expatriate family is not always easy. We do not live in our home country or you may not even have what many consider to be their ‘home country’.

There are many factors that come into play when choosing a university for your child but the most crucial and sometimes most difficult one is to decide what to study. As a university counselor at an IB world school in Bangkok, I assist students with their applications to universities literally all around the world.

Tip #1: Research, research, research

Once students decide what field they want to study in, I encourage them to dig deeper into how universities structures their programmes. This is when students discover that even within the same field or degree, the course components and outlines vary a great deal. So my number 1 advice is to research course components and program structures and compare between the universities.

Let’s say your child wants to study Business. I tell my students to explore the different business schools, their courses, modules, internship opportunities, ability to combine their degree with a minor or a second major etc.  They will see that some have a strong focus on entrepreneurship and encourage their students to be innovative, creative and invest in their student initiated start-ups while other have the more classic Business & Management or Accounting type of approach. You need to really look at the course components to understand what your child would get out of the course and what their years at university would actually be like and whether this aligns with your personal goals.

Tip #2: Ditch the rankings

Rankings or league tables are often the starting point when looking at the quality of universities. But rankings give you zero information about whether the university is the right fit for your child. If you are just after the Ivy League bumper sticker, then by all means, go by rankings. If you care whether your child can be successful at a university and happy while studying there, ditch the rankings!

Rather than just going with a brand name, ask yourself where your child thrives. Do they do better in a small community environment or would they do well at a large campus? Does location or climate matter? Do they have certain interests or hobbies they’d like to continue at university? Would they enjoy a research-heavy environment? Does class size matter? Is religion an important aspect?

My one exception in terms of rankings are the largely unknown ‘Washington Monthly’ rakings: “We rate schools based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).”[i]

Another crucial point to consider is employment rate after graduation. While Exeter University Business School ranks higher than Manchester University Business School, graduates from Manchester may fare better in their employment after they graduate. According to a study by High Flier Research, Manchester came out third (compared to Exeter at 20) on a list of universities targeted by the UK’s leading investment banks, law firms and consultancies.[ii] 

Tip#3: Work with your school

Check whether your child’s school has a designated university counselor and go to meet them. If there is no university counselor, check how much their high school counselor is involved with assisting your child with his or her applications to university. While this may be the first time you embark on the process to choose the right university, educators are the experts in the field. Think about it! International schools are full of educational professionals from all over the world. These teachers and counselors are alumni from universities all around the world. What a wonderful pool of knowledge! Encourage your child to talk to their teachers about the university systems in the countries of their origin. Most international schools will have career guidance and university preparation built into the students’ timetable. Having worked in Bangkok for almost ten years, I know most of my colleagues at the other schools. We do this year in and year out so that you and your child can benefit from our experience. Use it!

Tip #4: Visit universities

If you can, visit the universities you may be interested in. Every year students tell me that as soon as they set foot on a university campus they knew they would love it, or that they would not. It’s a bit like looking for a new home: you kind of know as soon as you walk through the door.

So, if you have the chance, go travel and visit universities during the summer before their senior year. There are also organized tours that your child could join during holidays if you are not able to go as a family. If you are not able to travel and visit in person, visit with the university representatives that frequently travel to Bangkok. There are a large number of university fairs every autumn and spring with institutions from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and other countries. Most countries also have education sections connected to their embassies, such as Education USA, The British Council, The Goethe Institute (Germany), Nuffic Neso (Netherlands) etc. In Bangkok you literally have the world coming to you.

Tip #5: Compare the cost

Tuition fees vary a great deal. Not just from country to country but also between universities within the same country. While a bachelor degree in the UK usually takes three years, a degree in the US usually take four years. Check whether the university offers scholarships and if those scholarships are also available to international students. Many universities want to attract international students and offer specific scholarships just for international students. And most importantly, understand the difference between the tuition cost if you attend a university as a domestic student or go somewhere else as an international student. The difference is usually quite high. This requires quite specific research and you should compare each university once you have started to make a list of possible universities to apply to.

While choosing a university can be a daunting, these tips should help you get started with the process. Enjoy the excitement and encourage your child to look forward to a new stage in their lives.

About the author: Michel Behrens is the university counselor at KIS International School, an IB World School in Bangkok, where he worked for the past eight year.

[i]  The Editors. Washington Monthly, College Guide. About the Rankings. 2013. Web. January 15, 2014

[ii]  Andrew Marszal,“Warwick University 'top target' for graduate employers”. The Telegraph. Jan 2013. Digital Edition.