Tips for Meeting Universities at the Global Study Abroad Fair

The Global Study Abroad Fair is coming up! It'll give you a great opportunity to meet, chat and connect with live representatives from schools all over the world. 

But how do you make use of this opportunity to chat live with school recruiters and ambassadors? Here are our top tips on what to ask, as well as what you should know about the Global Study Abroad Fair.

1. Visit the booths of different exhibitors

When you attend the fair it's a good idea to shop around and look at universities in order to open up your options. After the fair, most students tell us how many opportunities are out there that they hadn't considered before.

2. Don't be shy to strike up a conversation with a school recruiter!

Some students are nervous about asking the "wrong" question to university recruiters and jeopardizing their application. Please don't be nervous - university recruiters have signed up to attend this event to meet students just like you!

However, if you would like to take the time to make a great impression here are some tips.

• You might be asked to take your text chat to a video chat. You can prepare a quiet environment and make sure that you're comfortable with how you'll appear to the recruiter. You'll also want to have a webcam and microphone available to you have them on a device.
• Be ready to get some questions about you! Some typical ones might be why you are interested in studying abroad, what your goals and motivations are, what interests you about the university, what programs you're interested in, and what your academic life has been like so far.

3. Ask questions at the event that might be difficult to get answers from emails.

The great thing about a live event is that you can chat with recruiters in real time instead of waiting for answers via email. Think about what's important to you in your study abroad university and get a clear answer immediately. 

4. Chat with student ambassadors to get insider answers on student life.

While you're welcome to ask recruiters how the international student community is supported, or what the upsides and downsides are at a university, there's no one better to ask than a real student attending the school right now! You can approach student ambassadors to get the scoop on what it's really like to study at the school.

5. Come to the event prepared with questions

What's important to you when you study abroad? If you're not sure where to start here is some inspiration to help you get started:

Sample questions for recruiters

• How many of your international students complete internships while studying?
• What sort of resources do you have to support international students?
• What are your tuition fees? Do you have any scholarships?
• Can you give me details about this program that I'm interested in?
• What kind of careers do students go into after studying the program that I'm interested in?
• When is your application deadline? Can I get a link to your application?
• What are your requirements for students from my country? For example converting your grades or which standardized tests you might need to take.
• What do international students like best about your school?

Sample questions for student ambassadors

• What made you choose this school?
• What are the best and worst aspects of your study experience?
• How are your classes being delivered during Covid-19?
• What is your neighborhood like?
• How did you find student housing and what is it like?
• What is your experience like of the teaching quality?
• What is your cost of living?
• What's your plan for after graduation?

Remember - you'll have the best ideas of what you want to ask universities so these are just a starting point.