Ops-Normal.org

My god daughter is determined to apply for a Masters at ACAP, Sydney. Smart kid, cum laude on her first degree from Manila.
Her cohorts are advising her to use an agent to secure the place and help with the inevitable visa issues.
Is this normal practice? Presumably the 'agent' expects recompense for the work - do Colleges there fund this by some sort of 'finders fee' kick back or is this a superfluous service, a direct application is more sensible.

I skimmed the ACAP website - looks pretty straightforward. I'd go direct. There's a new simplified student visa system in place as of this month, so that probably takes away whatever most of the hassles were.

From my experience helping UK students apply abroad, and having international students at Uni in Canada, the problems usually stem from:
1) Poor English language skills
2) Difficulty with accessing all student academic records, including high school
3) any criminal record.
4) If the Phillippines is a dodgy country for academics - I don't know this (e.g. cheating is rife in India, China, etc. This last one ought to be important, but seems to be less so these days. Quite a few universities are more interested in the money, for undergraduates anyway. I should think cum laude will make this a non-issue though).

If all of these are fine, then I doubt there'll be any big problem. ACAP says it has over 100 International students, and I should think several of them are from the Philippines.

If her cohorts are advising an agent, ask for specifics on what agents have done in the past that proves difficult direct.

@Fox3,

Many thanks - there was a whiff of exaggerated claims of "leverage" by the Agent. Direct application it is.

Direct application.


Being able to support yourself is another one to be covered.
Because illegal students working is a hot topic here.

Since she is looking at a Masters, I would also recommend direct contact with the faculty. This can be under the guise of asking for specifics about program elements, or modestly asking if any extra courses are recommended for a Phillippines student with her quals, etc. This can help later if there are hassles with Admissions. Make a couple of contacts, say with a follow-up question after the first, then casually ask if there's anything she needs to be careful about with the application. Mention when she's applying. Gets one's name known, and can reveal the best procedure. Generally this will get handled by the faculty admissions prof and/or the faculty secretary, both of whom are usually helpful types who will then keep an eye out for trouble without actually needing to be asked. Be sure it isn't something that's answered online/prospectus though, or they'll think she hasn't read the blurb. Other students of mine going for a post-grad have found this useful and successful.

@Fox3 - excellent, message relay in progress....

Let us know how it goes - feedback keeps the advice accurate