1. Explore your options
Why do you want to Study Abroad?
It starts with a few considerations you’re making for yourself, for example:
- I want to learn differently
- I want to improve myself and my community
- I want to experience world-class education
- I want to develop a global perspective
- I want to widen my horizon and explore different cultures
- I want to learn a new language
- I want to build an international network to support my career
Once you have thought about your motive(s) to study abroad and come to the conclusion that this is really what you want to do you will hit a number of practical questions which have to be considered carefully in order to make sure that your study will really enable you to reach your goals and ambitions.
With so many courses and universities to choose from, deciding where and what to study abroad can be a daunting task. Don’t worry, we are here to guide you during the entire process. Our experienced counsellors work with you to understand your goals and aspirations to help find the perfect fit for you. You can reach out to us at LEAP Global Educational Consultants for a free counselling session anytime! Or first, check out why you should choose for us?
Which course to study?
Which course you choose is really dependent on your interests and in what you want to specialize. You can find universities for almost every major.
Popular courses are for instance:
- Art & Design
- Architecture
- Business and Management
- Finance, Financial Services & Risk Management
- Engineering, Technology, Robotics
- Data Science, Cybersecurity & Telecommunications
- Law & Public Affairs
- Medicine, Healthcare & Pharmacy
- Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology
- Energy & Sustainable Infrastructure
- International Relations
- Hospitality & Tourism
But there are numerous other courses out there, so do not hesitate to pick our brains.
At which university to study?
Usually, you can find a university to study the major of your choice in many countries. You are, for instance, not limited to select a university in a country where English is the primary language spoken. In fact, most international universities located in non-English speaking countries offer courses that are held in English; study abroad programs in Spain are a great example of this. Find out which university type is best for you, private or public?
Top universities per specialization:
-Business: Geneva Business School & Global Business School
-Fashion & Design: IED & Marbella Design Academy
-Sports & Health: Real Madrid Graduate School
In which city to live and study?
You will often find that within a country there is more than one university which offers the course of your choice. For example, in Spain you can study Economics in Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia.
So if you are in a situation with multiple options, LEAP can provide you with information about each city you might consider to enable you to choose the best match based on your cultural, educational or leisure-time interests. Other important factors you might want to consider are costs of living, proximity to the university, and a number of international students or English speaking citizens.
2. Plan a free consultation
We guide and help you with the selection of the right study course and institution, so you can take your future in your own hands. We provide you with all key information, like course content, tuition fees, entry requirements and deadlines.
In a personal remote/face-to-face conversation, one of our consultants elaborates on your individual situation and provides advice and recommended course of actions after carefully evaluating all your options. This is usually the first step before we pivot into an in-depth analysis of your career path, lay the foundation of your start-up or discuss legal possibilities for your study and work opportunities in Spain during and after graduation.
Your health and safety is our first priority – at the same time the world keeps spinning and we know your future plans cannot be postponed. We ensure your successful academic and professional planning in a time-efficient manner, providing you with 100% virtual assistance.
All of our academic offer for 2020 is transformed into blended study programs, so you can start studying as expected and are not losing your valuable time. While starting to study online, we ensure that you will receive the top-quality experience you deserve, utilizing state-of-the-art education platforms and technology.
3. Solicitation of university applications
Once you have accomplished the most important part of the process – to choose country, course and university it is time to get through the mundane task of getting admitted to your course. Depending on your nationality and the country you have chosen, this will be more or less complex. Still, in any case, it boils down to administrative bureaucracy.
As you probably do this only once in your life it makes sense to use an educational consultant who is specialized in this process and who can guide and help you with all key information, like course content, tuition fees, entry requirements and deadlines. A consultant like LEAP makes sure that all your documents are certified and acknowledged, and that the process is correct and comprehensive, so your chances of admission are maximized.
On your behalf, the educational consultant will communicate with the university and prepare you for potential challenges, like CV, motivational essays and entry interviews.
Once we succeeded in obtaining the conditional and final offer letter, we already made it half the way to your new life in Spain! The university will send you the acceptance and invitation letter to your home country and we can begin by arranging the next steps for the visa application.
4. Blended Learning
We are currently facing a global crisis with unprecedented travel restrictions and challenges. BUT from our experience we have learned that every crisis bears a lot of opportunities. In the educational sector for 2020 and 2021 this opportunity is called BLENDED LEARNING, aka Interactive Learning aka Fluid Learning. No matter the name, the principle is the same. You can start studying the first and/or second term in your new university in Spain remotely and transfer seamlessly to on-campus and face-to-face learning once the situation allows it. This will provide you with multiple advantages:
– Saving of funds that otherwise you would spend on accommodation and insurance in Spain during your remote studies
– Start studying as expected and not losing your valuable time due to the pandemic, while other students postpone their studies
– Gradual acclimatization to your new study environment
– State-of-the-art education platforms and technology for the highest quality education
– Higher chance of receiving the student visa since you already started the course
5. Apply for a Student Visa
If you are a non-European citizen and want to study in Spain for longer than three months, you will have to apply for a Student Visa. Again, an educational consultant will have collected vast experience with this process, which you can tap in to get all your documents and necessary steps sorted, in order to obtain either a European student visa or – if more appropriate in your individual situation – a tourist visa, non-lucrative residence visa, work permit, entrepreneurial, highly qualified professional or golden visa.
In a personal consultation you will learn about required documents, the application preparation, and forms. Your educational consultant will revise all your documentation to ensure the application is correct and complete.
Essential documents for your Spanish student visa from around the world include:
– Spanish private health insurance (ask LEAP for special deals that meet all visa requirements)
– Medical examination certificate
– Proof of financial sustainability (in 20/21 around 540€ per month, LEAP provides you the template document that is accepted by the Spanish Consulate or Embassy)
– Proof of accommodation (LEAP will support you in obtaining the best housing option for you, e.g. Room in a shared apartment, Studio apartment, host family, student hotel or residence)
– Legalization of (academic) documents
– Offer letter from the university
6. Book your flight in time
As you know plane tickets are usually less expensive if bought well in advance of a trip. Obviously, you should not buy a ticket before you have all necessary paperwork in place, i.e. your university admission and visa documents. However, as soon as you obtained all documents and permits you want to purchase your flight ticket, and this is also something your educational consultant can help you with.
When it’s time to travel a LEAP representative we will pick you up at the local airport, bring you to your accommodation and provide you an orientation for your first weeks in your new place of residence.
7. A perfect landing with LEAP
Last but not least there will be a few other administrative matters you will need to sort out, e.g.
• Opening a bank account
• Obtaining the residence permit (NIE/TIE)
• Fingerprint appointment
• Registration with the town hall (Empadronamiento)
8. Study start in Spain
Congratulations! At this point, everything is arranged and your new life in Spain can begin. In your first week at the university, you will benefit of their orientation program and meet your new friends, professors, and study facilities. If you need of any local support, like transportation, events, trips, or other topics, we are your local support on the ground.
LEAP provides you a helping hand where you need it the most – in the country where you study. We are looking forward to meeting you in our office to explain all the necessary things to settle in smoothly.
9. LEAP Career Accelerator Program
Many of our hard-working students are looking for options to support them financially during the studies. As a student in Spain, you can work up to 20 hours per week to gain experience and earn a little bit of money next to your studies. During summer break when there are no classes you can even work up to 40 hours per week to maximize your work opportunities.
After graduation or even during your studies as a part-time job, LEAP helps you to select and apply for a (paid) internship at different companies all over Spain. We maximize your chances by providing individually tailored support and feedback on your CV and LinkedIn profile as well as preparing you for the job interviews. Through our excellent local network of HR departments, we make sure you will work in your field of interest and the brand/company, which you admire.
In your final study year or after graduation, our experienced career consultants train you to find your dream job, in Spain or Europe and guide you in one of the most exciting and challenging times in your life through the LEAP Career Accelerator Program.
