A student in Vietnam is researching colleges abroad. It is evening for them and early morning for you. They have questions: what English score do I need, how much are fees for international students, do you help with visas, is there accommodation? They send the same questions to five institutions. The first to reply clearly gets their application.
International student enquiries are valuable and competitive. They also arrive on a schedule that rarely matches your admissions office hours.
What international applicants ask
- What are the entry requirements for international students?
- What English language test and score do I need?
- What are the fees for international students?
- Do you help with visas?
- Is accommodation guaranteed?
- Is there support when I arrive?
- What are the application deadlines?
Time zones make speed harder
When your office is closed, the applicant waits. A reply the next morning may arrive in the middle of their night, and a follow-up question adds another day. Hotels face the same problem with international guests, described in late-night hotel enquiries from other time zones. The general approach to serving customers across time zones is covered in serving customers in other time zones.
Answering in their language
Student (in Vietnamese): What English score do I need for the business course? Assistant (in Vietnamese): For the business course, international applicants usually need an overall English test score at the level shown on the international entry requirements page. If you haven't taken a test yet, the international office can advise on accepted tests.
SpideyChat for education providers answers from your published international information at any hour, in the student's language.
Visas need official sources
Immigration rules change and depend on individual circumstances. Share general, published information and direct students to official government sources and your international office. Never give immigration advice, even when a student asks directly, because a wrong answer can affect their application.
Fees for international students
International fees are often higher and paid differently. Publish them clearly, along with payment schedules and any scholarships for international students. The general approach to fee questions is covered in fees and funding questions from prospective students.
Deadlines and time zones
Application deadlines should state the time zone. A deadline of "midnight on 31 January" means different things around the world. Many deadline questions arrive late at night, as described in admissions questions that arrive at midnight.
Agents and representatives
Many international students apply through education agents, and agents send their own enquiries about entry routes, commission and application processes. These should go to whoever manages agent relationships. A sorting question early in the conversation keeps them out of the student queue and gets them to the right person quickly.
Parents abroad
Parents of international students often have questions about safety, supervision, payment and communication. Answering them clearly, in their language where possible, builds the trust that decides whether a family commits to studying abroad. A short section for parents on the international pages, covering safety, pastoral support and how the institution keeps families informed, answers many of these before they are asked.
Accommodation and arrival
International students ask about accommodation, airport pickup and arrival support far more than local students. A clear international student guide covering these answers many questions before they are asked.
To see how international questions would be answered, try an assistant on your website, or see the features.