Doodle Nandi is a content editor for Hotcourses India- an IDP company, and helps write articles that help students with their study abroad journey.

You need to start doing your homework a year before you start applying to universities abroad. Do a proper research on universities and countries where you wish to study in. Once you have a clear idea, do not look back. Applying to universities is a tedious process that demands a lot of patience and of course good guidance.

Studying abroad is a tough choice for a Chennaite - you will miss many things once you leave the city, starting from your early morning kaapi, homemade tasty sambar, fantastic food outlets, the beach, hangouts near OMR or ECR, outstanding plays and music concerts, etc., but the end results will be beautiful!

Hotcourses India, being the #1 overseas education consultant, will guide you at every step of the study abroad process, helping you make informed decisions. We give you a detailed plan here to fulfil your dream of pursuing international education:

Step 1- Search & finalise your study destination

First, you need to decide which country you want to study in. Different countries have different set of rules, as you know, so you need to quickly figure out which standardised tests you want to appear for. You may not be comfortable appearing for both IELTS and TOEFL in which case you need to focus on what suits you best. Do not choose your study destination based on anecdotal things; instead consider the following factors before you draw any conclusions:

Is the university worth studying at?

Initiatives taken by the government to improve education of the country (your choice of destination).

Number of scholarships available at the university and for the particular course you are interested in.

Are there any international students on the campus?

How much money you (or your sponsor) need to shell out?

Is the university where you have applied at charging high tuition fees? Can you get a similar degree in some other country or university at a lower cost?

Can you get a similar degree in some other country or university at a lower cost? Check with someone about the course that you want to pursue. Ask around if they know about the university offering the particular course you are interested in.

How worse could be the climate of the country?

If you have all these questions on your mind or if you are indecisive about your study abroad choice, our advisors are the right persons to guide you and answer all your queries.

Step 2- Search for centres that provide trainings for standardised tests like IELTS, GRE, GMAT or TOEFL

It is not an easy task. You need to work really hard and put all your efforts to get a good score.

Hotcourses India offers in-person IELTS coaching in Chennai where you will be trained by the in-house IELTS certified instructors. You need to be familiar with the exam patterns and that’s where our mock tests come handy.

You can visit the test centre of IDP and book your IELTS test slot or you can opt for the new computer-based IELTS that has been launched by IDP.

Once you know your score and have all your documents ready, you will be guided by our expert advisors to select the universities that match your academic profile.

Step 3- Apply to universities

The ideal time to apply to universities is 6-8 months in advance; this is done to avoid yourself getting into an insane rush when universities receive a hell lot of applications which make it difficult for them to filter out the best candidates. Create a crisp SOP/LOR and apply to the universities, and make sure you get it done by expert hands (if that’s yours!). Apply to two or three different universities, not ten or twenty, to avoid wasting money unnecessarily.

Once you receive your letter of acceptance from the university, ask them to forward an I20 so that you can clear the most crucial step in your admission process, i.e., VISA!

Step 4- Apply for a visa

You can start applying for a student visa at the following centres:

For countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and the UK, you can either submit the application directly to the VFS office in Chennai or you can approach us and we will make sure your applications are submitted to the intended offices on time. Address: No.74, 2nd Floor, Fagun Towers, Ethiraj Salai, Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu-600 008

You can file for a visa online if you want to study in Australia, and you can contact the US Consulate for filing an US visa. Address: U.S. Consulate General, Gemini Circle, Chennai, TN-600 006

Contact: 044-2857-4000

Step 5- Attend mock visa interviews

Once you are confident that you are done with all the above processes, start preparing yourself for the visa interview. Many students undergo extensive mock visa trainings under our expert advisors.

This is just the beginning; if you can clear all the processes smoothly, you will surely get through.

Chennai traces its history back to 1644 when the Fort St. George was built – namma Chennai aka Madras has everything to offer you from good music, good food, world-class education and arts, streets filled with books, dance and drama, to the very fundamental truths of life.

All Chennaites are proud of this city and being a non-Chennaite, I’m proud of it too. The home to some of the topmost academic institutions – the IIT Madras, Anna University, University of Madras and Institute of Mathematical Sciences – Chennai never fails to stand out of the crowd.

This city has ample opportunities to offer you so just look around when you plan something – what you need might be a few steps away from you.