How to Choose School
Selecting schools
To choose a right school and program, student needs to consider carefully about what student wants to accomplish from study abroad. The most basic things to concern are which country to go, whether student has any relatives who are living in that country, designated city, foundation of the institution (affiliated with a college education or private), ideal program, ideal period of study, budget, ideal residence, etc.
The goal of language study abroad
Student needs to consider about the reason of improving the language skill, what student wants to accomplish while studying abroad, the location of school and compatibility to be helpful to choose an institution and program.
Personal goal and importance value
You need to think about whether the goal is improving your foreign language skills or getting experiences from traveling. Then decide how many hours you would spend for language study based on purpose of study. Also, need to consider about if you're going to prepare an exam or just willing to improve your language skills.
Finding appropriate school
To find an appropriate school, student needs to think about these points.
① Programs that school is providing; Speaking program, short-term program, intensive program, business program, program to apply for admission to a school of higher grade, examination prep program.
② Class placement and the number of people
③ Subject to approval by certification agency
④ Qualification of faculty members; master's degree, TEFL, TESOL, or certification of RSA to teach korean
⑤ Faculty's native language and accent, pronunciation difference.
⑥ Students' nationalities and rate.
School hour and period
You need to make sure if it's short-term or long-term program. Also, need to check daily, weekly class hours and the date of programs starts fits in your plan. In case of changing plans, you need to make sure about the ability of changing programs while attending school.
Tuition and cancelation
You need to find a school with affordable budget, and if insurance, fee of room and board, fee of textbook are included in the tuition. Also, need to find out the policy of refund and fees in case of cancelation of admission or drop the class.
Computer and other school facilities
Once you find out the school's facilities, it'd be better for you to study with a good condition. First, make sure the ability of using computer and internet. Then get information of library, media facilities then, find out the terms of use.
Location
Since location of the school to apply affects to expenses and living life, student needs to consider these few things.
① Big city or country side.
② Transportation for school and shopping.
③ General prices of the area and living expenses
④ Entertainment and cultural facilities
⑤ Food
⑥ The weather of the area.
Residence life
Depends on residence place, living expenses can be changed. Therefore student needs to consider few things.
① Institution's availability of accommodation and type of buildings.
② Cost of different type of residence buildings.
③ Ability of host family.
④ Location of on-campus residence building.
⑤ Roommate
⑥ School's support of choosing residence.
International student support
Depends on what kind of support school can offer, students can get various opportunities. Therefore it's good to looking for any activities from off-campus and local community. Also looking for ability of international student counseling would be helpful as well.
Visa
You might need to get visa to study abroad so you need to find out a type of visa to get, documents for visa interview. Also, it'd be easier to process visa procedure if you find re places which provide assistants for visa.
Health Insurance
Make sure if you need medical report and documents of health insurance to register for school and also looking for information about school health insurance.