Global online study directory, Hotcourses Abroad, has taken the logical leap from providing comprehensive information about education opportunities to enabling its customers to apply directly to universities. The new i-Apply system, launched around two weeks ago, has already proved a success, says the company, which serves 15 million students a year seeking information about education opportunities.
Mike Elms, CEO of Hotcourses, told The PIE News that i-Apply was currently in trial mode with a limited 20 institutions signed up to receive direct applications. The application service – which enables students to apply to multiple institutions and is only in English-medium at the moment – uses a service team in India that follows up with each applicant.
So far, over 100 students have completed the fairly rigourous application process within two weeks of launch. The i-Apply counselling team then verify academic and English level qualifications and process the application on to the university.
If i-Apply gains momentum, it could become a global force in international education, offering students one platform to apply across borders. Institutions pay an annual fee to be able to use the system.
“We have over 15 million students using our network of 20 local sites in 15 languages around the world for search, compare, shortlist and enquire, and the ability to apply online is the final step in this journey,” commented Mike Elms, CEO of Hotcourses.
He added, “The number of students that have completed applications since the service was launched really underlines the quality of students that use our web products and their serious commitment to studying abroad.”
The current trial universities include the University of Iowa in the USA, the University of Dundee in Scotland and RMIT in Australia. Nationalities likely to use the system thus far include Indians, Ghanians, Kenyans and Saudis, although 11 different nationalities have already used i-Apply.
Hotcourses Abroad also has a sister site, Hotcourses, which details study opportunities within the UK for the domestic market.
