A new service allowing prospective international students to compare study abroad options according to student and alumni reviews and data has been launched in Vietnam.
Named Talk Study, the new service is based on data collected from international students and alumni through the International Student Employment Outcomes and Satisfaction reports produced by Cturtle, a network connecting international alumni with employers in Asia, and Decision Lab.
The reports currently collect over 20,000 university reviews on institutions spread across Australia, UK, US, Canada and New Zealand and data on international alumni from China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
“The number one reason international students choose to study abroad is future employment”
They cover aspects such as teaching quality, access to internships, safety in country and on campus, and also graduate and alumni employability and income, which will enable Talk Study users to compare over 400 universities.
Access to this information is crucial for prospective students, who value employment outcomes above all when choosing a university, TalkStudy founder Shane Dillon told The PIE News.
“The number one reason international students choose to study abroad is future employment,” he said.
“Talk Study uses alumni data to show students their likely future incomes based on where and what they study.”
According to findings emerged from the ISEOS research, only 36% of international alumni actively recommend their university to future students, and only 1 in 5 get access to university internship programs, Dillon explained, a gap the service aims to fill.
This year, Talk Study is rolling out in-person consultations in Vietnam, and exploring online solutions to reach a greater audience.
Students using the service are required to pay a deposit, which is then refunded when they enrol in the university of their choice – or if they don’t get accepted into their course.
“This enables us to screen out students and family who are serious about study abroad and committed to applying,” Dillon said.
“We work with course comparison and application platforms [such as Studychoices, Global Study Partners, Coursepal among others] to monetise the services.”
