Features of the IDP Live app include a course search and matching service, a recommendation engine, access to IDP’s global team of education experts, application tracking with real-time updates and personalised notifications and 1,000+ student and institution video answers to prospective student questions.

“When making a life decision as significant as where to study overseas, students need to have access to trustworthy and personalised advice,” said Neil Pearson, IDP chief digital officer.

“IDP’s unmatched global dataset now enables us to provide students with faster, more transparent information on their study options and match them with the best possible course.”

Students create an academic profile to match with eligible courses, and can receive an in-principle offer from their chosen institution within 30 minutes of submission.

The transformative real-time response is designed to reducing the number of applications students make, while institutions receive higher quality applications, more quickly.

IDP Education chief executive officer, Andrew Barkla, said the service will ultimately help “drive the recovery of international education”.

“IDP Live will bring our industry into a future in which technology enhances the interactions between our counsellors, students and institutions, driving the best outcomes for all,” he said.

“Rather than students speculatively applying to multiple institutions, IDP Live matches them earlier in their decision-making journey”

“The introduction of the fast-track service, which combines cutting-edge technology and trusted human interactions, has immediately begun to help students around the world to find best-fit courses. Our evolving ecosystem, a connected community of students, institutions and counsellors is working to help drive the recovery of international education.”

By bringing together IDP’s human connections with its digital innovation, the app will offer “better outcomes for our students and for our counsellors”, Pearson continued.

“Rather than students speculatively applying to multiple institutions, IDP Live matches them earlier in their decision-making journey.”

Across Australia, 10 institutions are already using the service, allowing students to receive “in-principle offers” right from their smartphone or in an IDP office with an IDP counsellor.

One institution that has introduced the product for its students is the University of South Australia.

“In the past, institutions would go to students and tell them what we think they need, and the process would take months,” Aleicia Shekhar, University of South Australia deputy director of International Systems and Operations, said.

“Now the student tells us what they want, and can find the best course for the student that matches their profile, almost instantly. It means better outcomes for students and better outcomes for institutions.”

Students in regions where IDP has counselling offices can avail of the new service by downloading the IDP Live app free on their smartphones.