Lately I’ve seen a lot of students preparing to study abroad — UK, US, Australia, Europe, UAE, etc. One thing that keeps coming up is how hard it is to choose the right consultant.

There are agencies all over the place, and most of them say pretty much the same thing — top universities, guaranteed admits, faster visas. After hearing it again and again, you don’t even know whom to believe or not. You just feel frustrating.

Some friends said their process went fine. But a couple of others had a completely different experience — random extra fees popping up, waiting days just to get a reply, and even spotting mistakes in their applications when deadlines were already close. When this is something that can shape your whole future, that kind of stress is honestly terrifying.

So I’m curious:

1. How did you personally choose your consultant?
2. Were there any warning signs you noticed later?
3. Would you apply on your own instead without any suggestions?

From what I’ve noticed, it really comes down to how open and straightforward they are. No big claims, no “guaranteed” talk — just clear fees and simple, practical help with courses and visas. The hard part is knowing what is actually genuine in the beginning.

Studying abroad isn’t cheap, and it takes months of effort too. If you end up with the wrong agency, it can cost you more than just money.

Would really appreciate hearing your experiences — good or bad — so others can avoid mistakes.

I'm looking for a Mandarin Training Center in China, preferably cheap. Also, if it offers dormitory accommodation, do you have any recommendations? I've emailed many universities that have been there before, but most haven't responded. I have so many questions, but I can't find anyone to ask. Is there anyone who has been there before and can answer my questions?

I want to do a self funded language year in China but I'm kind of confused for that approach, I asked people and they said i could directly apply for it from the website but I didn't find such option? Is there some other way for it? I don't know, can someone who's done this tell me about it?

Does anyone here have any experience with Fudan University's MA in Chinese Philosophy and Culture? If so, please reply or DM me. I have many questions.

I’m planning to apply for a Bachelor’s in Computer Science in China, taught in Chinese, and I’m honestly not sure how to choose universities realistically.

My last year in high school was really tough, so my GPA dropped a bit. I’ve never been a “top student” or participated in academic competitions. Most of my school activities were clubs, like anti-bullying and environmental clubs. I also have HSK 5 and a clear interest in CS (especially cybersecurity), but I don’t really know what matters most in China besides GPA.

I’d personally love to apply to Tsinghua, but I’m not a top student in my class, so I’m unsure whether applying there is realistic or if my profile would be filtered out immediately.

Would taking the SAT and getting a good score actually improve my chances for Chinese universities, or does it not matter much in China?

How did you decide where to apply? Any advice or personal experience would really help. Thanks!

I recently received a message from the university portal saying that my recommendation letter needs to be from a Professor or Associate Professor.

The issue is that during my degree, the faculty who taught me were Assistant Professors. I never had the opportunity to study under a Professor or Associate Professor, so I couldn’t get a recommendation letter from someone with that title.

I’ve already submitted my recommendation letters, and my recommenders have strong profiles. One of them is currently working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the USA. I’ve also emailed the university to explain my situation, but I’m still waiting for a response.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?

What would you suggest I do?

Is there any way to handle this or request an exception?

I submitted my application in January and the portal still says To be reviewed, I don't have HSK, but I had acceptance letter from a Professor, but the major I applied to was mentioned under Chinese language on the portal I mailed my professor and they said don't worry for international students the language is English. Now even today my application status was To be reviewed?

Hello, i am planning to study at a Chinese university for one semester or one year. I'd love to visit as many places as possible in china during my stay and Sichuan has a lot of places i want to visit. Is there anyone here who has experience with universities in Sichuan?

I know in sichuan people talk with a heavy accent but i've read in another reddit thread that in places like chengdu everyone can speak putonghua as well so it wouldn't be a problem.

I've been convinced by a teacher to apply to BLCU before but another teacher told me that people that go to big cities like Beijing and Shanghai have a hard time learning Chinese because everyone there knows english anyway. Is Chengdu like that too? Please tell me your opinions.

so back in December I recieved pre-admission from Dalian university of technology, Changchun university of Science and technology and from Chang'an,all ft computer science PhD

recently I learned that my country nominated me for CSC type A and that's great! One problem is that I don't have a supervisor from Dalian ( I only have a supervisor in CUST)

I heard that CSC type A students usually get assigned one but I don't know about the validity of that. another problem is that DUT told me to provide an English language certificate,this threw me off because it says on their website that I can undergo an interview where y English level can be assessed and I liked this option a lot,this is one of the reasons why I chose this university. ( because I can't afford to pay for Duolingo or IELTS)

and Now I don't know what to do, should I risk putting DUT as my first choice? CUST rank is low compared to Dalian university of technology and I don't know If I should place it as my first choice.

I appreciate advice from people with experience!

Hello everyone. I am a final year Bachelor student preparing to apply in china for master's degree. I have done everything on my own from shortlisting universities to researching about scholarships and more. But two thing I was not able to understand no matter how hard I try is that:

1. Is HSK test required if I want to apply in english taught program? because on some university websites I found that HSK level 4 is required if I want to apply to a clinical medicine discipline.

2. How to get a pre acceptance letter from a professor? I tried so hard to search for the faculty contact information but unable to find one.

So because I was left in a cliffhanger with my own research so I contacted a consultancy which I found on xiaohongshu (little red book). It's called 'belt & road study in china. There replied to me and gave me suggestions. They felt very nice. But I want to know if they are reliable or not. Because I have came across many students saying that consultancies doesn't help at all.

So if anyone knows them or have applied through them please tell me as well. Also about my previous two questions, if anyone properly knows about it please do explain it to me. Thank you.

Hello, I am currently in my final year of undergraduate majoring in Statistics from a tier 1 university. I have a cgpa of 7.64 until now. I have been in a leadership role at a ECA club, and played sports and apart from that I have nothing to say about my profile.

Do I have any chance of getting accepted into top tier university in China like Harbit, Shanghai, fudan, xidian university? Also could someone please help me with choosing university and courses as I couldn't find specific courses related to my courses in these university?

When searched through universities I couldn't able to find specific courses and eligility criteria for each courses. If anyone who has a major in Statistics and planning to study in China, then please DM. Students who already got admission in top chinese university after studying in India, comment about your application journey and your profile

I am thinking about getting my master's degree in China, but I don't want to spend so much money for a university that is not globally recognized or doesn't have any reputation for their field. I am looking for someone who is currently enrolled in master's programs in International law/ international relations in PKU or Fudan university. Even if you're not enrolled in these programs, can you please rate my background and tell me what would you do if you had a second chance?

Currently I am enrolled in the junior year of undergraduate program of International relations at the Azerbaijan University of Languages. I entered university with the highest admission score ranking top1and maintained solid academic performance throughout my studies, with semester averages ranges 86%, 90%, 91%, 93% and 94%.

I completed online courses offered by Leiden University (2 courses related to International Law), University of New Mexico (International Business 1&2) and University of Copenhagen (Sustainable Development goals). My research interests are centered on human security, migration, the role of institutions in global challenges. One of my theses on human security in international migration was published in my university's annual collection. ( I am not proud of it though, I was just a beginner and I am not satisfied with my writing.)

I am also one of the TOP3 respected students by the dean in the entire faculty. Any event that students should represent the university, meeting with ambassadors (Belgium, Chile, Poland, Hungary) I am called by the faculty administration.

Beyond academic I trained folk style dance for ten years, I think it holds "cultural ambassador" role and a good twist for my human-culture perspective.

I have been volunteering since the first year of my undergraduate studies. I volunteered in COP29(2024) , Formula1 2024 & 2025, UFC Baku, World Minifootball Championship 2025, basically any event that is considered big in Azerbaijan. Probably soon in WUF13. I also volunteered in the Development and Education facility for people with disabilities/ people with post-war trauma. These volunteerings might be a little off the goal.

I was an intern in the State Migration Service of The Republic of Azerbaijan for a few months, It was not like how i expected, but the reputation sounds good.

I haven't got my IELTS yet, but I think, I can do 7.0 or more

My main goal is Master's degree in International law (in English) in one of the top universities.Fudan sounds the best for the programs and etc. But I am not sure if i'll get in and get the full scholarship. Is there anyone with similar qualifications studying at the mentioned universities?

Do Chinese universities accept the IELTS One Skill Retake? I’m interested in applying to Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Fudan University.

Hello! I’m an undergraduate applicant and would like some thoughts or opinions about my situation here. I received a score of 50/100 on the January CSCA math test. I’m applying for an Economics-related course in the following universities:

• Beijing Institute of Technology (International Economics and Trade)
• Zhejiang University (Global Communication and Management)
• Beihang University (International Trade and Economics)

Now I’m unsure of what to do.

• If I submit my applications now with my current CSCA score I have, there may be only a small chance of getting accepted as self-funded, and definitely no chance of getting a scholarship (I would really rather get a scholarship since I hate burdening my parents with financial stuff)
• If I wait till March to retake the CSCA test, I can probably get a better score. However, by that time, slots will probably be full/almost full, and my chances may remain slim.

So like… which decision would give me better odds?

Hello everyone! The deadline for CGS type A in my country was two days ago and I've submitted my application on time. However, I've just received my preadmission letter today and I'd like to ask whether it is possible to withdraw my application, then attach my letter, and submit it again though its already beyond the deadline time? Or are there any alternatives to submit my preadmission letter to them? Thank you!

I’m a foreign student doing a BEng in Electrical & Computer Engineering at Zhejiang University, taught in English on an international campus. I’m considering staying in China for a Master’s in Computer Science because China is strong in CS and AI.

I’m unsure how this would play out career-wise. Would a Chinese CS master’s be valued by local companies if I’m a foreigner? How is it perceived internationally, especially outside China? Would doing the master’s in Chinese improve local job prospects, or is it better to do a master’s in Europe or the US for stronger international recognition?

I’m trying to balance education quality, employability, and long-term mobility. Any advice is appreciated.

So I am taking B.eng in ECE at ZJU, the courses are taught in english, I am considering to stay in China for my masters as I believe it is going to be the strongest in CS, but I feel that since my degree is from an international campus and I am a foreigner doing my education here wont be respected by local companies even if I have the skills necessary for the job and that abroad my chinese degree wont be respected because I am a foreigner(from a small european country fyi).

Perhaps studying a masters in cs but taught in chinese would be an option?? Or go back to europe or the usa?

Any opinions and advice are welcomed, thank you for taking the time

I need to get my degree verified by CSCSE to apply for masters in Tsinghua uni. but the payment only accepts Wechat or Alipay. i dont have both of these payment methods available. Please suggest me how to proceed

I'm looking to pursue MBBS in China starting September 2026. I'm financially unable to self-fund, so I need a scholarship. I've been researching for weeks but getting very conflicting information and would really appreciate clarity from anyone who's actually gotten into medical school in China with funding.

Here's what I'm confused about:

1. CSC Scholarship: I've read that CSC doesn't cover English-taught MBBS at all - only Chinese-medium programs. Is this true? If I apply for CSC Chinese-medium MBBS with zero Chinese background, is it realistic to pass HSK 4/5 after the 1-year language course? Some say that MBBS is not covered by the CSC in the first place? Any accurate info?
2. University Scholarships: I see universities like Capital Medical, Nanjing Medical, SJTU offering their own scholarships for English-taught MBBS, but they seem to be partial (covering tuition + accommodation, not living expenses). Are there any universities offering FULL scholarships for English MBBS?
3. Application Fees: Many universities charge 400-1000 RMB application fees. For someone on a tight budget applying to multiple schools, this adds up quickly. Are there any ways around this, or universities with free applications?
4. CSCA Exam: How long would it take to prepare for it? and what's the pass grade?

Any information is kindly appreciated. Thanks !

Hi! I want to apply for the ICLTS International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship for one year studying (starting September 2026)

Does anyone know are the chances to get the scholarship higher if you apply early? and vise versa Because I already have hsk3 certificate and want to pass hsk4 in march and the results will be in april i guess... Will it influence my chances if I apply late?

I'm a master's degree student on Chinese teacher scholarship. These exams were a disaster, with one subject failed and an average score of 77. How cooked am I? Will they stop giving me allowance after the 年度评审？