Unfiltered Reality of an International Student

I applied to 5 universities, listed below – Loughborough University – Shortlisted – Decided not to proceed due to global rankings University of Bristol – Rejected – The Main reason was me changing career paths from Engineering to Finance. I believe they were expecting someone to have the same career path to do the master's programme. University of Durham – Shortlisted – Decided not to proceed, as it was too far up north and the global rankings. University of Glasgow - Rejected - Main reason was me changing career paths from Engineering to Finance. I believe they were expecting someone to have the same career path to do the master's programme. University of Southampton – Admitted The primary reason was they were open to students joining from different streams/career changes. The university ranking was great, as was the great infrastructure, diverse audience and vibrance of the city. The admission process involved filling in an application form, paying fees and then waiting to hear back. Once you have the good news, it is about paying the initial instalment of the fees, submitting documents, etc. The eligibility criteria was to have an IELTS 6.5+ score and for my course, no other exam was needed I applied for the fall intake of 2021 (Sep-21). It was a well-thought-out decision, as most students get admitted during this time, which means more exposure to a diverse audience and like-minded individuals. I applied for it in May and I heard back in July. So it takes around 6-12 weeks on average to hear back on the result of your application. Of course the result depends on how strong your application is, your SOP, academics, interests, resume, etc....Read More

Offers higher scholarships than other universities. It has further expanded its campus in India, which holds the record as the first UK university to be introduced in India. My IELTS - 8.0. Apart from these, various entrance scores are accepted by the uni for which you need to verify on the course structures....Read More

I had applied to a number of Universities in the UK, and the University of Southampton was the first one to give me an offer. Also, the University belongs to the Russell group of institutions and has a really good QS ranking. My course is accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), which is looked at by employers. Also, the University accommodation was near to the campus. Southampton is close to London. I applied through an agency (IDP). They guided me through the admission process. After the initial application, where I submitted my documents, I got a conditional offer. I had to apply for an ATAS certificate. After submitting all of these , the University gave me an unconditional offer and CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies) letter, after which I applied for my visa. The University, infrastructure and course are really good and relevant for the future. The course is also related to what I did for my undergraduate (Mechanical Engineering). The University of Southampton belongs to the Russell Group of Universities and has a high QS ranking. The faculty are very friendly and knowledgeable. The University conducts career fairs so that we can meet up with companies related to our field. Overall, I had a very good experience ....Read More

University of Southampton - Admitted  University of Leeds - Shortlisted  University of Sheffield - Shortlisted University of Warwick - Rejected  University of Glasgow - Rejected In my opinion, and from the response I got from them, the reason why I got rejected was because my bachelor's was a 3-year degree whereas they wanted someone with a 4-year degree. 1) The reasons why I chose UoS over others were QS rankings (UoS ranked better than the rest), it was the reviews that I got after getting in touch with the alumni of these universities, the cost of living, and the location (I like living sea side) 2) The admission process was fairly straightforward, I applied through a counsellor Zoom Abroad and they handled the application process. All I had to do was review the forms for correction information. There were not many steps. There was no advance payment or deposit needed. Even my first installment had to be paid after a month of me starting my course. Once they had submitted the forms, I got the conditional offer letter where they required some more details from me (degree certificate, LORs). Once I submitted those things, I got the final offer letter which I then accepted. 3) There was a minimum grade requirement for the Bachelor's, which was 3/4 GPA (or 70%) and it had to be from a relevant field, and they also needed a minimum of 7.5 score in IELTS. Apart from these, there wasn't much else in terms of academic requirements. 4) My admission experience was quite smooth. I didn't face any blockers, and as mentioned earlier, there weren't that many steps either. The only thing to keep in mind is to keep all your documents handy so that you don't have to search for it if they ask for anything. I applied for the September intake as there was no other intake option available for my course. However, I had conducted some research on this beforehand and had found out that there are more chances of getting placed in a company during that time period.  The admission process started in December 2022, when I applied to the university via my counsellor. By the end of January 2023, I had the conditional offer letter. Then, a month later or so, after all my documents were verified, I received the final offer letter as well. I made the choice by March 2023 as I had to finalize an accomodation as well....Read More

I applied to 4 universities in total.  University of Southampton- Got Admitted. Received confirmed admission from university of Southampton.. Lancaster University-Got Admitted.Received confirmed admission from Lancaster University. University of Birmingham- Got admitted. Received confirmed admission from the University of Birmingham. University of Edinburgh- Rejected. In my opinion, it is because of my Bachelor's score being not enough. Reason to Choose:- 1. UoS is one of the Russell Group Universities. 2. One of the top 5 universities for Cybersecurity 3. 1.5 hour train ride from Southampton to London 4. Fairly warmer climatic conditions compared to the rest of the UK. Admission process: I applied via the university website and the application cost is  INR 5000. I got my admission 3 days after the application. Since I submitted all my documents in the application process, i got an unconditional offer. After the offer i was asked to create an account with the college. The university arranged a meet-up for the admission holders in main parts of india. Then I selected the accommodation (if we are opting for uni accommodation). The university then sent me the CAS code which was for applying for a visa.I applied for visa in july and received it 3 weeks later. I paid the first term fees. I wrote IELTS for this admission. The eligibility criteria was 6.0 and above band. The overall experience was very smooth and can easily be followed with. I applied for the 2023 Winter Intake. I wanted to study abroad for a long time so i gave it a shot. I applied for winter admission since that intake has many courses and the admission of students in that period of time in the UK is high. The admission process took 3 days for me. From filling out the application and receiving the offer. I applied in Feb first week and received the offer in the same week....Read More

Colleges Applied To:University of Southampton, University of Birmingham, University of Bath, University of York, University of Exeter Confirmed Admissions: University of Southampton, University of Birmingham, University of Bath, University of York, University of Exeter Rejections: None I didn't wanted to pay more than 50 lakhs, although you end up paying much more because of the living costs, visa, additional so always have additional 5 lakhs with the total living cost and the tuition fees. I chose Southampton because it has AMBA & AACSB accreditation, which means the degree has real value; it also offers a diverse cohort, good industry connections, and strong entrepreneurship support; and, in comparison to some exorbitantly expensive MBA programs, the cost vs. ROI made sense—good quality without a London-sized tuition bill. The admissions process is fairly standard and includes an online application, essays, recommendation letters, a GMAT/GRE (optional but preferred), and an interview. After submitting, I received an interview invitation, which focused more on understanding my goals and experience than it did on technical details; a few weeks later, I received the offer of admission. For non-native English speakers, Southampton accepts the GMAT, GRE, and IELTS/TOEFL. A good GMAT score is helpful, but it's not required. Strong academic credentials, job experience (often three or more years), and well-written essays are usually what they seek. Overall, the admissions process went fairly smoothly, but it was nerve-racking to wait for a response after applying. It was a simple interview, more of a dialogue than an interrogation. Ensuring my essays were distinctive and effectively communicated my motivation for pursuing an MBA and how Southampton fit into my professional goals was the most difficult task. Intake and Decision Considerations: Southampton MBA only has a September intake. There are a lot of WhatsApp groups, and meetups organised by various education counselling organisations. They are good for a headstart to make friends and you need a support system when you are starting from zero. Admission Process Timeline:  I submitted my Application in January, 2 to 4 weeks following submission I received the email to book the slot for the interview. I requested an interview in March. There was a deadline to accept the admission after a month, I had to submit £1000 to block the seat.  The entire process spanned approximately 2 to 3 months from the application stage to final acceptance....Read More

I applied to and was admitted to 5 UK universities.  1. University of Southampton - Admitted  2. University of Leeds- Admitted 3. University of Nottingham - Admitted 4. University of York- Admitted 5. University of Sussex- Admitted I received an offer letter from these 5 universities. Then I fulfilled the requirements for an unconditional offer letter for University of Southampton by sending the documents requested and received a confirmed admission. WHY THIS UNIVERSITY: I chose University of Southampton mainly because it offered me the highest scholarship as compared to other universities. Moreover, I was reluctant to live in the northern part of England due to it's weather and Southampton's coastal weather suited me better. ADMISSION PROCESS: For the admission process, I first needed to submit a Statement of Purpose (SOP), two academic writing samples and a CV. I also had to attach a copy of my UG degree and other documents. I had to provide contact information of two of my UG professors as references. After about 3 weeks, I received a Conditional offer asking for a IELTS certificate showing a minimum of 6.5 score. Once this was submitted, I received an Unconditional offer within the next 3 weeks. After this, I applied for the scholarship and university accommodation. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Required a First Division in UG in the same area of studies as the course applied for. Also, IELTS score of minimum 6.5. ADMISSION EXPERIENCE: The application form was quite simple and clear. The waiting is the most challenging part but if there were any problems or questions I had, I emailed the admission support and they helped me with the next steps.  I applied for the September 2023 intake. The admission process took 2-3 months in total. I submitted the application form in early December 2022 and received a Conditional offer in mid January 2023. I submitted the requested documents and received an Unconditional offer in the beginning of March 2023. I then applied for a Visa in July and received it in around 3 weeks....Read More

The overall experience was good at my university. It fulfilled my expectations in most aspects. One downside is you don’t get a culturally diverse set of students. But it is specific to my course....Read More

Overall experience in terms of quality of education is extremely good, course structure, staff, learning opportunities are wonderful. But from the placement perspective I can say it was not extremely good, in the economy like UK there are millions of people are trying to settle in this country whereas handful of them get the chance. To get a job with Tier 2 visa is extremely hard, I was lucky that I got one, but it is a real struggle. I advise everyone to get at least some work experience before coming here and prepare yourself to grind....Read More

My experience has been quite good. Punctuality and professionalism are two most important thing there. A work-life balance is encouraged to every student and employee. Courses and jobs are also designed in such manner. Flexible working hours facility is also offered for child-care. Overall, I have imbibed a lot of good work ethics and a lot of self-confidence in me....Read More