Follow this easy, step by step guide to making your application
1. Think carefully. Is this for you?
Spend some time on this website; do some research on the country you want to go to, particularly if you haven’t been before. Is this something you’d like to do?
2. Get in touch
Contact the team at Study Options – call 020 7353 7200 or email mail@studyoptions.com – to discuss your situation. Everyone’s different, and it’s really important for us to understand what you’re looking for from a course of study before we give you advice on what’s available. So give us a ring, drop us an email, or make an appointment to come to one of our offices in person for a chat. Once we’ve got a better idea of what you want to study, and what location would suit you best, we’ll give you a list of courses and colleges to choose from.
3. Research your options
The list of courses and colleges we give you will include full details of each course as well as practicalities such as what it costs, when it starts and what you will need to apply. Go through the course list carefully; discuss your options with one of the Study Options team at any time. Please ask us as many questions as you need to when choosing a course. We offer free, expert advice to help you decide where to apply.
4. Get an application form
Once you’ve decided which course and college to apply to, contact us and we will send you the application form and a handy, step-by-step guide to making an application or download a form here.
5. Making an application
Send your application form and the other documents required to Study Options. We check to make sure everything on your application is correct and complete. If you have asked us to certify any documents, we’ll do that at this point too, and return the originals to you by recorded delivery. Once everything is ready to go, we send your application to the college to be assessed.
6. The decision
It usually takes about two weeks for the college to decide whether to offer you a place on the course. As soon as we’re told, we will be in touch to let you know. If you have been offered a place, we will send through your letter of offer and a guide to what happens next. This includes instructions on how to accept your place, as well as details of how to apply for a student visa for Australia or New Zealand.
7. Getting ready to go
Once you have accepted your place and the college application process is complete, we will help you apply for a student visa, open a bank account in Australia or New Zealand and anything else you need to do before you go.
8. Final preparations
Follow the advice and instructions in the college’s pre-departure information carefully regarding arriving in time for the start of term and enrolment (again, feel free to contact us with any questions here) practice throwing things on the ‘barbie’, start referring to flip-flops as ‘thongs’ (if you’re going to Australia) or ‘jandals’ (if you’re heading to New Zealand) and organise your big farewell party...
9. Arrive at your chosen college in Australia or New Zealand!
Already living Down Under? No worries....
If you’re already living in Australia or New Zealand and would like help or advice please get in touch – all the information on this website applies whether you’re contacting us from Bristol or from Bondi. So if you are coming to the end of a Working Holiday Visa and are thinking of doing a course so you get to stay in Australia or New Zealand a bit longer, let us know. We can help! Contact Us
When to apply
Application deadlines vary from course to course, so please check any specific deadlines that apply carefully.
Ideally, we would recommend applying a minimum of two months before your chosen course is due to start, but earlier if possible, to allow plenty of time for the admissions process to be completed and everything else that’s required (securing suitable accommodation, opening a bank account, getting travel and medical insurance and a study visa for your chosen destination) in plenty of time.
It may be possible to apply later than this, depending on the course you’d like to study. Please contact us to check whether a late application is possible for your course.
The academic year in Australia and New Zealand starts in February (not September). Semester 1 runs from February to June, semester 2 from July to November. Almost all the colleges offer intakes in both semesters, and some shorter courses may have intake options at other times of year. Discuss it with a Study Options advisor if you are not sure.