Is this the best careers advice we can give British students?

On Wednesday this week Mary Curnock Cook, the Chief Executive of UCAS confirmed that as many as 50,000 students with good A’ level grades will miss out on places at UK universities this year. This is the first acknowledgement that it is the “better” students who are likely to be unsuccessful in their application or disappointed in the type of university that will accept them.

The only advice offered by UCAS is to defer entry for at least one year before reapplying, or think about going to university later in life. Aside from the fact that the UK job market makes it almost impossible to enter many professions without a degree, does asking students to wait until universities are ‘ready’ for them qualify as sensible careers advice?

While this will undoubtedly prove a boon to the GAP year industry it is unlikely to assist students who are increasingly conscious of the financial impact of higher education or the difficulty of finding employment as a young person in today’s economy.

For many students there is another option: going to university abroad. Many high quality universities around the world are ready and able to accept applications from British students. While there is still likely to be a high level of competition for places at the best international universities, many students will find that they are able to get on with their life plans without an unintended and unwished-for hiatus.

British universities are not the only route open to British students. There are plenty of alternatives in countries as nearby as France, Ireland and the Netherlands or further afield in USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

A Star Future has been advising schools and students about such opportunities since 2006 and we anticipate a busy few months.

Return of the Top Universities Fair

I will be visiting the Top Universities Fair in London on Friday 12th March to visit Universita Bocconi and University of Newcastle who are sending over representatives for the event. It is at Earls Court this year which means we are unlikely to see a repeat of the long waiting times when the fair was at the Science Museum last year. While at least half of the exhibitors are actually UK universities there is a fair representation of international universities so it promises to be worth a look.

As I have posted earlier on this blog, A Star Future remain unconvinced by the value of such events for promoting international education. However, as international education becomes a more attractive option for many British students this will change at some point.

If you are going to the fair and would like to meet up either send me an email or tweet me at astarfuture.

First Major Report in to British International Student Mobility

Earlier this month the Department for Business Innovation & Skills Research Paper No. 8 was published. Entitled "Motivations and Experiences of UK Students Studying Abroad" this is the first analysis of the current situation relating to British students and international higher education prepared for the British government.

As recently as 1975, the United Kingdom was the sixth largest country in terms of the number of its students participating in international higher education. International higher education mobility has changed beyond all recognition over the last 35 years but it is worth remembering that British students were once one of the more numerous groupings at universities around the world.

In the first part of the report, the authors of the research paper have collated a wide range of data sources in an attempt to find an accurate indication of the number of outbound "diploma seeking" students. I have previously tried to find the same information and have found it to be an extremely frustrating process; there is no central indication from the UK government as to the numbers of students abroad and indeed the government is rarely involved in the process of assisting diploma seeking students as opposed to credit seeking (exchange) students who regularly take part in officially supported programmes, such as Erasmus. In spite of these difficulties the estimate of British students abroad tallies with my own knowledge; around 1.5-2% of British students seek to gain their degree at international universities. This figure does not include British citizens who have been ordinarily resident in the country where they are studying prior to commencing their studies.

The final part of the report addresses the experiences of British students currently enrolled in international universities. This gives some interesting insights in to the motives and experiences of those students and is worth reading in its entirety. The only comment I would pass on the 560 students interviewed (and it is one mentioned in the report) is that they are mostly studying at elite universities, thus potentially overstating the importance of a university's ranking in the decision-making process of the internationally mobile student. Perhaps unsurprisingly the students interviewed seem to benchmark their choice of international university against a UK equivalent (for example, Trinity College Dublin = Durham or Edinburgh). Our own research still suggests that quality is the single most important factor in choosing an international university.

Where I do feel more capable of passing comment on this report is the second section addressing the intentions of current British students towards applying to international universities. Since 2006 I have prepared an annual survey* of student intentions in the United Kingdom so this aspect of the new report is not unique as its authors claim. The students interviewed for the report are Year 13 students and therefore in their last year at school. The report does not make clear at what time of the school year the students were interviewed but presumably it was after applications had been made to British universities. Our own research concentrates mostly on Year 12 students' intentions because we have found that Year 13 students are far more likely to have overstated their intentions, particularly when asked questions such as whether they had thought about applying to international universities. Previous studies into study abroad intentions amongst undergraduates have also suffered from this bias. With Year 12 students it is easier to ascertain whether they are actually thinking about applying.

The difficulty in interpreting statistics that suggest that approximately 3% of British students have applied to study abroad and that a further 10.7% may have thought about it is that most of these students will not have had access to any information about international education (about 56.5% of respondents indicated this. In our own research, 50% of respondents received no information other than through A Star Future). With access to greater information it is possible that the number of students thinking about international education will increase but the number actually applying may not change at all. It would certainly increase the range of opportunities attracting interest. Students with no further information will naturally tend to consider the USA as the most available alternative. However, we have identified significant interest in countries such as the Netherlands which is only awakened once students are aware that is possible to study in English there and at a greatly reduced cost. I would certainly agree with the authors of the report in saying that the level of interest in international higher education opportunities is higher than many schools career and guidance teachers would expect.

I agree with the overwhelming conclusion of the report that high quality international universities are the most likely to attract British students. As a result the students who are most likely to study abroad are the highest achievers, although the single most important indicator is prior international experience in the family.

The report also addresses concerns of "brain drain" but these are beyond our scope for comment. We are far more interested in the implications on how international universities should promote themselves to British students. We have long been aware that quality is a major factor that international universities cannot ignore in their marketing in the United Kingdom. However, we believe that quality should be seen far more broadly than simple rankings and positions in league tables. Although our market research and the interviews in the report both reveal quality to be the single most important factor, we have also discovered that league tables are very unpopular with British students; perhaps this is a result of their having been measured and ranked from a very young age. There is scope for quality to be presented other than as a simple number in a table.

In conclusion, it is encouraging to see that the British government is now willing to look beyond credit mobility in terms of supporting outbound student mobility. In our opinion there has never been a contradiction between British excellence in higher education and British students seeking their degree abroad; it is fair to say we have encountered other interpretations.

In the current economic climate it seems unlikely that any funding will be made available to make a positive impact on the numbers studying abroad. It would seem far more likely that the unintended consequences of government education policy (for example, shortage of places on popular courses, a further increase in tuition fees, any perceived drop in quality of UK universities resulting from underfunding or overcrowding) will be the main drivers of British outbound student mobility in the short term.

For further information about A Star Future research please contact us.

Accentuating The Positive

In this post, which is likely to be the last of the year, I just wanted to draw attention to what seems to have been the prevailing trend in the promotion of international education to British students.

This year has seen an almost unrelenting stream of bad news and negative reports about the value and purpose of university education. With cuts likely to be on the agenda for the following years, universities in the UK will face a major struggle to satisfy student demand and deliver the outcomes that they have been led to expect. We are already seeing that students are increasingly cynical about the "cookie-cutter" claims and testimonials which populate most university prospectuses because they know the resources just aren't there to make this a reality.

Restrictions on university places will certainly continue although this is likely only to be an issue for those applying to the "best" universities. Many students will now consider putting their lives on hold until the "right" opportunity comes along even if ideal alternatives are presented to them.

With the rising cost of education in England, student mobility as a whole is actually declining, with students choosing local universities over centres of excellence. The consequences of such a trend are all too obvious. The continued expectation that tuition fees will rise just as soon as the general election is out of the way also gives grounds for pessimism.

In our work promoting international education the temptation is to focus on the consequences (intended or otherwise) of British government policy on higher education. Indeed, it is all too easy to do this. However, we believe that negative motivation to study abroad is far less powerful than might be expected; the fact that tuition may be available elsewhere at a much cheaper cost or that other countries may provide student finance at better rates of interest, is not going to make up students' minds. The positive messages about a better lifestyle, making international friends for life and broadening horizons in a way that does not smack of cultural imperialism, these are just some of the reasons why students will think about international education rather than more general international experience.

The British government is making the negative case for an increase in outbound student mobility; it doesn't need the help of us or anyone else operating in this sphere. Our early New Year's resolution is to ensure that next year, our voice will promote the life- (and career-) enhancing benefits of international higher education.

Are Education Fairs a Good Way to Reach British Students?

In response to regular enquiries from our clients and contacts, I would like to outline our thoughts regarding the usefulness of fairs and exhibitions for attracting British students in to international education.

Fairs are a major part of the international student recruitment marketing mix and they can generate excellent results in many countries. However, in our opinion they are not the right method to attract students from the United Kingdom. I have attended two such events in London this year and while both have been very successful in terms of attracting visitors, this is still a long way from saying that they will generate the desired results.

For most universities the first challenge to be overcome is building some kind of name recognition in the United Kingdom. Many exhibitors at UK events have commented to me that most students have no idea who they are and which strengths their institution possesses. Students are a long way from identifying the "unique selling points" of a university and they are a long way from actually caring; what students are looking for first and foremost is fairly general information about international education. For example, they need to learn about Australian higher education before they can even consider going to university in Australia. Most students attending fairs have not had the chance to learn even the basics. As a result, university staff attending fairs often find they have to offer general advice to visitors and have very little time and opportunity to "sell" their institution itself. While this is not necessarily a bad thing and may to some extent reflect the experience in other countries , it does mean that the results which exhibitors are likely to achieve may be very disappointing in comparison with their expectations.

Having a presence in any market is vitally important, however; particularly in a country such as the United Kingdom where we are likely to learn a lot about price elasticity and maintaining excellence in higher education during the lifetime of the next parliament.

I spent over a decade working in the exhibition industry in many countries around the world. In that time I launched many new events in markets and countries which had never had such events previously with varying degrees of success. One of the key lessons I learned is that it is not enough to have a pool of exhibitors who are looking to enter a market. There absolutely has to be an audience that is interested in the products on display and knows why it wants to buy them. While there is definitely interest at this stage in international higher education and the numbers attending events are growing, we are still some way from having an audience that has all the information it needs to make an informed choice.

When A Star Future was established in 2006 the initial idea was to organise a road show around the United Kingdom. We quickly rejected this approach as we felt it was the wrong marketing method at the wrong time. There is first and foremost a requirement to educate the marketplace before the results will warrant extensive investment in UK outbound recruitment. We took the decision that it is better to go to the potential market and help shape its awareness and interest rather than to organise an exhibition and see what happens. There are signs that the situation is developing but I do not believe that the time is yet right for universities to make a large scale investment in attending exhibitions in the United Kingdom. Our approach allows for universities to reach students and their advisors in around 100 schools in England for roughly the same overall cost as attending one two-day event in London.

But what about general student recruitment fairs in the United Kingdom? UCAS with its effective monopoly on student application data organises a wide range of fairs in this country and most universities participate in some if not all of these. Clearly these are effective ways for British universities to reach British students. It is true that most Year 12 students in the United Kingdom will have the opportunity to attend one of these events. However, it is perhaps worth investigating how students prepare for these events. Most schools careers staff will advise students to come up with a list of questions to ask universities and suggest that students think about universities that offer the courses they are interested in or, increasingly, are located within travelling distance of their homes. Students at these events tend to arrive at A and work their way around to Z asking their prepared questions and collecting prospectuses as they go. These events are very effective for students looking to achieve the outcomes for which they have prepared. However, they are very difficult environments to introduce new concepts or different ideas, such as studying abroad. We have been monitoring these events for some time for signs of change and will continue to do so. However, it is fair to assume that if a large scale international student fair were to take place in the United Kingdom it would generate similar results.

We believe that the place to start a discussion about international education is in the classroom and that is why we invest in building links with schools and being visible to students throughout the school year. We then use online resources such as email newsletters , twitter and facebook to continue the education process. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, we also enable our clients to contact students who have expressed an interest in studying in their country or subjects in which they specialise.

Marketing consultants are not necessarily the right people to promote international universities. We believe that Higher Education Institutions can do that best themselves, although clearly we are in a position to offer guidance and support when necessary. Marketing consultants should however be able to advise and offer the right marketing measures to reach a specific objective. If a university wishes to increase awareness in the United Kingdom with a view to increasing enrollments then we believe that there are currently better ways to achieve this than attending fairs. When this situation changes, as an old hand at organising such events, I will be delighted to help our clients make the most of what can be one of the most effective marketing methods ever invented. Until it does though, we will continue to use alternative ways of marketing international higher education in the UK.

Why will British Students Go Abroad?

We have more or less completed the first round of presentations in 2009-2010. As part of the presentation we aim to give potential students some of the key reasons they should think about gaining international experience. Below we list some of the key reasons why we think students should go abroad. These are worded exactly how we communicate them to our audience of 16-17 year olds and we have only listed those which appear to resonate most strongly with this audience.

1. Compete in the Global Job Market: If you are planning on a career in international business. Employers are increasingly looking for mature, culturally aware graduate recruits.

2. Broaden Your Horizons: Living in another country will help see things from a different perspective. It will introduce you to new experiences and new people. Experiencing life in a different country is not something you can learn by reading about it or seeing it on TV. Countries which we perceive as being similar to the UK can also present their own cultural challenges.

3. Meet People From Many Different Countries: Students from other similar European countries are twice as likely to study abroad as British students. Many of them come to this country for part or all of their education. This opportunity is there for you if you want to take advantage of it.

4. Student Debt Will Shape Your Life: Wherever you study you are likely to be going in to debt to pay for it. This will inevitably have an impact on your life after you leave university. The level of debt is not, in itself, the most important consideration; how long it will take to pay it off is. Studying abroad can help you in two ways:
• it may improve your earning potential,
• it may be cheaper for you.

For more information on how to reach British students with international higher education opportunities please contact us.

More British Students Going to the USA

Yesterday the US based Institute for International Education published its annual survey in to the number of international students studying at US universities. Open Doors 2009 shows that there has been an increase of 4% in the number of Brits in US higher education to 8,701. This includes students at all levels from diploma courses up to and including postgraduate study. The UK remains the 15th most important market for US Higher Education Institutions.

From our own research we can tell that the United States is still the most interesting destination for British students but many cannot take advantage of the opportunity to study there for their full undergraduate degree, primarily for financial reasons. This is unlikely to change in the midst of the current recession. The forthcoming increase in English tuition fees, however, could very easily narrow the gap in cost between British and US higher education, particularly at institutions where academic scholarships are available.

According to the Fulbright Commission's analysis of the Open Doors 2009 survey, there has been a moderate, 3% rise in students enrolled on full undergraduate courses in the USA but a 21% rise in non-degree programmes, including short term programmes such as summer schools and university exchanges.

The five most popular US institutions for British students are Harvard University, University of Central Florida, New York University, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. As three of these universities are Ivy League schools it is clear that British students are mostly attracted to elite American higher education. The University of Central Florida and NYU are also highly respected universities in geographic locations likely to appeal to British students.

There is potential for a wider range of US universities to attract British students at undergraduate level; US efforts to recruit British students are only just scratching the surface at the moment. Because of the sheer number of US study abroad students who want to come to the UK (33,353 in 2007-08), US universities can benefit twice over from raising their profile in this country: firstly, through an increase in direct enrollments; and, secondly, by increasing demand amongst potential exchange students leading to an increase in the British-based partners they are able to offer their own students.

British students and their advisors currently have little awareness of the vast majority of US universities. While many are interested to attend events such as the recent USA College Day in London, very few arrive at such events with any knowledge of the institutions they will meet. We believe that a concerted approach throughout the year works better than a short term visit to these shores and that is the reason we developed the A Star Future promotional campaign. You are welcome to contact us if you would like to learn more about our initiatives.