Money matters

There are many factors to consider when choosing the right school for you. Location, quality of faculty, diversity, range of courses, class size, test score requirements and so on. Cost is also an important consideration for most people, as studying for 2 - 4 years with no income can amount to a serious amount of money - not to mention the missed potential earnings from time taken off work. In real terms, this can be measured as a large deposit on a property or paying off a significant amount of your mortgage. This is clearly a risk and should be analysed carefully as part of your criteria for choosing a school.


Nobody wants to graduate laden with a large amount of debt, although many students do - especially those attending law, medical and business schools. Minimising this debt burden on graduation means you can hold off a little and focus on the best opportunity for you, rather than being tempted by the first option to come your way.


With the JPY currently so strong against currencies like the USD and GBP it is an excellent opportunity for people earning JPY (or with yen savings) to take advantage of courses being offered at a considerable discount in JPY terms compared to just 12 months ago. Likewise, if you are currently considering studying at a Japanese institution, take the time to consider the foreign alternatives as the current exchange rate doesn't only mean the courses themselves are cheaper, but the cost of living too.


However, just before you slip your rose tinted glasses back on, don't forget the risks involved, although you can hedge against exchange rate fluctuations to some extent, you can still lose out. Moreover, the weak USD and GBP is a double edged sword as many other international students will be thinking the same thing. More international applicants at prestigious schools means admissions departments can afford to be more selective, which brings us back to test scores again. Higher test scores, although not the be all and end all, can add value to your application and make you stand out from the crowd.


As some of you may know I will be leaving Kaplan on Sunday and Amberly will be taking over the blog.
Best wishes with your studies and I hope you have a prosperous New Year!
Paul




▼▽▼▼Paulの過去の記事を読む━━━━━━━━━━━
・【The Pareto Principle】2008.10.15 (Wed)
・【There's more than one way to skin a cat】2008.11.05 (Wed)
・【Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today】2008.11.26 (Wed)

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