Overview
Most applicants start with a list built from ranking tables, friends' advice and a few program pages. The result is often lopsided: several highly selective programs with similar requirements, no realistic options, and little thought about total cost or what happens after graduation. Shortlisting fixes this before you spend money on application fees, tests and document translations.
We work from your profile — transcript, grading scale, test scores or plans, work or research experience, budget and goals — and map it against the published entry requirements and structure of candidate programs. For each program we note what it teaches, what it demands, what it costs in total, what funding is realistically attached to it, and what questions remain open. You then choose your final list with the trade-offs visible.
Because systems differ so much between countries (a one-year UK taught master's, a two-year US master's with electives, a European program taught in English with low tuition, an Australian coursework degree), the page below includes a short guide to each region. Visa and immigration rules are mentioned only as questions to check on official government sites; we are not immigration advisers.
Who it’s for and the problems it solves
This is for you if you are…
- Undergraduates choosing between master's programs in two or more countries
- Professionals returning to study who need a program that fits a budget, a career change or part-time study
- Prospective PhD applicants deciding between structured doctoral programs and supervisor-led systems
- Parents and school leavers comparing UCAS, Common App and direct-entry options abroad
- Applicants with an unusual profile (a three-year degree, a gap, a non-standard grading scale) who are unsure where they are eligible
Common problems we help with
- Your list has twelve programs, all of them very selective, and no realistic or safer choices
- You cannot tell whether your three-year bachelor's or local grading scale meets a program's minimum requirement
- Two programs share a title but one is a research-track degree and the other a one-year professional course
- You have not worked out the full cost of attendance, only tuition
- You are unsure whether policy changes in a destination country affect your plans after graduation
What’s included — and what isn’t
Included
- A profile review: grades converted to the terms programs use, test scores, experience, gaps and strengths
- Clarifying your goals: research career, professional qualification, industry move, or specific location
- Program-level comparison: curriculum, modules or course structure, thesis or capstone, cohort size, delivery mode and duration
- Entry requirement check against published criteria (minimum grades, prerequisite subjects, GRE/GMAT policies, English test minimums per section)
- Cost-of-attendance estimate structure: tuition, living costs, insurance, deposits and application fees, using official figures you can verify
- Funding attached to each program (departmental awards, assistantships, fee waivers) and external scholarships that fit
- Reach, target and safer tiering with a written rationale for each placement
- Country guides covering degree structure, application systems, intakes and the policy questions to check officially
- A final shortlist document you can hand to parents, sponsors or a supervisor
Not included
- Predicting or promising admission to any program — tiering reflects published requirements and typical profiles, not a forecast
- Legal, visa or immigration advice; we point to official government pages and you or a regulated adviser make those decisions
- Submitting applications on your behalf or contacting universities while posing as you
- Agent-style placement where we receive commissions from universities; our recommendations are not paid for by institutions
What you receive
- Profile summary
- A one-page summary of your academic record, tests, experience and constraints, written in the terms admissions pages use, with any eligibility questions flagged.
- Comparison matrix
- A spreadsheet of candidate programs with structure, requirements, deadlines, total estimated cost, funding options and links to each official source.
- Tiered shortlist
- Usually six to ten programs grouped as reach, target and safer, each with a short paragraph explaining why it is on the list and what would strengthen your case.
- Country notes
- Short notes for the countries you are considering, covering degree length, application platform, intakes and policy points to verify on official pages.
- Next-step plan
- What to do next for each program: tests to book, documents to request, and whether to contact faculty. Can feed straight into a full application timeline.
How it works
Intake questionnaire
You share your transcript, scores, CV, budget, preferred countries and goals, plus any programs already on your list.
Goal and constraint call
We discuss what you want the degree to do for you and what you cannot compromise on (budget, location, family, funding, duration).
Research and matrix
We build the comparison matrix from official program pages and note every point that needs confirming with the admissions office.
Tiering and review
We present the draft shortlist with reasoning. You challenge it, add or drop programs, and we revise.
Handover
You receive the final list, country notes and next steps. One follow-up round of questions is included.
How we compare programs
- Fit before prestige
- We read module lists, faculty research areas and thesis requirements to check that a program teaches what you need, then consider reputation as one factor among several.
- Requirement mapping
- We compare your record with published minimums (for example, UK classifications such as a 2:1, US GPA expectations, or European credit and bachelor's-length requirements) and flag where a credential evaluation such as WES may be needed.
- Total cost modeling
- Tuition plus living costs for the actual city, health cover, travel, deposits and the proof-of-funds amount a visa application may require, all linked to official sources.
- Funding overlay
- Which programs typically fund students (common for US PhDs), which offer partial merit awards, and which external scholarships, such as Erasmus Mundus or DAAD, fit your profile.
- Outcomes evidence
- Where programs publish employment or placement data we include it, and we note when they do not, rather than relying on marketing claims.
- Risk tiering
- Reach, target and safer groupings based on how your profile compares with stated requirements, with the caveat that holistic admissions decisions cannot be predicted.
Country guide: United States
US master's programs usually last one to two years with substantial coursework and electives; PhD programs typically combine two years of coursework and qualifying exams with research, and are often funded through assistantships or fellowships. Applications go directly to each graduate school, usually with a statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, transcripts and, in some fields, GRE or GMAT scores (many programs have made these optional, so check each page). Undergraduate applications typically use the Common App or a university's own portal.
Main fall-intake deadlines for graduate programs commonly fall between December and February. Student visa rules, interview requirements and post-study work options such as OPT are set by US government agencies and can change; check travel.state.gov and the university's international student office.
Country guide: United Kingdom
UK taught master's degrees are usually one year full time, which lowers living costs but leaves little time for internships. Research degrees (MPhil/PhD) are applied for with a research proposal and, often, a named potential supervisor. Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Many programs admit on a rolling basis, so applying early matters for popular courses and for scholarship deadlines that fall well before admission deadlines.
The Graduate Route lets eligible graduates stay to work after their degree; the UK government has announced changes to its length for applications from 2027, so confirm the current rules on gov.uk before building plans around it.
Country guides: Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia
Canada: thesis-based master's degrees are often funded and supervisor-led, while course-based master's are usually self-funded. Canada has capped study permits and introduced provincial or territorial attestation letters in recent years, with exemptions that have changed for graduate students; check the current rules on canada.ca before choosing a college versus a university program.
Europe: many countries offer English-taught master's programs with low or no tuition at public universities for some nationalities (Germany is the best-known example), while others such as the Netherlands charge higher non-EU fees. Programs often require a bachelor's worth a set number of ECTS credits and specific prerequisite courses. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters let you study in two or more countries with one application to a consortium.
Australia: coursework master's degrees are typically one and a half to two years; universities apply directly or through agents, and the government has moved to manage international student numbers. Treat any enrolment-limit or visa-processing detail as something to verify with the Department of Home Affairs.
Asia: options include research-intensive universities in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and China, some with government scholarships (for example Japan's MEXT or Korea's GKS) and English-taught tracks. Application routes, language requirements and intakes vary widely, so program-level checking matters even more here.
- Immigration and visa rules in every destination change frequently — we flag the question, official sources give the answer
- Deadlines vary by program, not only by country; the matrix records each one
Why a balanced list is a strategy, not a compromise
A shortlist of only reach programs concentrates risk; a list of only safer programs may waste your potential. We aim for a spread where each program is one you would genuinely accept, and where your documents can be adapted efficiently because the programs share a theme. Fewer, better-targeted applications usually produce stronger statements than many generic ones.
What the work can look like
Illustrative example — fictional data
Sample shortlist excerpt: public health master's
An invented applicant with a four-year pharmacy degree, two years of hospital work and a limited budget wants a public health master's in Europe or the UK. The programs and figures below are generic placeholders to show the format.
Target: one-year UK MPH
Meets the stated upper second-class equivalent. One-year duration keeps living costs lower. Open question: whether the program's epidemiology prerequisite is satisfied by the applicant's biostatistics course — email admissions with the syllabus.
Reach: two-year Erasmus Mundus program
Strong curricular fit and a mobility track across two countries. Scholarship competition is intense and the consortium deadline falls in winter, earlier than the UK options. Applicant's hospital project is a clear strength to highlight.
Safer: English-taught public university program in Germany
Low tuition but a blocked-account proof of funds is typically required; check the current amount on official pages. Requires a set number of credits in quantitative subjects — likely met, to be confirmed.
Illustrative example with invented details. Real shortlists use current official program information, which you should confirm before applying.
What you’ll need to provide
- Transcripts or a grade summary, including the grading scale your institution uses
- Test scores taken or planned (English tests, GRE, GMAT, SAT/ACT) and target dates
- A current CV and a short statement of what you want to study and why
- Your realistic budget, any sponsorship or loans, and whether you need full funding
- Countries or cities you are open to and any you have ruled out, with reasons
- Programs already on your list, even if you are unsure about them
You don’t need everything ready to ask for a quote — tell us what you have and we’ll say what’s missing.
What affects price and turnaround
Price depends on
- Number of countries and programs to research and compare
- Level of study (undergraduate, master's or doctoral, where supervisor fit adds work)
- Complexity of your record, such as credential conversion or mixed education systems
- Whether funding research and scholarship matching are included
- Number of review calls and revisions to the list
Turnaround depends on
- How quickly you can supply transcripts, scores and budget information
- How many programs require confirmation from admissions offices before tiering
- Proximity of the earliest deadline on your list
Every project is quoted individually. How we price our work.
Questions people ask before starting
Do you use rankings?
We note them because sponsors and employers sometimes care, but we do not build your list from them. Subject-level fit, requirements, cost, funding and outcomes carry more weight, and we explain the reasoning for every program.
Are you paid by universities to recommend them?
No. We do not take placement commissions, so recommendations are based only on your profile and goals.
Can you tell me which country gives the easiest visa or work rights?
No. We do not give immigration advice. We list the questions you should check (post-study work, proof of funds, caps or attestation requirements) and link to official government pages; for individual advice, consult a regulated immigration adviser.
How many programs should I apply to?
It depends on your budget, your profile and how selective your field is. Many applicants aim for six to ten well-matched programs across tiers, but we would rather you apply to five you have researched properly than fifteen chosen quickly.
My grading system is unusual. Can you work out if I am eligible?
We can compare your record with published minimums and point out where a formal credential evaluation or a direct question to the admissions office is needed. Only the university can confirm eligibility.
What if I already have a list?
Send it. Often the most useful work is checking an existing list for gaps, duplicates and cost surprises rather than starting from scratch.