Choosing a school thousands of miles away, sometimes on another continent, is enough to make any sensible person, including the most adventurous among us, dizzy. Distance also means that you can't rely on tangible things like visiting a campus or meeting the teaching or administrative staff.
This means trusting people and basing your choices on first-hand accounts, photos and presentations.
Because all this is not easy and requires serious and precise decoding, there are a certain number of players located locally, as close as possible to the students applying to study abroad, and offering their services to help applicants choose the right school, the right course, the right study abroad project.
These players operate under various headings, such as agent, educational or guidance counsellor, mobility consultant, etc. They may offer a range of schools or, on the contrary, present only one institution. They can operate from a dedicated branch or from another institution. In short, this intermediary service for studying in France can take many forms.
Unfortunately, as in any human activity, the level of quality of service and professionalism varies from one player to another, and given the investment and life impact involved in a study project, it is essential to make the right choice.
If you're looking for the services of an intermediary, it's important to choose the right person before you choose your school.
Here are a few tips to help you make the right choice:
1. Check the link between the intermediary and the school(s)
You are absolutely entitled to check that there is an official link between the school(s) presented and the person accompanying you. In practical terms, this means that there is an agreement between the two parties and that the intermediary has the right to present you with the range of courses on offer. This is a first guarantee of quality of service, but also the assurance that the documents and information presented have been checked and are up to date.
2. No intermediary can promise you a study visa for France
The only authorities that can formally decide whether or not to grant you a study visa for France are the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs, which share this responsibility. No school or intermediary has the power to influence or predict this decision. So anyone promising you a visa would be either a liar or an unreasonable optimist, depending on your point of view. In any case, this kind of commitment should make you wonder about the seriousness of the person you are dealing with.
3. Confidence does not exclude control: have the RNCP reflex
This expression is sometimes used a little too easily, but in this case it can be very useful. Just because you put your trust in an educational adviser doesn't mean that you can't check for yourself certain information about the schools and study programmes you're aiming for. While there are a fairly impressive number of higher education schools in France, listing the qualifications they offer is relatively simple, centralised and accessible. For vocational higher education, i.e. leading to the acquisition of knowledge and skills required in specific professions or on the job market, the Répertoire National de la Certification Professionnelle (commonly known as the RNCP) managed by France Compétences lists all French qualifications recognised by the State.
By simply searching the online directory: https://www.francecompetences.fr/recherche_certificationprofessionnelle/, you can quickly check that the qualification you are aiming for is recognised by the French government, that it is still active and that the school you are considering is authorised to prepare you for this qualification.
These few precautions will give you peace of mind if you need or want support with your project beyond the help provided directly by the school! Don't forget to ask for the services of local representative offices. These are not intermediaries, but direct collaborators of the school, a privileged link between you and your school in France thanks to their proximity.
MediaSchool has chosen to be as close to you as possible, with an office in Senegal in West Africa and an office in Morocco in North Africa.
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