Hundreds of thousands of Indians apply every year to study in various countries — often using consultancy firms and agents to strengthen their chances. By some estimates, there are now more than 40,000 study abroad consultants in the country and millions of candidates reaching out for guidance every year. A Reddit user, however, flagged some of these organisations for using “fear and pressure to push expensive services” onto clueless clients.
The Reddit user said that they had worked for a “well-known study abroad consultancy in India” that remains active on social media platforms. The unnamed company offered a variety of services — including SOP writing, support with university applications, and even visa guidance. Working with the organisation, however proved to be an eye-opening revelation for the Redditor with disillusionment quickly setting in.
‘SOPs copied from AI’
“SOPs were often copied from AI. They were not written with care or based on the student’s real story. The content was generic and repeated, with little to no depth. Despite this, students were charged high prices with the promise of personalized support. It was upsetting to see students place so much trust in a process that was treated like an assembly line,” the Reddit user revealed.
Applicants seeking visa support went through a similar process — made to feel as though they needed help to book appointments or complete simple forms. But the lengthy post noted that these were typically basic tasks that most could complete on their own.
“The company used fear and pressure to push expensive services that were not actually necessary. The experience made me question how these companies operate. Students deserve honest, ethical, and meaningful support. What they often get instead is recycled content, inflated promises, and high fees,” the user reiterated.
The post urged students to take their time and do their own research before reaching out to such consultancies. The Redditor also highlighted student-led communities as a strong and easily available resource for candidates. Many on the social media platform, however, found it concerning that those hoping to study abroad were unable to write an SOP or choose an university on their own.
‘You don’t deserve the opportunity if…’
“It beggars belief to me that somebody who wants to study abroad can’t be bothered to put in the effort to write a SOP themselves or pick a University. Both are skills to be learnt, not something to be outsourced to a company. It’s complete antithesis to what the US universities are looking for,” wrote one user.
“If you’re paying people to write your own essays and applications, I have no sympathy for you getting scammed. You don’t deserve the opportunity,” fumed another.
“If one cannot write SOPs to good colleges, how can they expect to write essays for classes? It’s terrible that people keep relying on these useless services. Work hard on your apps, ask your friends to proofread stuff, and lastly, don’t just blindly go for a course because you get to live abroad,” agreed a third.
Several Reddit users also shared their personal experiences — with one comment noting that many foreign applicants appeared to be clueless about the entire process. The user (a current Masters student) explained that they were in a group chat with many people working with agents.
“These students feel like the dumbest people out there. One doesn’t know what the visa and IHS fees are. One girl doesn’t know how where to look for or how to know about baggage allowance (it’s literally shown while booking flights). One girl is so anxious about cancelling an accommodation because her agent has scared her, telling her the landlord would sue her. This is just what I saw today,” they lamented.