Red flags
- "Guaranteed admission" or "guaranteed visa" with no stated conditions
- No written contract or an unclear fee
- Asking you to pay application fees into the consultancy's account
- Pushing you toward specific universities
- Fee/duration information without an official source
- Pressure for a quick prepayment
- Student reviews you cannot verify
What a good firm does
- Provides the scope of service, fee and refund terms in writing
- States that university application fees are paid directly to the university
- Shows the official source for its information
- Promises the controllable parts of the process instead of guarantees
How to protect yourself
- Open the university application under your own account or confirm that you own it
- Get a receipt for every payment
- Confirm directly with the university by email
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