Costs. Herein comes the question of what you are comfortable spending since you are likely to be paying your way through. Course fees and living expenses vary across countries. Often, the duration of course will be determined by the country you are going to. The longer it is, the higher the costs. So do the maths before you choose (see Costs Matter).

Part-time work. Typically, if you are borrowing to finance your studies, you would want to earn to keep your liabilities down. You might even want some cash in hand to live a little better. Pachisia, for instance, works as a computer lab assistant for $10-11 an hour but he cannot manage all the 20 hours allowed per week because of semester timings (see Work Wise).

Working after graduation. International job exposure looks good on a CV in today's globalised environment. If this is priority, your course should be in a country that allows you to stay on. "New Zealand is the best place for this," says Mukherjee. Australia, too, welcomes foreign students. Says Singh, "The permanent residence application system is very transparent." The US and the UK are a bit stuffy in this respect. "If you are planning to stay on in the UK, you are barking up the wrong tree, the route is tedious," says Rao (see Striking Roots).

Location. Bhaskar chose Keene because he is not "a city person and wanted to experience the traditional English life." If you have such preferences, factor them in too.

STEP V: SELECT THE COURSE
Whether you will take this step before or after you have chosen your destination will depend on your priorities. You could even get lucky and find the best course in your preferred country. If the course is more important than the destination, you could find yourself grappling with a range of admission and visa requirements. However, admission into a top programme makes it worth the trouble. After you go through the eligibility and other criteria, try to narrow the list down to five.

While doing this, check how well the degree is recognised across the world and whether it opens doors in the job market or academia, depending on your preference. Also check out the course and university rankings (see How They Stack Up). The admission process can throw up surprises, so it's better to apply to more than one university unless you are very sure of yourself.

STEP VI: APPLY EARLY
Now that you know where to apply, the sooner you do so the better (see Rules To Apply). Remember, deadlines are sacrosanct. While most countries would have paper forms, you need to go though UCAS (www.ucas.ac.uk) to apply to UK colleges. You must craft your statement of purpose well and provide recommendations from your teachers.

STEP VII: TAKE THE TESTS
You should have started preparing for the tests you need to take about the time you started your research. Now that you know what you are applying for, it is time to take the tests. You would almost certainly need an English language proficiency test, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). An IELTS score is mandatory to apply for an Australian visa.

Chennai's Shashidhar Nambiar, director, IMTP Consultancy Services, a Chennai-based education advisory, explains: "You first get a conditional offer from the university. Based on your marks in English in Class XII (at least 80 per cent), it may waive your test requirement and send you an acceptance letter or wait to do so till they get your score. Either way, they will let you know if you need to take a test."

In addition, US universities would require the score of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of reasoning while some would also ask for the SAT subject test score (see Testing You).

STEP VIII: ORGANISE THE FUNDS
Self-funding or sponsorship. This is often the key since you will likely pay for yourself. "The student's parents or sponsor needs to prepare 6-9 months in advance. Ready funds (liquid assets) should ideally be 6-8 months old at the time of applying for a visa. "Recent transfers of large amounts must be explained with documentary proof of source," says Sunil Sukhwani, director, Edwise, a Mumbai-based overseas education consultancy. Sircar is against going on a shoestring and advises deferring plans if there is a financial problem. You need to show proof of assets for the first year of study and plans for the subsequent years. Australia, however, needs proof for the entire course duration.

Loans. Banks give loans for studying abroad, but only for professional or job-oriented courses. You would have to give an assessment of future income at the time of borrowing and start repaying six months after the course ends. This may not work if you are are going for higher studies. While loans up to Rs 20 lakh are available, collateral is needed for loans above Rs 7.50 lakh. Maheswari got a Rs 20-lakh loan from Allahabad Bank for his Bachelor's course. He, however, had the advantage that his father was with the bank for the previous 30 years. (See Getting A Bank Loan)

STEP IX: GET INSURED
You will have to show proof of health insurance when applying for visas to most countries. In any case, you must have a cover since medical costs abroad, especially in the US, are high and can completely throw your finances out of gear should you need to incur them. You can buy insurance in the country you are going to, or in India. The latter usually works out cheaper (see Under Cover). Sudhir Menon, who heads the travel insurance business of ICICI Lombard, says: "This policy (the one offered by his company) costs one-third of similar policies in US universities. These can also be tailored to the requirements of specific universities."

STEP X: APPLY FOR A VISA
This is the final hurdle and moving early helps here too. Apart from a required set of documents that are similar for all countries, an interview is mandatory for the US visa. "You should be able to convince the consular officer that you intend to go to the US to study and then return," says Sunrit Mullick, regional officer and educational advisor, regional office, United States Educational Foundation in India, Kolkata. Sukhwani adds that you should be careful of using the right form and should avoid changes.

While Australian visas can be applied for online, for the rest you need to pay a visit to the visa office. Marina Gandhi, head, Education UK, East India, British Council, says biometric details will be taken at that time for UK visas. Most embassies want proof of funds for the first year. Australia needs them for the entire duration of the course, before it issues a visa. (See Moving Your Visa).

STEP XI: ARRANGE ACCOMMODATION
Once your visa comes through, you need to arrange for a place to stay when you get to your new college. There are usually many choices in terms of costs and facilities, but the ones closer to college work best (see Roof Over Your Head).

"Universities guarantee accommodation for international students if they apply by the deadline," says Sircar. This would be a good option initially since the facilities are usually good.

Once you get the lie of the land, you can rent a place off campus along with other students. This usually works out cheaper and gives you more flexibility.

Pachisia now pays the same amount for a year for his shared apartment that he used to for his university dorm for eight months. Maheswari, however, says staying on campus is good for making friends.

STEP XII: BEFORE LEAVING
Before leaving it is advisable to attend pre-departure briefings. You also have to arrange for travel and carry some foreign exchange for the first few days till you can open an account and deposit your travellers' cheques.

MONEY'S WORTH
Admittedly, a foreign college education doesn't come cheap. But the benefits can far outweigh the costs. For starters, the exposure that a top college gives has no substitute. And, for places such as Singapore, the costs are not much higher than in India. So, if you have the inclination and, of course, the funds, you can follow your heart and study wherever you want. Strike out.