Want to go for further studies in foreign universities but confused where to go or even confused which programs to apply? Or worse, find it hard to zero in the college or university in which you want to study?
Don’t worry; this common problem is now a thing of the past. To help students who want to go for further studies in foreign universities but often stuck with the above common issues, Mumbai-based iSchoolConnect has come up with a one-stop solution to put the problem to an end once and for all.
Founded by Ashish Fernando and Don Kphury in 2017, iSchoolConnect streamlines the college search and application process and help students across the world study in their preferred universities. It facilitates students to search and apply to unlimited universities around the globe using a single application. The platform matches prospective students with educational programs using predictive modelling and lets them create and submit their applications through a single interface. It uses deep learning techniques to provide corrective actions on student essays, resumes, and video interviews, all in real-time. The startup focuses on students originating in Asia and travelling to the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK for their further education.
How iSchoolConnect help students get in to their preferred universities
Students can simply create an account, update their profile, shortlist the programs, consult an expert, and then apply for the course in the college/university they prefer to study. In simple words, as soon as the student registers and provides their information and resume on the iSchoolConnect platform, they can apply for different graduate programs at foreign universities from its platform. The student can also mention their search preferences. Based on the information given, iSchoolConnect’s Artificial Intelligence technology shortlists and recommends some university programs.
The students can also schedule one-on-one sessions with iSchoolConnect’s in-house experts for advice or consulting. These consultants have over 15 years of experience in foreign universities, and provide guidance to the students on matters such as scholarships, SOP writing, letters of recommendations, and visa.
iSchoolConnect’s platform works on two models:
- Recruitment as a Service (RaaS): Under this, iSchoolConnect charges a commission on every international student enrolled in a program through the platform.
- Technology as a Service (TaaS): Here, iSchoolConnect will charge a setup fee of minimum $15,000 in addition to a minimum monthly subscription of $300 for each of the tools (Essay Grader, Video Analyzer, Document Reader, and Conversational Assistant) deployed at the institution.
Different models and their benefits
iSchoolConnect charges $400 (premium) and $2,000 (pro) per year depending on the subscription model. The basic model, which is free, allows the user to log in, apply for different universities and get one session of expert counseling. The premium model gives them the shortlisted options on top of the features available with the basic model along with access to its interview and SOP grading tool. The pro model allows students to interact with the consultants as well as use all its features, including visa and loan assistance.
Some of the universities which iSchoolConnect helped students get into include the Boston University, the Northeastern University, the University of California Berkeley, the Bentley University, and the Penn State University, among others.
According to its Co-founder and CEO, Ashish Fernando, the website currently gets 100,000 visits per month, and the company’s existing conversation rate to paid customers is 10 percent of user registrations. The company claims to have a total of over 7,000 registered students on its platform until now. It claims that its user base has grown 3X month on month since its inception.
Needless to mention, iSchoolConnect had received $400,000 in pre-seed investment in January 2018, and seed funding of $400,000 in June 2019. The company was also granted $100,000 in marketing funds and $100,000 cloud credits by Google in 2018.
