Episode Notes | Transcript | AskTheGuest
Hi Fives (5 Highlights) Click for 3-Minute Listen
Cara Skikne is Senior Editor at Studyportals in the Netherlands.
Cara became a big believer in Int’l Education through her own experience leaving her native South Africa to study at Oxford in the UK.
StudyPortals was founded when Edwin Van Rest, himself a product of Int’l Edu, realized there wasn’t a single place to go to find international college programs. Unfortunately, there was no place Edwin could point them to.
So he started an Online Directory of English-taught programs available in Universities & Colleges around the world.
Today, StudyPortals offers:
- A platform that allows students to easily find and research over 200K English-taught programs in 3700 colleges and universities in 110 different countries;
- Offer Universities insight into student trends, Geographies where their programs may resonate;
- Scholarship information.
Hi-Fives from the Podcast are:
- About Studyportals
- Student Offerings
- Services for Universities
- Connecting Students and Universities
- Advice for High Schoolers
Episode Notes
Episode Title: Cara Skikne of Studyportals: Helping Students Find the Right International College Programs.
Cara Skikne became a big believer in International Education after she went through the process of applying, then leaving her native South Africa for her MBA at Oxford in the UK. She then joined Studyportals as Senior Editor to work on International Education everyday.
Studyportals was founded to be a one-stop solution to find international college programs. Today, almost 15 years later, Studyportals lists over 200K programs, from over 3700 Universities in 110 countries, and served 52M prospective students in 2021.
Cara joins us on our podcast to tell us How Studyportals got started, How they help College-bound students & Universities, Global Int’l Student Trends and Advice for college-bound students.
In particular, we discuss the following with her:
- Cara Skikne’s Background
- Birth of Studyportals
- How Studyportals Benefits Students and Universities
- Student & College Trends
- Advice for the Students
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Introducing Cara Skikne, Studyportals [0:44]
- Hi Fives - Podcast Highlights [2:25]
- Professional Background [5:04]
- About Studyportals [6:05]
- What Studyportals Offers Students [8:07]
- Services for Universities [10:42]
- Student Trends [15:12]
- College Trends [16:53]
- Connecting Students & Universities [18:02]
- Pandemic Impact [19:48]
- What Next? [22:57]
- Scholarships Info [25:04]
- Advice for High Schoolers [25:53]
Our Guest: Cara Skikne is the Senior Editor of Studyportals. Cara graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Media Studies from Rhodes University in South Africa. Cara received her MBA from University of Oxford, UK.
Memorable Quote: “I think the biggest benefit of Studyportals for students is the fact that it's so comprehensive, that it actually lists over 90% of English taught programs anywhere on the planet.” Cara Skikne.
Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode’s Transcript.
Suggested Episodes: College Experiences (Alumni)
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Episode Transcript
Transcript of the episode’s audio.
<Start Snippet> Cara S 0:14
Core belief, I think, for me and for my colleagues here is that, you know, education has the power to change the world and build bridges, especially these cultural exchanges that happen with international education. Now the next goal that we are working towards is that no student should miss out on an education opportunity due to a lack of information.
Venkat 0:44 [Introducing Cara Skikne, StudyPortals]
That is Cara Skikne, Senior Editor at StudyPortals, an International Education Platform based in The Netherlands.
Hello, I am your host, Venkat Raman.
Cara became a big believer in International Education after she went through the process of applying then leaving her native South Africa for her MBA to Oxford in the UK.
Joining StudyPortals after her MBA seemed like a logical next step.
StudyPortals was founded when Edwin Van Rest, himself a product of Int’l Edu, realized there wasn’t a single place to go to find international college programs.
Today, almost 15 years later, StudyPortals lists over 200K programs from over 3700 Universities in 110 countries.
Last year, over 52M prospective students visited their site.
Venkat Raman 1:57
Cara Skikne joins us on our podcast to tell us How StudyPortals got started, How they help College-bound students & Universities, Global Int’l Student Trends and Advice for college-bound students.
Before we jump into the podcast, here are the Hi-Fives, Five Highlights from the podcast:
Cara 2:25 [Highlights - Hi Fives]
[About Studyportals]
It was back in the mid 2000s. At the time, there wasn't actually a place where you could go and compare and look at different study programs. And I think, you know, if you want to travel, you can look@booking.com There's a whole lot of online sites for a whole lot of things. But it was nothing really to look at all the English taught programs offered in the world.
[Student Offerings]
If you are interested, for example, in setting business, then you can look at the business programs everywhere in the world, in any course where the course is taught in English. And the best program for you might be in Japan, it might be in the Netherlands, it might be in the US. It might be in Brazil, you can only really know by having access to all of those options to make your decision.
[Services for Universities]
Obviously, with so many millions of students searching, we're able to get a good idea of the trends. So we can help universities determine, for example, which countries they should be targeting for certain subjects.
[Connecting Students and Universities]
We can send them more information about courses that they've shown interest in on the platform. And they can also get in touch with the university directly. So a lot of the university listings on the platform, the ones that are featured will go directly through to that program website.
[Advice for High Schoolers]
My advice would be to look for the best program for you that everyone is different. And so there is no best university that's going to suit every person. So I think it's a case of thinking about what you're really looking for from your university experience.
Venkat Raman 4:31
These were the Hi5s, brought to you by “College Matters. Alma Matters.”
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Venkat Raman 4:42
Now, I'm sure you want to hear the entire podcast with Cara.
So without further ado, here's the podcast with Cara Skikne!
-----------------
Venkat Raman 4:52
So if you're ready, we can jump right in.
Cara S 4:54
Sure.
Venkat Raman 4:56
Awesome. So maybe the best place to start is tell That's a little bit about yourself. And then we can dive into Studyportals.
Cara S 5:04 [Professional Background]
Sure, so I'm currently working as senior editor at Studyportals. But I actually started off my career as a journalist in South Africa. I did my undergrad at a South African University, Rhodes University. I'm in journalism. And then a few years later, I decided I wanted a little bit of a career change. And I wanted to upskill and I ended up doing my MBA at Oxford. And I think, applying for that program, and realizing the benefits associated with international education was really a turning point where it just became more of a passion for me and something that I wanted to be involved in on a daily basis.
Venkat Raman 5:57
Tell us a little bit about Studyportals. I mean, how did it come about? Maybe a quick history?
Cara S 6:05 [About Studyportals]
Sure. So Studyportals. It actually started many years before I arrived. When one of our co founders and our CEO Edwin Van Rest, he was living in the Netherlands. And he decided to study in Japan. And I think when he returned back to the Netherlands, there were so many people, all of his friends family, asking him, you know, where can we find information? How did you know where to study? Where can we, you know, can we also study overseas. And at the time, this was back in the mid 2000s. At the time, there wasn't actually a place where you could go and compare and look at different study programs. And I think, you know, if you want to travel, you can look@booking.com. There's a whole lot of online sites for a whole lot of things. But it was nothing really to look at all the English taught programs offered in the world. Yeah, so it actually it was a spinoff from a few international study associations. And I think it started off with a more of a European focus in the beginning, for spreading to every every country. And now Studyportals has over 200,000 programs listed on the portal over 300 Sorry, over 3700 universities listed. And in 2021, there were 52 million prospective students searching on the platforms. So it's really grown into into a tool that many international students rely on to find the right program for them.
Venkat Raman 8:01
What what do students get from the platform? what does Studyportals offer them?
Cara S 8:07 [What Studyportals Offers Students]
I think the the biggest benefit of Studyportals for students is the fact that it's so comprehensive, that it actually lists over 90% of English toward programs anywhere on the planet. So if you are interested, for example, in studying business, then you can look at the business programs everywhere in the world. And in any course where the course is taught in English. And the best program for you might be in Japan, it might be in the Netherlands, it might be in the US. It might be in Brazil, you can only really know by having access to all of those options to make your decision. So I think that's a really big benefit of Studyportals is just how comprehensive it is. And the fact that for students, you can search, depending on what discipline you'd like to study, you can search based on a destination. And you can really get a sense of all the programs out there, and which one is going to be the right one for you.
Venkat Raman 9:15
So So you mentioned find the best program or what you think is best for you. Now, does Studyportals help with that aspect, or those criteria or guidance or is it more up to the individual looking for information?
Cara S 9:36
So Studyportals doesn't do application support, and we don't. We won't choose programs on your behalf. What we do have are things like a country test, which is a quiz that you can fill out. It's got questions like Do you want to study with mainly international students do want to study more with local students? Do you want to learn a new language? To give you guidance, if you're not sure of where you'd like to study it also, you can input your details and they can give you a percentage match to different programs. So it definitely has value in narrowing it down. But the choice at the end of the day is with students, it's direct a student platform. So it's the information is coming directly between universities and students.
Venkat Raman 10:30
Got it. Got it. Now, that brings us to universities, what would a Studyportals offer universities?
Cara S 10:42 [Services for Universities]
I think, for universities, it's a case of being listed on a platform that so many millions of students are searching on. And I think our research shows that most students, international students actually know which discipline or subject that they want to study before they even decide which country or which institution, and Studyportals lists all of the course details. So for universities, they can list every single one of their programs with all of the information, and students can really get a sense of what the program is actually about. And so I think, for universities, we play a role of connecting them with the students that are using our platform.
Venkat Raman 11:32
So do you inform the university? Do you? Or is it is it? I mean, how's that connecting happening?
Cara S 11:44
So it's happening on our portals, of just students get in touch directly. It's also, obviously, with so many millions of students searching, we're able to get a good idea of the trends. And so we can help universities determine, for example, which countries they should be targeting for certain subjects. Because there might be a huge demand for a certain subject or discipline in a country that the university might not even recruit from, will have thought to recruit from. So I think a benefit of this digital platform is that it's really connecting universities and students from all over the world, from so many different countries where maybe there's not universities don't have people on the ground.
Venkat Raman 12:41
So, you know, I was just thinking about, you said, 3700, universities, I think was the number over 3700. How do you how do you keep all the information current? I mean, how do you keep it up to date? Quite a challenge?
Cara S 12:57
Yeah, that is, that is a big challenge. I think part of it is that universities can actually update the information themselves when things change, and they do. So I think that also helps make sure that the information on the platform is actually current.
Venkat Raman 13:15
Okay, so the universities pay to be listed, or is that a free service?
Cara S 13:20
And so some of them do pay, they get extra features from us and they listing. But even universities that don't pay, they are all listed on the portal. So we don't only show students for example, universities that pay us, they all get a chance to to be on the shortlist of students.
Venkat Raman 13:43
Cool. So, so basically, if I can summarize, you're helping students find their, you know, colleges that they might want to consider. And for colleges, you're offering them insight into what students are looking for, in addition to obviously providing information to students about their universities and colleges, right. So that's, that's B. Now, is there any other constituency that you're helping, other schools involved in any way? High schools and such or no?
Cara S 14:16
We don't work with high schools directly. But obviously, there's a lot of high school students searching on the platform. So our research shows that the student journey is typically about 15 months, but often are up to two years. So there are definitely people finishing high school and looking at university options for their undergraduate programs that get access to this comprehensive information on Studyportals.
Venkat Raman 14:51
So, let's talk a little bit about what you're seeing at this point. I mean, what kind of trends are we seeing over the last few years? Maybe first in terms of students, maybe countries, majors, that sort of thing, what's broad brush? What would what are the kinds of things going on?
Cara S 15:12 [Student Trends]
And I think one trend that we're seeing is just a huge rise in the number of English taught programs being offered. And the fact that one in five English taught programs in the world are actually outside of the Big Four, education countries, Anglophone education hubs. So outside of the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, there's a huge rise in programs. In China, there's a rise in programs across Europe. And so the the choices that students have, are now broader than ever. I think there's also a whole lot of different origin countries, rising up in student interest that we can see on the platform. So especially, there are a lot of emerging markets that have, over the past few years become really important to university recruiters. Where you see there's a big surge in, in student interest. And then, and then, of course, after the pandemic, we've also seen a surge in popularity for online courses, and hybrid courses that you can see on the platform.
Venkat Raman 16:33
What are, what are you seeing with colleges? I mean, you know, there's been, at least in the US, enrollments have dipped. And I don't know what, what it's looking like worldwide? But how's that? And are you helping with that? Or can you help with that?
Cara S 16:53 [College Trends]
Yes, I think we can help with enrollments, I think a lot of the growth happening at a lot of universities, is from international students. And so we have seen a slight dip in, in student interest coming out of a country like the US, but there's a lot of interest for students going to study in a country like the US. So I think it's a case of of targeting the right students. And and making sure that you give students in the right place with the right interests, information about that college or about that university course.
Venkat Raman 17:34
Now, are you keeping track of I mean, just you mentioned interest now. Do you you said the sort of 15 month journey, roughly? Are you able to, I don't want to say track, but are you able to follow a student as they go through that journey? Or is that pretty sporadic?
Cara S 18:02 [Connecting Students & Universities]
We can I think this detail about the journey being about 15 months is based on real data from our platforms. The data that we used is all anonymous behavioral data. So we don't track individuals that were we can see kind of the stages that students move through the kind of things that they're interested in at different stages. And a lot of students will keep comparing programs right up until the end, you know, even after they're applying, they've applied and they're looking at comparing offers. So yeah, it's it definitely is, and I saw with my own studies as well, it is quite a journey from deciding to study and thinking about it for the first time to actually enrolling in a class.
Venkat Raman 18:53
Absolutely, absolutely. As you said they are anonymous, so the colleges themselves wouldn't be able to approach a student, right? I mean, there's no such thing.
Cara S 19:04
And know that they wouldn't be able to approach the student but the student, we can send them more information about courses that they've shown interest in on the platform. And they can also get in touch with the university directly. So a lot of the university listings on the platform, the ones that are featured will go directly through to that that program website.
Venkat Raman 19:33
So you mentioned the pandemic few minutes ago. So how has that impacted Studyportals? I mean, what changes are you seeing or what changes have you made to the platform as a consequence?
Cara S 19:48 [Pandemic Impact]
So I think, yeah, as I mentioned it a big shift to online courses. And I think also the What we're hearing from universities is just this idea of going beyond just having classes on Zoom. But really integrating technology in a whole lot of different ways into the classrooms to make sure that courses are flexible, that you can take exams at different times that you can go back and review work or look at apps. So So there's definitely been a digital transformation across universities. I think we've also seen the demand for education in general. Go up. And, and I think, the focus on careers as well. And it's been a trend for a long time. And I suppose all of these trends really have predated the pandemic. But I think a big focus from students on actually Korea outcomes.
Venkat Raman 20:59
Now, now, do you guys believe that some of these are going to outlive the pandemic such as, you know, as it is right now, all the online virtual and hybridisation in some sense, like you mentioned? Is that is that sort of the general belief?
Cara S 21:19
Yes, I think so. And I hope so because I think another trend that we've seen in higher education is the rise of what are called non traditional students. So students who might be changing careers at 40 years old, or students who might be completing courses alongside other commitments, having professional commitments, looking after children, reentering the workforce, and I think the flexibility that's offered with more digital solutions, really enables a lot more people to access the education that they need, to upskill or to, to learn to get to the next place that they want to be at.
Venkat Raman 22:12
That's, I mean, I think I think it's a great thing. It's just, and are you seeing universities embrace that?
Cara S 22:20
I think so. I think we've also seen, especially in terms of online and short courses, a lot more options being offered across different subjects. So I think pre pandemic, a lot of the course offerings kind of focused on subjects like Business and Management, where now you're seeing a lot more variety of courses that students can access.
Venkat Raman 22:50
So what's what's ahead for Studyportals? Where are you guys headed? Where are you taking this platform?
Cara S 22:57 [What Next?]
Um, so I know that when Studyportals first started, the goal for Studyportals, at the time was to have more students studying abroad than soldiers abroad. And I think it's hard to get the exact numbers of soldiers. But I think, pretty much at this point, Studyportals has achieved that goal of making sure that a lot more people have access to information about international education. Because the core belief, I think, for me and for my colleagues here is that, you know, education has the power to change the world, and build bridges, especially these cultural exchanges that happen with international education. Now, the next goal that we are working towards, is that no student should miss out on an education opportunity, due to a lack of information. So obviously, there's a lot of barriers that students can have to education, there's finance, there's there's a lot of things, but where we can make a difference is making sure that students have got some access to information. So we've launched a Global Access Initiative on Studyportals, and to kind of address that information barrier to make sure that people have a bit more information about their options, and a bit more confidence to apply. And also, to make sure they've got more access to information about scholarships, as well, and also those ultra accessible flexible options that I mentioned earlier. To get to make sure that more astute more students can access international education.
Venkat Raman 24:50
Now, you mentioned scholarships and obviously cost is a huge factor. The cost of college now is, is that a lot of scholarship information on the platform today as it exists.
Cara S 25:04 [Scholarships Info]
Yes, there is. There is actually a scholarship portal. So it's scholarship portal.com that has got a lot of information and you can search by country to find I think there's a, there's quite a number of scholarships on this portal. And then there's scholarships being added to that all the time.
Venkat Raman 25:33
Okay, so here, we're going to start winding down. But before we go, what kind of advice would you give high schoolers out there that are college bound or want to be college bound? I think
Cara S 25:53 [Advice for High Schoolers]
My advice would be to look for the best program for you. That everyone is different. And so there is no best university that's going to suit every person. So I think it's a case of thinking about what you're really looking for from your university experience. Are you interested in the social life? Are you interested in the career progression? Are you interested in the exposure to like minded people? Are you interested in international experience, really think about, you know, what you are looking for, as an individual? Sure, and keep your options open. And think there are a lot of really interesting courses. That should be on your radar. Don't narrow down your options too soon. And don't self select out as well by thinking like, Oh, I'm not smart enough with this course. Make sure that you give yourself a chance to, to explore and to find the right course for you.
Venkat Raman 26:57
Awesome, awesome. So Cara, thank you so much for coming on and sharing what storyboard was has to offer and I'm sure we'll talk again, but for now, take care. Be safe. And thank you so much.
Cara S 27:14
Great. Thank you so much for having me.
Venkat Raman 27:16
Absolutely. Bye, bye.
—---------------
Venkat 27:23
Hi again!
Hope you enjoyed our podcast with Cara Skikne of StudyPortals.
In particular, we learned that StudyPortals offers:
- A platform that allows students to easily find and research English-taught programs in colleges and universities in different countries;
- Offer Universities insight into student trends, Geographies where their programs may resonate;
- Scholarship information.
I hope students and parents check out StudyPortals for their own college research.
For your questions or comments on this podcast, please email podcast at almamatters.io [podcast@almamatters.io].
Thank you all so much for listening to our podcast today.
Transcripts for this podcast and previous podcasts are on almamatters.io forward slash podcasts [almamatters.io/podcasts].
To stay connected with us, Subscribe to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify or visit anchor.fm forward slash almamatters [anchor.fm/almamatters] to check us out.
Till we meet again, take care and be safe.
Thank you!
Summary Keywords
Podcast for High Schoolers, US Colleges,International College Programs, College Podcast, College Counselor, High School Students, College Admissions, College Application, International Students, Global Ed-Tech, Applying to US Colleges, Making College List