What is the difference between Direct Apply and Common App? What is the benefit of one over the other?

Direct Apply is a feature in Cialfo that allows your students to directly send their applications to different universities all on Cialfo! Counselors and students can also track the status of the application on the platform as well.

Direct Apply connects international students directly to universities, reducing complicated application processes to one simple flow.

Programs - We offer Direct Entry Program, Pre-Sessional English, Foundation Program, and International Year One Program for more information please click here to find out more
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While Cialfo does have partnerships with Common App and Parchment, the main difference is that the integration allows counselors to send supplementary documents for their student's applications. Students will still have to apply on Common App or different portals.
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Where can you find a list of Direct Apply schools?

You can find the list of Direct Apply schools by using the filter in Universities tab:
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We are growing our list of universities each day - so you will see more universities being added daily!
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What is a Student Education Advisor (SEA)?

A Student Education Advisor (SEA) is an employee of Cialfo who will help guide your students through the Direct Apply process in cooperation with the student's counselor. In our aim to achieve one of our missions of making education more accessible, the SEA's services are free of charge.

They will advise the student on a number of things - ranging from the application process, visa processing, pre-departure, and more!
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The Student Education Advisor (SEA) will guide students to choose suitable options for Universities across the world and give full support from submitting applications until they obtain their visa.
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If a student has applied to 5 universities through UCAS, can they still apply to other universities in the UK through Direct Apply?
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Yes, students can still apply to other universities. Students will be able to apply to the UK in Direct Apply outside of the limitation of UCAS. There are a number of UK universities in Direct Apply that accept applications above and beyond the UCAS set limit of 5 applications. The Student Education Advisor can guide the student and counselor to identify these and also apply to them via Cialfo.
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Is there an application fee for universities under Direct Apply?
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The majority of universities in Direct Apply do not require an application fee. However, this is dependent on the university themselves.
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Can a limit be put to the number of applications a student sends out via Direct Apply?
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Currently, no but we will be adding that configuration soon in the next few weeks! In the meantime, we would suggest using our Broadcast feature to inform your students of the needed limit.
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Is a Statement of Purpose (SOP) required for all Direct Apply applications?
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The requirement of SOPs is dependent on the university.
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Why can't I see Direct Apply on my Cialfo Account?

It may be that Direct Apply has been turned off for your school. If you are a Counselor Admin, please go to your Configurations and turn on Direct Apply. However, if you are a student, please reach out to your counselor.
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For easier viewing of Direct Apply programs/universities, be sure to use the Direct Apply filter on School Search (see #2 of this FAQ list).

There are 4 stages in the student enrolment journey:
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Stage 1: Application - Build your profile and fill out the application form

Stage 2: Offer and acceptance - After receiving offer from university, fulfil your requirement for Letter of Acceptance

Stage 3: Visa Support - Prepare your document for your visa.

Stage 4: Pre-Departure - After visa prepare your bags for arrival to your chosen destination.

Matriculation dates are the start date of the University.
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How will I get to know if a student is eligible for a particular program?

Before you apply, please look into the entry requirements of the intended program such as age requirements for the course. If you have any queries you can reach out to us at [email protected]
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Are there any scholarships available?

Yes, please reach out to your Student Education Advisor for more information or email us at [email protected]
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How many applications can students apply on the Direct Apply platform?

There is no limit to applications, a student can apply as many as they'd like but we recommend that you apply to not more than 8 universities.

​*We will be updating Configurations for counselors to allow them to set a limit for students
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Can students apply with their predicted scores?

Yes, they can!

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Which types of students are eligible to apply via Direct Apply?

All students are welcome to apply via Direct Apply! However, the current programs we have for US universities, US citizens, and residents are not eligible to apply to US universities on Direct Apply as they are typically for international students. Majority of programs/courses are available for international students.

Some students might experienced an issue where certain universities, such as De Montfort University (UAE campus), were not appearing in the Direct Apply application list due to a data issue with the university listing. This issue has now been resolved, and the university is correctly available in the Direct Apply list.

If a student notices that a university they expect to see is still missing from Direct Apply, please contact Cialfo Support via "Chat with Cialfo" and share the university name and country so our team can investigate further

Counselors previously experienced an issue where clicking "Direct Apply" from the left navigation panel in Cialfo Core redirected them to the generic cialfo.co homepage instead of the Direct Apply page. This issue has now been fixed, and the navigation link correctly redirects to the Direct Apply page.

If you are still experiencing an incorrect redirect, please try clearing your browser cache and cookies and then log back in.
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Some students were unable to view their university portal login credentials within the Direct Apply section of Cialfo, even though the credentials had been generated successfully. This issue has now been fixed, and students should now be able to view their login details normally within their Cialfo account.

To find your login details:

If you applied and still cannot see your login credentials, please contact the Cialfo Support team through Live Chat so the team can help retrieve and share the credentials with you.

Some students may notice two identical "Other" options appearing under the School Board/Curriculum field in the Direct Apply Education tab. If you encounter this, please follow the steps below: