Life-changing experiences taking IELTS with the British Council
By Stephen Carey, IELTS Global Marketing Manager, the British Council
Over the last few years we have witnessed a phenomenal growth in the numbers of people taking IELTS for international education, pro- fessional registration and migration. Applicants the world over now know that success in their chosen destination country – whether Australia, the UK, the US or many others – starts with an IELTS test. Over 1.5 million tests were taken in 2010, and more and more
organizations are choosing to accept IELTS scores. Candidates tell us over and over again that they particularly appreciate the availability of the test, the fact that results are available within less than 2 weeks, and the personal, “face-to-face” customer service that IELTS provides its clients. Last year, several British Council regions decided to provide additional support to academic candidates through the establish- ment of the British Council IELTS scholarships. British Council IELTS candidates were offered the opportunity to compete for a scholarship that would facilitate their journey to their chosen aca- demic destination. The scholarship not only generated hundreds of enquiries from the general public, but also provided the lucky winners with a head start in their academic journey.
Case study Here follows the story of Ankur Agarwal, who has now left India and is studying at Cass Business School in London, UK. ‘My parents provided a solid foundation to my life by instilling in
me strong values. Being fortunate to study at India’s premier insti- tutes: Army Public school Dagshai, BIT Ranchi and working at Tata Motors for 3 years, I realised that I am on target to achieve something bigger in my life. With a wish to sharpen my manage- ment skills, I applied and received an offer for studying Management at Cass Business School. However, studying outside India espe- cially in London, one of the most expensive cities was a big finan- cial challenge for me. I was quite worried about funding my study. I read about the recently launched IELTS scholarship. Initially I hes- itated but my close friends Nirbhai and Shrutika motivated me to go for this opportunity with full enthusiasm. Taking the IELTS test was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Officials from the British Council were friendly and supportive dur- ing the process. Their professional standards and individual atten- tion during the IELTS test helped me perform to the optimum level. Soon after the test, I applied for the scholarship. The scholar- ship application was simple but comprehensive. Writing the State- ment of Purpose was an opportunity to reconfirm my career goals and my motivation to study in UK. After almost a month, I learnt that I was amongst the top 40 students in the final consideration for scholarship. With four days in hand; I started preparing for my final interview. On the day of interview, I was quite nervous considering the importance of scholarship. But the interviewers made the process quite com- fortable and friendly. After my interview, I was happy for the fact that I was able to give my best efforts and the panel openly acknowledged and congratulated me for my achievements. I clearly remember the time when I had received a call from Deepika, British Council Chennai. I was at Punjab National Bank branch at Dhampur, trying to arrange my education loan. British Council recognised my efforts and I was enthralled to hear that I am one of the eight to be selected for this prestigious award. I set off for award ceremony in Chennai, where I was given a very warm welcome. With sweet and nostalgic memories of meeting the fel- low winners, British Council and High Commission staff, I left for London. After reaching London, I realised how the world has become a small place. My management class of 160 had students from more than 45 nationalities. The vibrant UK culture and world class management education has been shaping me into a well polished
50 actionetwork
▲ English is now a global language.
professional. Moreover, studying living and playing in diverse groups have turned me in to a truly global citizen. Finally, for me who started his education in a Hindi medium school, getting British Council IELTS scholarship is one of my biggest personal achievements. It is my firm belief that you can achieve anything if you set your heart and head towards it. And IELTS British scholarship has further strengthened this belief.’ (IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations).
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