The Brisbane skyline and the Story Bridge at sunset, seen across the river.

For students & families

Studying in Australia is a big decision.

Get advice from someone who made the same move as an international student and then worked in Australian education.

01 · Why start early

Most studentsstart looking late.

By the time most students start looking seriously, some degrees are no longer open to them.

The subject choices that matter come years before the application

Subject choices in Year 10 and 11 decide which Australian degrees stay reachable. Making an informed choice early can save time and money.

Ranking is the wrong place to start

The right course, city and university for one student is rarely the one ranked highest. It depends on the student, the budget, and what happens after graduation.

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Model the total cost before you commit

You can model the total cost to graduation before deciding to study abroad. Most students and parents see the real number only once they are committed, and by then changing course is expensive.

02 — Year by year

What to decide in Year 10, 11, 12 and 13

Year 10 → offer

Year 10 · Subjects

Year 10 · Foundations

Choose subjects early on

Subject choices at school decide eligibility for certain Australian degrees later on. It is cheaper to get this right early.

Subject combination mapping
Degree prerequisites
Early risk review

Year 11 · The floor

The grades start counting

Results now set the floor for everything that follows. A realistic group of universities and courses becomes visible here, while there is still room to change direction.

Realistic course group
City and campus fit
Direction check

Year 12 · Direction

Shortlist, costs, scholarships

A shortlist built from the student in front of me rather than a ranking table, set against the total cost to graduation and what the degree is worth afterwards.

Shortlist with reasons
Total cost modelling
Scholarship search

Year 13 · Application

Offers, visa, arrival

Applications, offer negotiation, the visa and accommodation, then the part almost nobody prepares for: the first few months in a new country.

Offer negotiation
Visa guidance
Support for the first months

03 — Destinations

Six states, two territories and eight capitals.

Every capital city in Australia has a university. What separates them are the rankings, cost of living, weather, the size of the graduate job market and how far you will be from home.

SA · 3 universities

Adelaide

Compact, walkable and easy to get around.

Brisbane

Subtropical and warm almost year round, and building fast ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.

Canberra

Small and quiet, built on purpose around government and the national institutions.

Darwin

The tropical north, closer to Jakarta than to Sydney, and the smallest of the eight.

Hobart

A deep-water harbour under a mountain, and the second oldest capital city in Australia.

Melbourne

The densest concentration of research universities in the country, and cold in July.

Perth

The closest Australian capital to the Gulf, and only a few hours off Dubai time.

Sydney

The biggest graduate job market in the country.

Five stages, reviewed as we go.

The earlier we start, the more of the pathway is still open.

Discovery call Free · 30 min

Thirty minutes to hear what you are aiming for, and to work out whether I can help. No obligation either way.

No obligation
Straight answers

Situation mapping

I map the constraints first: education and migration policy, the budget ceiling, the academic record, and where you want to end up. The recommendation comes after that.

Budget ceiling
Academic profile
Policy constraints

Pathway recommendation

A few recommendations for your situation, with the reasons written down, rather than a list of options for you to sort through.

Few recommendations
Reasons given

Total cost and return

A worksheet setting the full cost to graduation against what the degree earns on the other side.

Cost to graduation
Outcomes after graduation

Execution support

Applications, scholarships, offer negotiation, visa guidance, accommodation, and the first few months on the ground.

Applications
Scholarships
Visa & arrival

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05 · Working with me

A practice of one

Deliberately small, with the numbers behind every recommendation.

DirectYou work with me directly. There is no junior handling your file, and no account manager between you and the advice.
ExperienceInside the sector since 2014, with professional experience across education agencies, universities and the New South Wales Government.
SmallA limited number of students each cycle, so I can stay close to each one.
Honest about fitI will tell you when Australia is not the right fit for you, and recommend alternative destinations and universities that fit you better.

06 · Case note (composite, illustrative)

The student had high grades but did not have the prerequisites for the course.

A Year 12 student in Dubai came to me with her parents and a shortlist of highly ranked universities. She wanted to study veterinary science, but the subjects she had chosen two years earlier meant she was ineligible.

We mapped a pathway that starts with a foundation program in a related field and gives direct entry into the second year of the veterinary science degree. We modelled the total cost to graduation against the original plan, and found a campus with strong graduate outcomes and a lower fee base. That pathway keeps veterinary science within reach.

Arrived: Year 12, mid-cycle
Constraint: Incorrect subject combinations in Year 10
Work: Foundation pathway, cost model, direct entry into second year
Outcome: A route into the second year of veterinary science

07 — Packages

Two packages: Foundational and Full pathway.

Foundational

Stage 1 (free discovery call)
Stage 2 (situation mapping)
Stage 3 (pathway recommendation)

Enquire

Recommended

Full pathway

Everything in Foundational
Stage 4 (total cost and return worksheet)
Stage 5 (applications, scholarships and offer negotiation, then visa, accommodation and your first few months on the ground)

Enquire

08 — Enquire

The first conversation is free and takes thirty minutes.

Bring your year group, the subjects you’ve chosen, and a rough budget. You will leave knowing whether Australia is the right call, whether the plan you have still holds, and what to decide next.

Book the free discovery call