Shifting Focus in Student Advising Conversations

The student advising landscape has undergone a significant shift in recent years. Gone are the days when counselling sessions began with a list of universities and discussions about fees, city, and rankings. Today, parents are asking more nuanced questions, such as whether a degree will pay back the investment, remain relevant upon graduation, and withstand the impact of artificial intelligence.

## Why the counselling room matters The counselling room plays a crucial role in international education, with 44% of international students relying on recruitment agents to help them decide what and where to study. Career development is now the primary motivator for studying abroad, cited by 67% of students. This shift in focus has placed advisers at a point of leverage, where family hopes meet market reality.

## From prestige to proof Families have stopped asking for prestige and started asking for proof. Recruitment agents in South Asia are now requesting skill-mapped programme documentation, while agents in North America are seeking post-study visa clarity and programme-level outcome data. Parents are increasingly asking employment questions before admission questions, seeking evidence of a degree's value.

## The safety net that isn't there The traditional answer to anxiety about job market changes - choosing a good university and reskilling later - no longer holds. Research suggests that only 8% of adults take part in formal, accredited learning in a given year, and open online courses have a low completion rate. Meanwhile, 53% of technical skills learned in year one are judged obsolete within three years. Employers, however, are hiring recent international graduates primarily for durable skills such as communication, judgment, and ethical behaviour.

## What good advising looks like now Good advising now requires a different approach. Advisers should ask institutions for programme-level employment data, talk to parents about durable skills, screen recommended programmes for work-integrated learning and international cohorts, and keep the post-study visa picture current. By doing so, advisers can provide evidence-based guidance and help families make informed decisions.

## Advising as trust infrastructure The adviser's role is shifting from gatekeeper of options to interpreter of evidence. Transparency is key, with 64% of UK-bound students saying they would still choose the UK despite recent visa changes, provided programme-level employment data was transparent. By providing honest outcomes, institutions can build trust with families and reward advisers for their efforts. The sector can then build trust one family conversation at a time, ultimately leading to better decision-making and outcomes for students.