As the CEO of Halp.co, a prominent company in the tech industry, we’re excited to learn more about your organization and your insights on various topics. Let’s begin with an overview of Halp.co.
Please explain about Halp and its Journey and How is Halp different from other study abroad coaching platforms?
- Halp is one of the world’s largest tech-enabled international college admissions coaching
platforms that offers 1:1 digital admission coaching to students aspiring to study abroad.
Our mission is to make learning accessible to everyone by becoming the infrastructure, bank
and teacher for every global learner. We started by making international admissions easier,
more affordable, and more convenient for students looking to study abroad. Halp currently
has 18,000+ users on the platform. We work with students from more than 88 countries,
with the majority of our members being from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In India we
have partnered with more than 100 institutions, breaking geographical barriers and
reaching students deep inside India through our tech-enabled end-to-end free online
personal support. Our emphasis has always been to provide our services free of cost to
students so that they can save for studying abroad at their desired institutions.
What are major challenges which students face while seeking overseas education? How are you
helping students in overcoming these challenges?
- Even while access to education is improving, there are still obstacles for students who want
to study abroad. Local agents make promises they don’t keep and charge exorbitant upfront
fees. Because of this, they are either only available to wealthy families who can afford
astronomical costs or to middle-class families that put in a lot of effort to pay for them just
to be given a false dream. Students and their parents living in rural areas must travel great
distances to meet with representatives in person each time they need assistance. - Halp has the distinct honour to be the only premium 1:1 study abroad coaching platform
that offers its services free of cost to all students. With a large network of partners, more
than 70 institutions, and tech-enabled end-to-end free online personal support, we are able
to reach students beyond metropolitan regions and deep inside India. In fact, we are seeing
significant traction in rural regions for studying abroad. Halp’s international coaches live
(and have studied) in the destination countries where students are applying which makes
them very effective in helping students. Along with admissions counselling, Halp coaches
assist the students with end-to-end support in setting up a new life in the new country;
including flights, phone plans, bank accounts, accommodation, visas, scholarships, loans,
and everything that they need to start their education in that country.
How is technology enabling Halp in reaching out to its potential target audience in country?
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- Digital technologies have fast-forwarded the evolution of the education system over several
decades. The education system is not only much more affordable and accessible, but it is
also much more experiential and personalized. Today a student can access world-class
education from any place or time just with a smartphone and internet connection. The
developments happening in the education sector in one part of the world rapidly reach all
parts of the globe. In India, with ever-increasing digital and smartphone penetration, more
and more people are coming online which has helped us reach students not only in the
metropolitans but in the remotest parts.
What are your expansion plans in India?
- We are currently putting a large focus on our institution partners in India and trying to grow our
network. Working with institutions directly allows us to teach students about the study abroad
process before they graduate giving them time to prepare. We’re excited to expand our
institution partnership network over the next few months.
What are the tips you would like to give students who are looking to study abroad?
- It might be challenging to know what options are available to you as a student in upper-
secondary or post-secondary education. Do some research, but not just online. Join a club or
society at school, volunteer, and apply for an internship if possible! You will learn what y