How to Effectively Recruit Overseas Students: Insights from an Industry Expert

Do you want to keep wondering how to grow your college, or are you ready to learn from those who have successfully done it? Let’s learn from the experts!

For this April edition, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sandy Kwon, CEO of Bada Global.

I’m Michelle Lee from CRICOS Consultancy—welcome to the CRICOS Blog!

In this blog, we’ll uncover how to recruit overseas students—both onshore and offshore. Whether you’re starting a CRICOS college or looking to improve your student recruitment strategies, this is the blog to read! Let’s reveal the secrets.

Michelle: Sandy, thank you for joining us today. Please introduce yourself and Bada Global to our audience.

Sandy: My name is Sandy Kwon, and I’m the Director of Bada Global. Under Bada Global, we have Bada Education Centre and Bada Immigration Services.

We started in 1999, initially focusing on the Korean market, and expanded to global recruitment five years ago. Today, we have:

• Five branches in Australia

• 23 branches in China

• 18 branches in other countries, including New Zealand, Korea, Mongolia, Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

• Soon, we will expand to South America, opening branches in Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.

We expanded globally because the Korean market is limited, but I quickly realised that Korean students are studying in other countries as well. For example, I now recruit Korean students from the Philippines.

M: How can colleges effectively recruit overseas students?

Sandy: I have over 20 years of experience in overseas student recruitment, and I’ve seen many colleges close down after just a few years because they did not adapt to market trends.

The international student market is constantly evolving, and colleges that stick to outdated strategies struggle to recruit students. The right approach differs for onshore and offshore markets, so colleges must apply the correct strategy to the right market.

Here are my key recommendations:

1️⃣ Well-Trained Marketing Staff

Many CRICOS colleges have marketing teams, but not all marketing officers are trained to work with different nationality markets.

For example, if a marketing officer isn’t familiar with the Korean market and visits a Korean education agent, it will be difficult to build rapport and communicate effectively.

2️⃣ A Clear Marketing Strategy & Selling Point

There are many CRICOS colleges out there. Education agents need to understand:

👉 What makes your college unique?
👉 Why should students choose you over another college?

Clearly defining and communicating your selling point is essential for successful student recruitment.

3️⃣ Understanding Your Target Market

I hire education agent representatives who are in the same age group as the students we recruit. This helps us understand the needs and expectations of younger generations.

However, many college owners (especially from older generations like me!) struggle to understand the preferences of younger students. If a college owner doesn’t understand what today’s students want, even the best marketing team will struggle to recruit students.

4️⃣ The Rise of Multi-Campus Institutions

A major trend we’re seeing now is the demand for colleges with multiple campuses across different states.

👉 Why? Many young students are uncertain about their long-term plans. They like having the option to change locations later.

Institutions like International House, which allow students to transfer between campuses, have a competitive advantage. Students are more likely to enrol in colleges that offer flexibility.

M: How do student preferences differ by nationality?

Sandy: Every country has different priorities when choosing a college.

For example:
✅ Mongolian students prefer colleges with strong pathway programs to Master’s degrees.
✅ Other nationalities may focus more on affordable tuition fees.

If your Vocational College is trying to recruit Mongolian students, you’re targeting the wrong market! Colleges must study market trends and tailor their selling points to their target country.

M: How important is administrative efficiency in student recruitment?

Sandy: Very important! Today’s students have no patience—they don’t want to wait long for an offer letter.

In many cases, the college that issues the fastest offer letter wins the student.

👉 Colleges spend thousands on marketing, but if their admissions team is slow, they lose students.

What I’ve noticed is that as colleges grow, the marketing and admissions teams stop communicating well. This delays offer letters, causing colleges to lose potential students.

💡 A strong admissions team is key to effective student recruitment.

M: What about social media marketing?

Sandy: Social media marketing is critical in certain countries.

For example, Korean students no longer use brochures—they prefer digital marketing. Colleges must adapt their marketing strategies based on what works in each country.

M: Do you have a success story of a college that successfully recruited overseas students?

Sandy: I can’t name specific colleges, but I can tell you that long-term partnerships between agents and colleges lead to sustained success.

For example, in the Korean market, branding is essential.

👉 Colleges that have been consistently promoting in Korea for years now have students coming to us asking to enrol—without us needing to convince them! That’s the power of branding.

M: What types of colleges do agents prefer NOT to work with?

Sandy: We avoid colleges that only focus on student numbers and frequently change commission rates.

A successful partnership is built on trust, not just recruitment numbers. Some years, an agent will recruit more students, and other years, they may recruit fewer—this is normal.

The best way to recruit overseas students is for college representatives and agents to travel together and market the college in-person. Yes, it requires investment, but without it, recruitment is difficult.

M: How can colleges engage with Bada Global?

Sandy: Please visit our website at www.badaglobal.com.au and contact our office.

Michelle: I truly appreciate your valuable insights and hope this interview helps many CRICOS colleges improve their student recruitment strategies.

Once again, thank you very much!