Start with the documents, not the institution's reputation.
Put each offer, scholarship notice and accommodation message in one folder. Build the comparison from current official documents and pages. A verbal assurance, old fee table or ranking is not a substitute for the condition that the family must actually satisfy.
| Question | Evidence to record |
|---|---|
| What exactly has been offered? | The official offer letter, course title, campus, start date and validity period |
| What conditions remain? | Grades, subjects, language evidence, portfolio, deposit and document deadlines |
| What is the full commitment? | Tuition, housing, insurance, travel, visa or permit costs and realistic living costs |
| Does the course fit the student? | Modules, assessment, flexibility, prerequisites, support and the work the student wants to do |
| What can still change? | Deferral, transfer, scholarship, accommodation, placement and professional-registration rules |
Separate certain, conditional and unknown.
Mark every important line as certain, conditional or unknown. A conditional scholarship is not the same as cash available today. An unconfirmed residence route is not the same as a settled cost. Unknowns should become questions for the institution before the family accepts or pays a deposit.
Calculate the cost the family can actually fund.
Compare the first year and the full expected duration. Include tuition, housing, insurance, travel, visa or permit costs and ordinary living costs. Keep a separate line for uncertain currency movements or optional spending rather than hiding it inside a precise-looking total.
Test willingness, not only eligibility.
A student may qualify for an offer and still not want the course, city or learning design. Ask what the student would attend if two offers cost the same. Record that answer beside the formal conditions; it is part of the decision, not a softer afterthought.
Write the next irreversible deadline in plain language.
End the comparison with one sentence: “By [date], we must [action] or we lose [option].” Then assign an owner and verify the live instruction with the institution. This prevents a family from accepting the most exciting offer simply because its deadline arrived first.