This S’pore Startup Got 1,000 Undergrads Into Overseas Unis – Now Wants To Help Postgrads Too

The focus on education in Singapore is undoubtedly one of the fiercest, including both a local and overseas education.

In 2015, Labour Chief Chan Chun Sing talked about how students needed to get out of Singapore in order to be successful in Singapore. The focus was on having a global education so that we would be attractive to global companies setting up shop here.

“Every person that comes to Singapore […] already has their experience [from] back home. So they know at least two markets. For us in Singapore, the more comfortable we are, and if we’re unwilling to move out, then we’ll only have one set of experience.”

Applying for an overseas education can be a hassle, and that’s the pain point Cialfo will help you settle.

Finding Education Overseas

A Singapore startup whose journey began in 2015, Cialfo made headlines for helping students connect with their dream universities.

In Singapore alone, they successfully facilitated 1,000 applications with over 600 accepted into top US and UK universities in a single year. On a global scale, the number exceeds 10,000.

Previously, Cialfo only connected students for a Bachelors Degree but now, the team has announced that they are rolling out a new service for students applying for postgraduate degree, MBAs, and boarding schools.

Not only that, but the team has widened its reach across China, India, Mongolia as well as in Singapore, with a global network in over 3,000 institutions from Europe to USA.

According to co-founder and CEO Rohan Pasari, the list is already “one of the most exhaustive in this industry”, and it is not restrictive. Their student counsellors can manually add any university if students want to apply there and if demand rises, the university will be added into the database.

Bootstrapping Students

Not only that but the Cialfo platform has come a long way since it’s initial conception.

“What initially was a means of message exchange between a mentor and a student, is now a one-stop-shop for application management,” Pasari says.

“We now have sought-after features like instant messenger, guardian updates, deadline reminders, meeting scheduler, interactive college shortlisting, native-mobile app, a status tracker, undergraduate and postgraduate applications among others.”

The platform also boasts a smart college shortlisting tool that makes it more convenient and boosts application success for students, and endorsing it are former Harvard and Wharton Admission officers.

When it comes to the application process, the team also supports students in the application essay ideation, editing, as well as in building a profile attractive to the college of choice.

“It is our belief that every student deserves the best college education and we are on a mission to make college applications simple, efficient, and accessible to every student.”

“Our platform allows education institutions to reduce time spent on administrative tasks, which in turn frees up their time to provide more valuable face time with students to strategise and find the right college fit.”

Embracing Edu-Tech 

Their success is also increasingly recognised amongst Singaporeans, and Pasari shares that they are seeing a 300% year-on-year growth of students using their platform.

Embracing A Global Education

To prosper in an era of disruption and innovation, opening our sights out to new horizons and experiences has become crucial to personal growth, and this is something the rest of the world also knows.

So why not leverage on a competitive advantage when you see one?

You can visit Cialfo’s website and Facebook page here. You can also download the apps here on the Apple store and Google Play.

Featured Image Credit: The Cialfo Team