is at0086 legit?

[juliaa]

I just found at0086 web and I didn't know much about it. So, I tried to search about at0086 but there's no information I could get about it

and also the fee is a bit cheaper than the others. is it trustable? or is it a scam?

[roddy]

Could you give us a link, and tell us a little bit about who you are, what you want to use them for, etc. Generally the advice is to contact universities directly, rather than go through agencies, if possible.

[juliaa]

Hi Roddy, thank you for your reply

so I'm from Indonesia and I'm planning to take my bachelor's degree in China and I found about at0086. They provide many kind of scholarships and the service fee is a bit cheaper than the others agent I've searched. I want to use them for plan B if I not get accepted by CGS Scholarship. So I want to make sure that they are trustable, but I couldn't find any information about it. Here is their link http://cuac.org.cn/en/Index.html . 

[roddy]

I would find a few universities you'd like to go to, and look at the application process there to see if you can cut out the middle man.

 

Any decent scholarship will let you apply separately, although it might be more difficult to negotiate the application process directly. If the scholarship is conditional on using a certain agency, then that's not a scholarship, it's a marketing promotion. Look closely at how much it's actually worth, how long it lasts, and what conditions there are (eg, paying for university accommodation). 

 

These agencies - I can see there's a need for people who are struggling to negotiate the application process, or who have limited time. But generally, they're unnecessary middlemen. 

 

To answer your question, though - at0086 have been around for many years (to 2009 at least, under their original domain name) and I don't think they're likely to run away with your money and give you no service at all. But whether they're good value for money... depends how much money you have. 

 

In general, with agencies: 

1) Be wary of advisors. They might be getting bonuses for putting you on certain courses. Don't trust their recommendations without checking yourself. 

2) There's no reason you can't negotiate on fees

3) Expect problems, especially with new courses. 

4) At least try to contact the actual university - remember, this is the organisation you will be dealing with day to day for the entire course. Can they answer an email?

[juliaa]

thank you so much for your reply

I've never contact them through email. I contact them through their web and whatsapp.

so I think I'll check it once more to make sure that they're trustable.

thank you for your suggestion. I'll make sure to contact the actual university.

 

by the way, is it mandatory to have chinese proficiency test for apply csc  ?

because some people said that it is mandatory but some said that it's optional and there's a chance to be accepted without hsk.