Success stories from across the globe

David made the very complicated process of applying to an American university as a foreign student much smoother, he helped me choose university’s that were the best suited to me using his incredible knowledge of each individual college. He was always there to answer questions and phone calls and I definitely wouldn’t have been accepted into the University of Miami without his help, I can’t recommend him enough!

We were looking for support with university applications in North America, in the UK as well as in continental Europe. David provided excellent information and support for all three locations and helped our daughter through the different application processes. His broad experience and base of information helped her narrow her choices, and pulling the application materials and essays together was relatively stress-free, even with her normal load of schoolwork and the challenges of Covid-19 lockdowns and remote schooling. Our daughter is thrilled to have been accepted at her first choice Brown University and off to study engineering there in the fall. We can only highly recommend David and his team to other families looking for support and advice in this process. He made it a real pleasure.

“David demystified the US application process and helped me focus at what matters, ultimately getting me into Stanford’s class of 2024.”

“David Hawkins deftly developed my writing style over 3 months to help me create admission essays of a standard that I had no idea I could produce. When we first met, my essays were unfocused and often unengaging. His productive feedback and detailed knowledge of the inner workings of the admissions process helped tailor my writing to create essays that helped me gain admissions into Stanford University. The work that he did, not only helped me create application essays that got me into Stanford, but also strengthened my writing skills in ways that have been invaluable at university.”

“I can’t thank you enough. At the start of this process, I did not have any definite direction, all I knew was that I wanted to further my education. Thankfully with all your guidance and expertise, I have been fortunate to receive a number of university offers. I have to attribute this to your approach in finding the university which was the “right-fit”. I have accepted my offer from the University of Toronto and if all goes to plan I will attend this autumn. I am so excited! Thank you once again.”

“Thank you so much, you really guided me well to find which path suited me best and I’m very grateful.”

“Thank you so much for your tireless help on my essays and the advice about universities in general – it has been invaluable.”

“We were recommended by our school to approach David for detailed advice and support as we evaluated European alternatives to traditional UK university options. He has made the process so easy and provided the reassurance to give my daughter and I the confidence to move forward with an option in Holland. We ended up applying to three law schools in Holland, have accepted one, and had offers from the other two. There are some really exciting and cost-effective courses outside the UK that need a bit of extra work to understand, but with David’s help that was easy.”

“We would like to say a huge thank you for all you have done to help W with his application and acceptance at IE University. We are all over the moon with the outcome. We realise you were very instrumental in this whole process. It is fantastic that W has been accepted and we also hope this helps to pave the way for more BTEC students going forward. It was quite a journey and we cannot thank you enough for all the help and support you gave to W.”

“Just wanted to thank you for your efforts with M. We are very happy with the outcome. I really appreciate how competent & knowledgeable you are in your field, I will highly recommend your firm.”

“I applied to some US universities in my final year of Sixth Form, but unfortunately wasn’t offered any places. In my second application attempt on my gap year, I had the help of David Hawkins and his team. They helped me to discover which universities would be best suited for me, which elements of my new application to focus on, and how best to put together my art portfolio. It was extremely helpful to have someone who knew which of my ideas would reflect well in my application, and which I should leave out. David and his team made all the difference in my applications and are the reason I’m able to attend Yale today.”

“I wish to thank you for the work you have put in for my application as well as the process of applying and even talking to the universities. I am especially grateful for arranging the appointments during my tour in April, which were decisive in helping me make my final choice. I am well aware that, without your contribution, it would have been much more challenging if at all possible.”

From the first meeting, David used his vast knowledge of the international university world to guide us through a process that was infinitely more complicated than we had thought. From choosing the right US university through to application and then helping with a deferral request, he has represented very good value and we always felt we had his 100% attention when required. My daughter is now off to Miami University next year and we couldn’t be more pleased. Thank you David

“David is the best that I have come across so far in this industry in terms of knowledge, connections, integrity and honesty and responsiveness and in particular he adds huge value in terms of university choice, which as I am sure you are aware is a vast and daunting area.”

“We recommend David Hawkins to our families pursuing international university applications for the following reasons: depth of knowledge of the market (not just US), speed of response, integrity at every level, ability to connect on a personal level with young adults and his ability to provide bespoke advice and find the correct match.”

The University of Toronto has participated in several virtual fairs hosted by David Hawkins’s team at The University Guys. Each event was well-organized from start to finish. David is refreshingly quick to respond to questions and to follow up after events with critical audience data. His fairs were always well-attended and we have particularly appreciated having opportunities to present to students. We look forward to working with David and The University Guys at future events.”

Congratulations on a fantastic fair! The best online fair I have participated in this year. Very well organized, extremely user-friendly platform which enabled lots of “in-person” virtual engagement with candidates, as well as counsellors and parents. Also loved the fact that the presentations were on the same platform. Attendees weren’t re-direct to another platform. Absolutely loved it!

Having attended a number of virtual events run by The University Guys this year, I’ve been particularly impressed by the thoughtful approach to each event. Not only are prospective students able to easily connect with attending universities, the schedule of talks has been clearly devised to give students the best possible opportunity to make informed decisions about which university is the right fit for them. We will certainly continue to work with and attend future events hosted by The University Guys!

I decided to work with The University Guys for a number of student-facing recruitment events after considering several platform-vendors. For my requirements, The University Guys offered the ideal balance of platform management, tech support, availability to ask questions and excellent sector knowledge. The latter was particularly important, as could trust that The University Guys understood what I was looking for in terms of a successful student recruitment event, including key target audience, booth building, presentation schedule and event promotion. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend The University Guys to colleagues around the world who are considering creating bespoke and well-presented virtual events.

Having worked with David and The University Guys with in-person events prior to the pandemic, I was excited to join their virtual events over this past year. As an institution, I know that the quality of the events is always going to be top notch and worth my time. The communication before, during and after each event has been great, and I never feel unsure of what the event will look like.

“The Hawkins Global Education tours take all the effort out of organising on your own the key schools in the UK to visit. They provide your university with brand awareness to the students and what is available outside the UK to the students. Many more students are now looking towards studying abroad and with David’s expert counselling to the students it does not just end after the tour. I wholly recommend these tours. They are great fun too!”

“UT has participated in several of David’s tours and must admit that his knowledge of schools, logistics and counselor contacts in the UK has been a professional life-saver. I have received more student contacts and shared more professional insight about my institution with headmasters and counselors in the past two tours than I have ever garnered from any other extensive travel in the region.”

“Hawkins Global Education tours are unique, affordable, and offer exposure to untapped markets. Even when the tour is over, David continues educating students on global university options and creating exposure for your institution. As a bonus he provides delicious snacks and killer playlists – it is a true boutique tour!”

“I’m a big fan of David’s tours. I appreciate his ability to put together a strong itinerary that puts our representatives in front of qualified students and influential counselors. He has a deep understanding of the relationship between students, counselors and university representatives, which results in a high level of engagement for all participants on the tour.”

“I have been lucky to have been part of several of David’s tours in the UK. Not only are his tours tailor made to fit the respective group he travels with, but you also benefit from his knowledge about the education system and his incredible network. For someone who is new to the UK market this is the best way to explore the country and have fun with it too.”

“The tours offered by Hawkins Global Education are a perfect fit with the type of institution Bishop’s is: intimate, targeted, and boutique. David builds his tours based on the profiles of the institutions and provides the opportunity for them to get to build relationships with counsellors, students and their families directly. These tours have worked well for us and the follow up David provides with students and counsellors is second to none.”

“Thank you for the UK tour last week. I had an absolutely wonderful time and met with more incredible students than I have ever managed to muster within an entire week of travel.”

“David Hawkins provides unique, affordable, and fun tours in a small group setting. He has strong relationships with counselors all over Europe, but particularly in England. His tours put you in front of students who do not have a lot of exposure to US universities. This untapped market is worth exploring and David is best positioned to explore this market.”

“I have participated in UK tours organized by David and every time the organization was exceptional. David is an outstanding professional who has a great network of contacts and reputation, which allow him to be the valuable link between high schools and universities. Thanks to him we have the opportunity to open the door to the European education for UK students.”