Going abroad alone is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Going abroad with a friend is a different kind of experience, and it has its own set of advantages worth knowing about before you decide.
The idea of studying abroad with a friend comes up a lot. Students who are curious but not quite ready to commit often raise it. Sometimes it is the nudge that gets both of you on a plane. Sometimes it is what makes an already exciting plan feel genuinely doable. Either way, it is worth understanding what studying abroad with a friend actually looks like in practice, what the real advantages are, and how the application process works when two people apply together.
This post covers all of that, including one thing that surprises a lot of students. When you apply to most Asia Exchange programs with a friend, your acceptance is guaranteed, as long as you both meet the basic requirements.
The guaranteed acceptance you might not know about
One of the most practical advantages of going abroad with a friend through Asia Exchange is that most programs offer guaranteed acceptance for groups of two or more. You do not need exceptional grades or a compelling personal statement. You simply need to meet the entry criteria and apply together.
How it works: when two or more students apply to the same program at the same time, Asia Exchange guarantees both a placement. This applies as long as each student meets the program’s standard entry requirements. The exceptions are Temple University, James Cook University, and Edith Cowan University, where acceptance depends on individual grades.
For students who have been hesitating because they are unsure whether they will get in, applying with a friend removes that uncertainty entirely. It is a genuinely different dynamic. Instead of waiting to hear back and hoping for the best, you and your friend apply together and move forward together.
What counts as meeting the requirements?
The standard requirements vary slightly by program and university. Generally, they include being enrolled at a recognized university, having completed at least one year of undergraduate study, holding a valid passport, and meeting the language requirements for your chosen destination. The counseling team can walk you through exactly what is needed for the program you have in mind.
The real advantages of studying abroad with a friend
Beyond the application process, studying abroad with a friend changes the experience itself in ways that are worth thinking through honestly.
The first weeks are easier
Research consistently shows that the adjustment period is one of the hardest parts of studying abroad. International students frequently encounter adaptation challenges related to unfamiliar educational systems, social integration, and daily living conditions, and those challenges are most acute in the first few weeks. Having someone you already trust by your side during that period makes a real difference. You have a person to eat dinner with on day one. You have someone to figure out the transit system with. And you have a familiar face when the rest of the world does not yet know you.
That initial safety net does not hold you back. In practice, students who go abroad together tend to socialize just as widely as those who go alone. They have the confidence that comes from not starting from zero.
You can take on the logistics together
Studying abroad involves a lot of administrative moving parts: visa applications, housing, bank accounts, insurance, orientation days, credit transfer paperwork. Doing all of that alone is manageable, but doing it with a friend is noticeably easier. You can divide research tasks, double-check each other’s documents, and share the mental load of keeping everything on track.
With Asia Exchange, you can also attend counseling sessions together. Both students join the same call with an advisor and ask questions together. No risk of one person missing something, and no need to relay information afterward.
It is easier to say yes to things
One of the quieter benefits of studying abroad with a friend is how much more often you do things. Weekend trips, night markets, trying a new restaurant in a neighborhood you have never been to: all of those things are easier when someone is already saying yes alongside you. Solo students absolutely do these things too, but having a built-in travel companion from day one removes the friction that sometimes stops students from acting on impulses.
Moreover, when something goes wrong, which it occasionally does, having a friend nearby makes it a story rather than a crisis. A missed bus or a miscommunication with a landlord is a lot less stressful when someone is there to help figure it out and laugh about it afterward.
You both grow, but independently
A concern some students have about going abroad with a friend is that they will stick together too much and miss out on the full experience. In practice, this rarely plays out the way people fear. Most students who go abroad together naturally drift into different friend groups, different schedules, and different routines as the semester progresses. They are both building new lives in the same city. That means plenty to talk about at the end of the day, without being each other’s only social outlet.
In fact, studying abroad with a friend often makes both people braver individually, precisely because the baseline safety net exists. Knowing someone has your back makes it easier to take risks, try new things, and push further outside your comfort zone.
What about going alone?
It is worth being honest here: going abroad alone has its own advantages, and they are real. Students who go alone are often forced into social situations faster, which can accelerate building new friendships. They also come back with a particular kind of confidence that comes specifically from having figured everything out on their own.
Neither approach is objectively better. The right choice depends on who you are, what you need, and what feels most like the study abroad experience you actually want. For students who are anxious about the adjustment, going with a friend is often what makes the decision feel possible at all. For students who are excited by the prospect of starting completely fresh, going alone is an equally valid and rewarding path.
Good to know: if you and your friend are interested in different destinations, you can still apply at the same time and benefit from guaranteed acceptance on your respective programs. You do not have to go to the exact same university. Talk to an Asia Exchange advisor about what is possible for your specific situation.
How to apply with a friend through Asia Exchange
The process is straightforward. Both students fill out their applications, indicating that they are applying together. The counseling team will coordinate both applications and ensure you are processed at the same time. From there, you both get access to the same support resources throughout the pre-departure process.
You can also book a shared counseling session to explore destinations, discuss program options, and ask questions as a pair. Many students find this is actually the most useful first step, because it lets both people get the same information and make decisions together rather than separately.
The one thing worth noting again is the exception list. Temple University, James Cook University, and Edith Cowan University operate on grade-based admissions. For these three programs, acceptance is not guaranteed regardless of whether you apply alone or as a group. For all other Asia Exchange partner programs, the group guarantee applies as long as both students meet the standard entry requirements.
Some of the best stories from students who went abroad together start the same way: one friend was ready to go and the other needed a bit of convincing. A year later, the one who needed convincing is usually the one who says it changed their life most.
Thinking about going abroad with a friend? Book a shared counseling session and explore your options together.
