As lucrative as it is, the overseas university application sector has long been dominated by agencies operating on shady commissions, exclusive partnerships, information imbalance, and hefty service fees.

That is why the standard framework for studying abroad often rewards agencies more than applicants themselves.

This reality was spotted by two students from Dhaka, Yasin Rahat and Mayesha Maliha Proma, who not only walked away from such an unfair deal but also implemented a solution to help students struggling with the same problems.

That is how AbroadMates was born, a mentor-led platform that acts as a bridge, connecting students with their overseas counterparts to navigate the application process through one-on-one sessions.

The main motto of AbroadMates is to enable applicants to receive the best mentorship from peers who have already crossed the application phase in a particular country, and to gain real insight into maximising their potential in a new environment.

How the idea came to life

The idea of AbroadMates did not originate from a business plan or a startup pitch, but from frustration born out of the flawed agency system.

The founders recalled, “When we decided that we would study abroad, we did what almost all of us do: we went to an agency, hoping it would help and guide us to create a proper plan.”

Unfortunately, they encountered something distressing. “We saw how they had partnerships with certain universities, and the best universities often meant the ones that paid the highest commission to the agency.”

This encounter clarified their objectives. “Very quickly, we realised that they weren’t advising or guiding us,” one of the co-founders, Yasin Rahat, explained. “Rather, they were selling. Somehow, only their partner universities were the best options for us.”

As the conversation continued, a pattern began to emerge. Expensive universities were used as benchmarks for quality, scholarships were barely discussed, and it felt like their hard-earned grades, extracurricular activities, career goals, and long-term planning never truly mattered.

The realisation soon became clear to Rahat and his fellow founder. “Our profile wasn’t the central element of the plan. Rather, our budget and their commission were.”

That is when they realised the current system of applying through agencies is broken. The entire structure is designed around who pays the most to agencies, rather than what is best for students.

Challenges of finding the right destination

Disappointed by agencies, Proma and Rahat decided to take matters into their own hands. “After visiting all the large consultancies and hearing the same script repeatedly, we decided that we would self-apply.”

What followed, from late 2020 to early 2021, was an intense period of trial and error. They conducted extensive research, going through university websites to understand requirements and visa procedures, while comparing countries based on employment prospects, research opportunities, and overall quality of life. They applied to nearly 60 universities across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Eventually, they chose to pursue undergraduate studies in Japan on a full tuition scholarship.

Mayesha Maliha Proma reflected on the experience: “To get real answers, we had to message random current students and post in multiple groups. Sometimes it worked, but most of the time, it went unseen.”

As fulfilling as the journey was, it could have been far easier if they had access to mentors who could share proven strategies to simplify the process and maximise outcomes.

This experience revealed a deeper issue. “We didn’t struggle because we couldn’t fill out applications,” the founders explained. “We struggled because we didn’t have access to practical guidance at the right time.”

That gap became the problem worth solving.

The informal beginning that became a platform

In January 2022, they began operations by creating Facebook and Instagram pages for AbroadMates.

To help students prepare for studying abroad, they started publishing blogs and informative videos. They also launched an innovative campaign offering short coffee-chat slots through Google Calendar, allowing students to book 20-minute one-on-one sessions.

“Our coffee-chat slots kept filling up, and our inbox was flooded with questions,” they explained. The overwhelming demand confirmed a genuine market gap. However, as both founders were studying in Japan, they were unable to support students targeting other countries.

They invited friends already studying abroad to join, gradually building a mentor pool of individuals from across the globe. What began as a simple helping hand soon became the foundation of a platform.

What is AbroadMates?

“AbroadMates is a one-to-one mentorship programme for studying abroad,” the founders stated.

Students can book 20- or 40-minute sessions with current students from their target universities, countries, or scholarship pathways.

During these sessions, students can ask questions about scholarships, profile building, and application procedures. Mentors share personal experiences, relevant strategies, detailed guidance, and help resolve issues that commonly overwhelm applicants.

“Our core value is simple,” they shared. “You talk to someone who has actually done it recently and achieved it with accuracy.”

They also explained why they chose not to rely solely on social media. “On social media, everyone shares opinions, much of which is random. There is no real way to verify who is speaking, what they did, or whether their situation matches yours.”

At AbroadMates, mentors’ profiles are public, detailing where they study, the pathways they followed, and their areas of expertise. “They are not anonymous commenters,” Rahat emphasised. This transparency ensures accountability and credibility.

What further differentiates AbroadMates is its matching system. Students can review mentors’ academic backgrounds, SSC/HSC or A-levels, IB pathways, scholarships, budget targets, and career ambitions before booking.

“We want students to find mentors with similar backgrounds and constraints,” the founders said. “They can read the mentor’s story first, see what they applied for, what they achieved, and what they struggled with.”

Safeguards against misinformation

Maintaining mentor quality is a core operational priority. Mentors must be current students or recent graduates. Students submit their questions in advance to ensure sessions are well prepared. Mentors are also expected to say “I don’t know” rather than guess.

Because of this, the founders are confident that outdated or misleading advice is minimised.

Money, monetisation and sustainability

AbroadMates is a paid platform where students pay for 20- or 40-minute sessions. Prices are set by mentors themselves. The platform takes a modest fee per booking to cover maintenance, support, payments, and mentor network growth.

“Mentors set their own prices,” the founders explained. For many international students, mentorship provides part-time income through sharing lived experience. To keep access equitable, many mentors intentionally keep rates low, and the platform offers financial aid to students who genuinely cannot afford sessions.

When asked whether they faced resistance from students accustomed to cheaper agency models, the founders responded that education was the real challenge. “We’re not competing on price because we’re not offering the same thing. Students are paying for control, honesty, and transparency.”

Mistakes, tough choices and human costs

The founders were candid about early missteps. “We thought adding more features would increase value,” Proma admitted. Combining applications, document organisation, and mentorship into one platform led to confusion and diluted focus.

Feedback made it clear that students wanted one platform to solve one specific problem well. As a result, AbroadMates now focuses on mentorship, while a sister platform, Application-Mate, which helps you build an error free application that boosts your chances of getting in.

You get bootcamp style mentorship to submit with confidence before the deadline.

Do they ever turn students away?

“We really try not to,” the founders said. If expectations are unrealistic, they focus on reframing rather than rejecting. Often, students are either aiming too narrowly or underestimating themselves.

Studying abroad is a major financial decision involving family savings, which is why honesty is prioritised. “We don’t earn money by sending students to specific universities or countries,” they reiterated.

This integrity sometimes costs revenue. “We’ve lost high-paying customers by refusing to give unrealistic expectations,” they admitted. “We would rather lose one payment than let a student waste months and family money.”

Lessons and advice

The founders agree on one major lesson: building a marketplace business is far harder than it looks.

Rahat shared that one must build both supply and demand simultaneously. Learning from other startups helped them understand decision-making under pressure. From this, AbroadMates established three non-negotiable values:

Honesty
Relentless customer satisfaction
A humane culture