An angry voice awoke Wang Ziji. The 21-year-old electronic and information science and technology major at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics heard a voice shouting, “Why are you constantly changing my consultant?”
一声怒吼吵醒了王梓吉（音译）——“为什么我的留学顾问一直在换人？”。21岁的他现就读于南京航空航天大学电子信息科学与技术专业。
“It must be my roommate arguing again with his study abroad agent,” Wang thought. It had already happened several times, which made Wang wonder if having an agent was a wise choice.
王梓吉心想：“一定是室友又在和留学中介吵架。”这种情况已经发生过好几次了，王梓吉开始怀疑，留学找中介究竟靠不靠谱。
In fact, many students who plan to study abroad have the same concern. Below, their upperclassmen talk about their experiences and professionals offer advice.
事实上，很多准备出国留学的学生都有着同样的顾虑。下面就让我们来向前辈学长们取取经，听听专业人士给出的建议。
Poor writing
写作水平差
Zhang Na, 24, is an archaeology major of Northwest University. She decided to leave the application work to a study abroad agent as it was already quite late.
24岁的张娜（音译）是西北大学考古系学生。由于时间相当紧迫，她决定请一家留学中介代办申请。
At first, the process was smooth, but when Zhang read her recommendation letter she noticed a problem. “I wasn’t satisfied with it,” says Zhang. “I could tell the writer hadn’t put any thought into it because it said I’m a ‘promising young man’ in the letter.” She had to rewrite the personal statement and recommendation letters herself in the end. “I didn’t trust them anymore,” she says.
一开始，整个进程很顺利，但当张娜阅读自己的推荐信时却发现了一个问题。张娜说：“这份信让我很不满意。信中把我称作是‘一位很有前途的男生’，我敢断定写信的人根本就没有花心思在这上面。”最后，她不得不选择自行重写一份个人陈述和推荐信。“我再也不相信他们了。”
Shu Hui, head of the Korean department at the Shanghai Overseas Affairs Service Center Co Ltd, admits that Zhang’s experience is not unusual. “Good personal statements and recommendation letters require a lot of detailed information. If the consultants can’t work closely with the applicant, they are not likely to deliver a satisfactory result,” she says.
上海市出入境服务中心有限公司韩国部负责人舒慧（音译）承认，像张娜这样的情况不在少数。她说：“好的个人陈述和推荐信需要具备许多详尽的信息。如果留学顾问不能与申请人紧密配合，最终的结果肯定不理想。”
Change of consultant
留学顾问换人
Another problem Zhang experienced with the agent was changing consultants. “My first two consultants left the company midway through the application process, so I had to get used to a new one twice,” she says.
张娜在留学中介碰到的另一个问题就是留学顾问换不停。“我之前的两位顾问都在申请中途离职了，因此我不得不重新去适应我的新顾问。”
Wang Ziji’s roommate was even more frustrated about the constant changing of consultants as none of his consultants handled the handover well. “He had to explain his application status to the new one every time, which is the opposite of what he expected from the agency,” says Wang.
王梓吉室友的情况则更糟糕，顾问频繁更换，而交接工作却做不到位。王梓吉说：“他每次都得跟新任顾问说明申请进度情况，与他之前对于该中介的期待可谓是大相径庭。”
DIY or study abroad agent?
靠自己还是找中介？
Meng Fang, 22, studies computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. She decided to apply for the master’s degree program by herself after comparing the process of applying by herself to applying through an agent. “I evaluated different elements of the application process and came to the conclusion that I should do it by myself,” she says.
22岁的孟芳（音译）现就读于卡内基梅隆大学计算机科学专业。在对个人申请和中介申请进行一番比较之后，她还是决定自行申请硕士项目。她说：“我对申请流程中的各要素都权衡了一番，最后得出一个结论：还是自己动手靠谱。”
Cao Xianshui, a senior study abroad expert and the author of Further Your Study in the US, believes that whether students should hire a study abroad agent or not depends on their individual case.
资深留学专家、《你也能去美国留学》一书的作者曹贤水（音译）认为学生是否聘请留学中介还是要看个人情况。
“For well-heeled students who want to apply for a less competitive university, finding a study abroad agent is a good way to save some trouble,” he says. “But for students who have enough self-discipline and good learning and analysis skills, applying by themselves may give them a better chance of getting into a top university.”
“如果家境优越，又不想申请热门学校，那留学中介就是个不错的选择，可以为你省去许多麻烦，”他说，“而对那些足够自律，且学习与分析能力强的学生来说，自行申请则更有把握敲开一流学府的大门。”