Simba Vushe, study abroad and relocation guidance for the African diaspora
Study Abroad Reality Check
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I made every mistake studying abroad. So you don't have to.

Honest, personalized guidance on studying and relocating abroad, from someone who actually lived through it (and lived to tell you the boring parts too). Not a script. Not a sales pitch. Just two minutes, ten questions, and one answer you can actually trust.

Why this exists

Back in 2020, nobody who looked like me was telling the truth about this.

When I was researching where to study abroad in 2020, I couldn't find anyone who looked like me talking about the real side of it. Plenty of Indian creators, plenty of European creators. Good content, but a completely different situation from ours. Even within our own community, most people only post the good parts: the dinners, the graduation photos, the "I made it" moment.

Nobody posts:

I lived through enough of it myself to know exactly what I'm talking about.

So this is me giving back what I wish someone had handed me back in 2020. The diagnostic is free because that's the point. I want you to make a better decision than I was able to, not pay me for the privilege of finding out the hard way.

"Agents usually just pick the easiest option for them, so they make their money. They're not interested in your long-term future. That's exactly why I started offering this, to share what I wish someone had told me when I was doing my own research." Β· Simba
Why me

I planned for Germany. I built a life in Poland instead.

Back home in Zimbabwe, I spent a year and a half seriously learning German. I was set on Germany. Somewhere in that process I realized it wasn't the right fit for me, so I pivoted to Poland instead, for undergrad, based in Warsaw. I supported myself financially through work the entire time I was there, specifically because I was in the capital, where the real opportunities are. Location within a country matters just as much as the country you pick in the first place, and nobody told me that before I left home.

The single biggest regret of my whole journey: I never properly learned Polish. It quietly closed doors I didn't even know existed until they were already shut. I now live in London, and I'll say the part most people won't: Warsaw is nicer and more modern than most people assume.

Why should you listen to me?

Fair question.

No flagship school. No standout accolades. Somehow, some of the best business schools in the world said yes anyway.

I started with none of the advantages people assume you need for this.

Top US business schools Admitted with generous merit-based scholarships, starting from zero flagship credentials
50+ People directly helped with study abroad and application strategy, beyond my own
Colney Digital Co-founded an agency building AI workflows and CRMs
Foundever Worked as a QA Analyst, inside European tech
"No one is born a top-school admit. I was like you too. Selectivity is the point, and it means you can work your way in." Β· Simba
What you're probably thinking

Let's deal with the questions you're too polite to ask me directly.

"Isn't this just another study-abroad agent trying to sell me something?"
No, and this is deliberate. Agents get paid to place you somewhere, so they push whatever's easiest for them to sell. My role stops at the decision: which country, which university, how to build an application that actually stands out. Visa paperwork and execution are handled by a separate agent I refer people to, or any agent of your choice, on purpose, because I don't want my advice tied to a placement fee. And the diagnostic itself is free. No card details, no obligation, no catch hiding in paragraph nine of the terms and conditions.
"I don't think I can afford to study abroad."
Maybe, but don't rule it out before checking. A strong academic record plus merit-based scholarship potential can make an "unaffordable" country genuinely viable, and it's one of the most useful things the diagnostic checks. I got into some of the best business schools in the world myself on generous merit-based scholarships, not family money (my family would like you to know this too). Budgets under $10,000 a year still have real, honest options. The diagnostic tells you which ones, not a vague "anywhere is possible" answer that helps absolutely nobody.
"My background isn't impressive enough for this to work for me."
I didn't have a flagship institution or standout accolades either. What got me into some of the best business schools in the world wasn't a perfect CV, it was a specific, repeatable strategy. Selectivity exists because most people never learn that strategy, not because you're not capable of it. Also, nobody's CV actually looks that good at 21. Anyone who says otherwise has a very generous LinkedIn ghostwriter.
"Will this actually apply to my situation, or is it generic advice?"
It's built from your actual answers. Your nationality, budget, field, and timeline all change the recommendation, because they change what's actually true for you. Nationality alone can make the same country a strong option for one passport and a hard stop for another. Generic advice ignores that. This doesn't, because generic advice is basically a horoscope with a visa stamp.
What you actually get

Two minutes. Ten questions. One honest answer.

Take My Free Reality Check β†’
Free. Two minutes. No card required.