Study Abroad Consultancy in Addis Ababa

    Maraki Consultancy is an ICEF-accredited educational consultancy based in Bole, Addis Ababa. Since 2021 we have worked with Ethiopian students — grade 12 leavers, university graduates and working professionals — who want to study abroad and need someone who knows how the admissions, scholarship and visa systems in each country actually behave.

    One advisor walks you from your first consultation through the moment you land at your university — no handoffs, no chasing replies. The first consultation is free, and you can walk into our office without an appointment.

    85% scholarship success

    We only apply where you have a real chance.

    15+ countries

    Italy, Germany, Hungary, Canada, UK, USA, and more.

    End-to-end support

    From shortlisting to airport pickup at your destination.

    What we actually do

    University selection

    We start from your transcript, your budget and your intended field, not from a brochure. Your advisor shortlists universities where your grades clear the entry bar and the total cost — tuition plus living — is something your family can actually sustain. We tell you where you are a strong candidate, where you are borderline, and where you should not waste an application fee. That shortlist is usually four to eight institutions across two or three countries, so a single visa refusal never ends your plan.

    Scholarship applications

    Most Ethiopian students who study abroad do it on partial or full funding, and the difference between getting it and missing it is usually deadlines and documents rather than grades. We track the scholarship calendars for every destination we work in — government schemes such as Stipendium Hungaricum and the Chinese Government Scholarship, university merit awards, and the tuition discounts our partner institutions extend to Maraki students — and we build your file to the specific criteria each one scores against.

    Visa processing and interview coaching

    The visa is where most self-managed applications fail. We prepare the full financial file, sponsor affidavits and study plan in the format each embassy expects, book your appointment, and run mock interviews for the destinations that require them — including the US F-1 interview and the DS-160 form. Our students have a 95% visa approval rate, and when a refusal does happen we handle the reapplication rather than leaving you to it.

    English test registration and preparation

    We register you for IELTS, TOEFL or the Duolingo English Test, tell you which one your target universities actually accept, and prepare you for the band you need instead of the highest one available. Where a Medium of Instruction letter is accepted in place of a test, we will tell you — it saves you both the fee and the wait. See our guides to the IELTS, TOEFL and Duolingo English Test in Ethiopia for current fees and centres.

    Pre-departure support

    Once your visa is stamped the work is not finished. We help with accommodation, flight booking, currency and bank arrangements, health insurance, a SIM card for arrival, and the airport pickup where the university offers it. You also join our student group for your destination, so you land knowing people who arrived a year before you.

    English test guides: IELTS in Ethiopia, TOEFL in Ethiopia and the Duolingo English Test. For visa preparation specifically, see our visa coaching service.

    Where we place students

    We work in 15+ destinations, chosen because they combine realistic entry requirements for Ethiopian applicants, funding that is genuinely available, and a visa route that works from Addis Ababa. Each country page lists the partner universities, the tuition and living costs, and the entry requirements in detail.

    Not sure which fits you? Compare them all on the destinations page, or browse the scholarships we help students win.

    What it costs

    We are asked this on the first phone call, so here is the honest answer. Our consulting fee is not a single number, because the amount of work behind a Hungarian government scholarship application and a Canadian study permit are not comparable. Fees vary by destination, and in some destinations they vary by the number of universities you apply to.

    What is the same everywhere is the structure. Your first consultation is free — you can sit with an advisor, show us your transcript and get a realistic shortlist without paying anything. If you decide to go ahead, a registration fee starts the process and secures your advisor and your place in the intake. The remaining service fee is tied to milestones, so you are not paying for outcomes you have not received yet. Where a partner university funds part of the process, that reduces what you pay.

    We put the full figure for your specific destination in writing before you commit. There are no percentage cuts of your scholarship and no charges that appear later. Ask us for the number for the country you have in mind — by phone, in the office, or through the consultation form — and we will give it to you straight.

    Visiting the office

    We are a physical consultancy in Addis Ababa, not an online-only agency. Walk-ins are welcome during opening hours — you do not need an appointment, though booking one means an advisor is reserved for you.

    Address

    Getu Commercial Center
    8th Floor, Office #806
    Bole Shewa Dabo
    Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Opening hours

    Monday–Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Saturday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
    Sunday: closed

    Prefer to fix a time? Book an appointment or use the contact page.

    How it works

    1. 1
      Free consultation
      Tell us your grades, English level, budget, and preferred countries. We give you a realistic shortlist within 30 minutes.
    2. 2
      Profile build
      We help you finalize transcripts, recommendation letters, SOPs, and CVs.
    3. 3
      Applications
      We submit to your shortlisted universities and track every deadline.
    4. 4
      Scholarship & visa
      We match you to scholarships you qualify for and prep you for the visa interview.
    5. 5
      Pre-departure
      Accommodation, flight, currency, SIM, and arrival support.

    Why students choose Maraki

    We are ICEF accredited. ICEF accreditation means an independent international body has vetted how we recruit and how we treat students. It is the standard universities abroad check before they accept applications from an agency, and it is the reason our partner institutions deal with us directly rather than through a broker.

    The record is public. More than 1,000 Ethiopian students placed since 2021, across 100+ partner universities in 15+ countries, with an 85% scholarship success rate and a 95% visa approval rate. You can read what those students say in their own words on our success stories page.

    One advisor, start to finish. You are not passed between a sales desk, a documents desk and a visa desk. The advisor who reads your transcript on day one is the one who prepares you for the embassy interview.

    We tell you when the answer is no. If your grades or budget do not support the country you have in mind, we say so at the first meeting and show you what does work — a different destination, a different intake, or a year spent raising your English score. More about us and our team is on the about page.

    Frequently asked questions

    Ready to begin?

    Walk into our Bole office, call +251 960 612 222, or book a free consultation online. Browse scholarships or destinations while you wait for your call.