Last month, a student from Delhi got into University College Dublin for her MSc in Financial and Data Analytics. Dream program, full scholarship, her parents had even started discussing accommodation. But her low TOEFL score wasn't accepted for her visa application.

Ireland takes English seriously, not because it wants to test students, but because its classrooms, workplaces, and immigration systems expect you to function independently from day one. If your English is strong, things fall into place faster. If it isn’t, even a great academic profile can start facing delays.