2022 has been a year full of change and growth for ApplyBoard. We’ve supported our students’ study abroad dreams, created innovative solutions for our partner schools and recruitment partners, experienced tremendous growth, and had a ton of fun along the way. Join us as we celebrate some of our favourite moments from this year!
RBC and ApplyBoard Teamed Up
This year, ApplyBoard collaborated with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) to offer students the International Student GIC Program. It’s a convenient way for students to obtain the Proof of Financial Support needed for their Canadian study permit applications.
When submitting a study permit application to the Government of Canada, students must demonstrate the ability to support themselves financially during their studies in Canada. By using ApplyProof, ApplyBoard’s document verification platform, international students can strengthen their study permit application with the added security of a digitally verifiable Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) provided by RBC.
“Together with RBC, we are building trust in students’ Proof of Financial Support [documentation] and helping to strengthen their study permit applications,” says Iman Hassani, Head of ApplyProof. “By increasing trust and efficiency in the study permit process, we’re making education in Canada more accessible for international students.”
ApplyBoard Co-Founder Meti Basiri and Jimmy Battaglia, Founder and Head of TrainHub.
ApplyBoard Acquired TrainHub
In 2022, ApplyBoard was thrilled to announce the acquisition of TrainHub, formerly Panda Portal, an international education industry training ecosystem, software platform, and proprietary technology. TrainHub remains a stand-alone platform powered by ApplyBoard. This was ApplyBoard’s first acquisition in its seven-year history and follows several years of accelerated growth as one of North America’s fastest-growing technology companies.
TrainHub is exceptionally aligned with ApplyBoard’s mission to improve global access to education and Educate the World. This acquisition fits into ApplyBoard’s overall strategy to ensure international students consistently receive best-in-class support. Recruitment partners with access to accurate, detailed information (via TrainHub) are a key factor. Their knowledge bridges previous gaps in the study abroad journey, and positions the students they work with for success.
Our Irish partner academic institutions can be found on ApplyBoard’s Platform.
Launched in Ireland
This year, ApplyBoard expanded into the Emerald Isle! Launching in Ireland means that students using the ApplyBoard Platform can submit their study abroad applications to six globally-renowned Irish universities.
With over 35,000 international students from over 160 countries studying in Ireland, it is an increasingly popular destination for those seeking a premium education. According to the Irish Universities Association, every Irish university is ranked among the top 3% of institutions globally, which is one of the reasons we’re so excited to offer it to our students as a destination country.
ApplyBoard Co-Founder Meti Basiri takes a selfie with TRW 2022 attendees.
Hosted Top Recruiters Workshop
ApplyBoard hosted its annual Top Recruiters Workshop (TRW) in June after a two year hiatus. The event united international education industry professionals for two days packed with learning, networking, and fun in Delhi, India.
More than 1,000 study abroad professionals, including select recruitment partners and representatives from 37 institutions in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, joined industry leaders in-person to share key trends and international recruitment insights.
This was an industry-defining event, with presentations from over 30 academic institutions from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Attendees also benefitted by connecting with government officials and developing new strategies for international recruitment. TRW also featured exciting prize draws, catered meals, and a gala dinner with live entertainment. After more than two years of virtual engagements, the connections made at this event felt especially significant.
The table tennis champions with their fellow ApplyBoardians.
Table Tennis Tournament
In 2022, our India team battled it out in a five-day Table Tennis Championship held at ApplyBoard’s Gurugram office. 32 participants played in the championship’s five knockout rounds, including the finals.
At ApplyBoard, we believe in making work fun and that’s exactly what the India team did with this championship. The first place winner, Chirag Narang, International Recruitment Manager, noted:
Sports activities play a vital role in developing a healthy company culture. It’s one of the best ways to bring members of different teams together and help us form bonds across the company. And I think this event did exactly that. Being new to ApplyBoard, I didn’t know many people in our company. But with the help of this event, I’ve made many friends not only on my team but in other departments as well. I’m sure every team member who participated in or watched this tournament thoroughly enjoyed it. Although the reward doesn’t matter much because participation is more important, I still felt a sense of pride when I received my trophy.
It’s events like the Table Tennis Championship and team members like Chirag who make Educating the World such a fun experience!
ApplyBoardians and Aurora Matrix after their incredible performance at Canada Headquarters.
Celebrated Pride Month
This year for Pride Month, ApplyBoardians were active participants in a number of fun and informational sessions designed to build an inclusive and belonging environment to ensure everyone feels accepted, respected, and belonged.
We had a special presentation by Dr. Mike Allcott, Director of ApplyProof Partnerships, as he shared his story to kick-off Pride Month. ApplyBoardians participated in live sessions about Building an Inclusive Workplace Learning Workshop. These live sessions explored how to use inclusive language and show up as an ally to support our colleagues who are members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. To conclude our Pride Month celebrations, we had a fantastic live Drag Queen Performance by the one and only Aurora Matrix.
At ApplyBoard, one of our core values is Caring About Each Other, and we do our part to ensure that every ApplyBoardian feels cared for during Pride Month and every month of the year.
Pumpkin Spice Me won first place and was created by Monica Timlock and Tanya Dias.
An ApplyBoardian Halloween
Over the years, we’ve learned that ApplyBoardians take Halloween very seriously, and this year was no different—if anything, we ramped up the spooktacular festivities!
At our Canada Headquarters, ApplyBoardians participated in a pumpkin decorating contest. People voted in three categories: Best Name, Most Creative, and Best Overall. 26 judges from around ApplyBoard, both in-person and virtually, cast their votes. Everyone gave their all, but there was one pumpkin that sat above the rest, and that was Pumpkin Spice Me, the incredible creation of Monica Timlock, Accounts Receivable Analyst, and Tanya Dias, Senior Manager, Accounts Receivable (Commission).
Our dedication to our core value of Making Work Fun is one of the reasons ApplyBoard is such an incredible place to work!
Looking back on another fantastic year at ApplyBoard, we want to express our gratitude to all of our team members, recruitment partners, and partner schools who worked towards breaking down the barriers to international education. Here’s to an incredible year, and an exceptional 2023!
Want to join our innovative team working to Educate the World? Explore our open roles on the ApplyBoard Careers page!
