Explained
What is a study-abroad agency (留学中介)?
A study-abroad agency (留学中介) is a company that helps families with overseas applications. The critical thing to understand is how it is paid: many traditional agencies earn commissions from the schools and universities they place students into — a structural conflict of interest, because the institution paying the most is not necessarily the best fit for the child.
Not all agencies are bad, and many families get good outcomes — but the incentive structure matters. The protective question for any advisor is simple: who pays you, the school or me? An independent, fee-for-service advisor is paid only by the family; a commission-based agent is paid by the institution.
This is exactly the conflict a commission-driven agency cannot publish about itself. BrightKey takes no payments or commission from any school or university — which is why it can describe the model plainly.
Reviewed by Priscilla Han. BrightKey is independent and takes no payment from schools or universities.
Go deeper
Related answers