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International University Admissions

November 24, 2012

We write mostly about highly selective university admissions in the United States. But what is the university admissions process like at, say, U.K. universities? International university admissions is a bit different than here in the United States and there’s an article in “Business Insider” that delineates some of the key differences. In the article, in which our Founder, Bev Taylor, is quoted, a higher education consultant in the U.K. is quoted as saying that it all comes down to academics. The student’s “academic motivation” is key. Extracurricular activities, on the other hand, have little value outside of demonstrating that an applicant may possess admirable qualities like being a team player.

International Admissions, International University Admission, International College Admissions

The admissions process in the UK (in this late fellow’s country) is a bit different than here in the United States.

Here in the U.S., as you probably know, extracurricular activities matter a great deal. College admissions counselors at highly selective U.S. universities wants students with great SAT or ACT scores as well as terrific grades in the most rigorous curriculum. But they also want students with a singular talent that will add to the diversity of their institution. That singular talent element just isn’t the case in the U.K. According to a Hong Kong-based educational consultant, U.K. university admissions is more similar to the graduate school admissions process in the United States. Applicants to U.K. universities should have extracurricular activities that reflect their intended area of study. And students must clearly demonstrate why it is they want to pursue a particular curriculum.

This just isn’t the case in highly selective U.S. university admissions, where undecided majors are perfectly acceptable and an applicant’s extracurricular activities need not mirror their in-classroom academic interests (though they certainly can). Does any of this surprise you? If it does, let us know why. We’re curious to hear your thoughts on the matter! And, while you’re here, read about university admission in China.

Categories: College Admissions, International Students  Tags: , , , ,
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Foreign Enrollment at American Universities

November 12, 2012

Ever wonder which university in the United States enrolls the most foreign students? Wonder no longer. That university is the University of Southern California and this has been the case for years. According to “The LA Times” article on foreign enrollment at American universities, “For the 11th year in a row, USC enrolled the most foreigners of any U.S. college or university in the 2011-12 school year as rising numbers of Chinese students pursued American education, according to a new study.” In fact, USC enrolled 9.269 students during the 2011-2012 academic cycle, which marked a 7% increase from the previous year, as reported by “The LA Times,” citing “The Institute of International Education’s” findings.

Chinese Enrollment at US Universities, Chinese Students at American Universities, Foreign Students at American Colleges

Foreign enrollment at USC tops the charts among American universities.

New York University, Purdue University, University of Michigan, Northeastern University, Columbia University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Michigan State University, and Ohio State University also all boast high foreign enrollment as compared to other American universities. The number of foreign students enrolling at American universities continues to rise (up 5.7% last year alone) and a good chunk of this contingency hails from China. After China, India, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Turkey, Vietnam, and Mexico are all among the nations sending a ton of students to the United States for their undergraduate and graduate studies.

These universities recruit quite a bit in Asian nations and don’t expect this trend to be changing anytime soon. Students hailing from China, India, South Korea, Japan, etc. pay the full cost of tuition. Schools needs those students. If they only admitted students who need financial aid, they’d be in serious financial trouble. That’s why the notion that schools are need-blind is a fallacious one. It’s pure myth. These foreign enrollment statistics at American universities attest to that very fact.

While you’re here, check out this post on the SAT and International Students.

Categories: International Students, University Tuition  Tags: , , , ,
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SAT and International Students

September 22, 2012
SAT and International Applicants, International Applicants and the SAT, SAT and International Students Applying to College

International students applying to highly selective U.S. colleges tend to have high SAT scores. But they can sometimes lack fluency in English.

International students admitted to highly selective colleges – like Ivy League colleges – tend to have higher standardized test scores as compared to applicants from the United States. Does this surprise you that they often have higher SAT scores? It shouldn’t. It’s one of the advantages that international students bring to the table in highly selective college admissions. Sure, they’ve got their disadvantages, too. Their writing is often subpar. Their understanding of English can range dramatically. Their college essays are frequently written by others (rather than themselves) and college admissions counselors quite often look the other way. So their ethics aren’t exactly an advantage.

But those high SAT scores boost the school’s mean score. They boost their ranking in “US News & World Report.” And the international students aren’t getting financial aid. They’re paying the full cost of tuition (a.k.a. “full freight”). That makes up for a whole bunch of students from within the United States who need financial aid. Money doesn’t grow on trees for universities. But money sure does grow on trees when it comes to international students as they’ve got it to spend. A college doesn’t have to dip into its endowment when it admits international applicants.

There are pluses and minuses when a highly selective university admits many applicants. The football player with low ACT scores hurts the mean for “US News & World Report” but he helps the football team win games. And that leads to more donations and a bigger endowment — which is all good for a university. The international student often helps boost the university’s mean standardized testing scores. But when they get into college classrooms, their lack of fluency can be problematic to say the least! What happens when they have to write that first fifteen or twenty page paper? Oh boy.

Categories: International Students, SAT / ACT Prep, Standardized Testing  Tags: , , , ,
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College Admissions Discrimination

February 21, 2012
Admissions Discrimination, University Admissions Discrimination, Ivy League Admission Discrimination

The Supreme Court needs to protect Chinese and Indian applicants from being discriminated against in the college admissions process, too.

As you’ve likely heard, the Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to reconsider the use of race as a factor in college admissions. The case stems from a University of Texas applicant who alleges that factoring race into admissions decisions at UT cost her a slot at a place in the incoming class. In 2003, the Supreme Court made a ruling on affirmative action. In a divided opinion, the Court ruled that race can indeed be a factor in admissions decisions. But nine years have since gone by. Maybe race should no longer be a factor in college admissions. With a more conservative Court than in 2003, this case could well be the end of affirmative action as we know it.

In an election cycle, this could become a major issue at the forefront once again and while many will debate the pros and cons of affirmative action, we want to draw the attention of our readers to a different kind of college admissions discrimination based upon race. It’s not white applicants losing slots to African American applicants. It’s Chinese applicants competing with other Chinese applicants for slots. It’s Chinese applicants with higher test scores and higher grades losing out to non-Chinese applicants. And the same is true for Indian applicants.

The time has come to end discrimination against Chinese and Indian applicants in highly selective college admissions. Some college admissions officers may deny it. Most won’t. It exists. It’s real. It’s time to put it to an end. It’s, quite frankly, shameful that the very institutions that claim to be all about diversity discriminate against certain minority applicants in the college admissions process. Shame on them.

Categories: China University Admission, India University Admission, International Students, Ivy League  Tags: , , , ,
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International Students and College Admission

February 4, 2012

For those Americans who believe that international students are taking slots at our nation’s top universities away from deserving American students, they should know that these very international students are the reason why many American students can afford to attend college. How’s that, you ask? Well, international students pay the full cost of tuition. They don’t receive financial aid. And many American students do indeed get financial aid. How do you think a university can afford to let students attend for reduced costs…or even for free? “Full-pay” International students (which is essentially redundant) indeed help offset these costs!

A piece in “The New York Times” published today about international students and college admission by Tamar Lewin points out that more than a quarter of the class at the University of Washington gets a free ride largely because of the full-pay tuition from international students. And that’s how the University of Washington can continue to admit low income students from the state of Washington! Does it seem unfair for applicants from China to take slots away from Americans at our universities now? Not so much, we’re guessing you’re thinking.

International Applicants and University Admission, Admissions and International Apps, International Applicants and Ivy League Admission

At the University of Washington, like many universities across the nation, international students who pay the full ride offset the cost of American students who can’t afford full tuition.

According to the same college admission piece in “The New York Times,” “There is a widespread belief in Washington that internationalization is the key to the future, and Mr. [Michael K.] Young, [the university president], said he was not at all bothered that there were now more students from other countries than from other states. (Out-of-state students pay the same tuition as foreign students.) ’Is there any advantage to our taking a kid from California versus a kid from China?’ he said. ‘You’d have to convince me, because the world isn’t divided the way it used to be.’”

Mr. Young at the University of Washington isn’t alone either. The University of Washington isn’t the only state school more inclined to admit a full-pay international student over a partial-pay student from another state. And they’re not wrong to do it. It just makes simple financial sense.

While you’re here, if you’re an international student, check out this post on the Student Visa Interview.

Categories: Admissions Process, College Admissions, International Students, University Tuition  Tags: , , , ,
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Ivy League Admission from India

January 6, 2012

“The Choice” blog of “The New York Times” sat down two days ago with the Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania in the hope of demystifying the Ivy League admissions process for aspiring Ivy Leaguers from India. So what’d Eric Furda have to say? Well, he said that students in India are likely to have “varying levels of English preparation,” inconsistent SAT prep, and often inaccurate information about U.S. universities.

Ivy League Admission in India, India and Ivy League, India and US University, US University Admission in India

Just under 10% of applicants from India were admitted to the UPenn Class of 2015.

Furda went on to say how the admissions office at Penn is in the process of extending their recruiting reach beyond the major cities of India, beyond Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore. They want to reach students across the nation – in rustic parts of the nation as well as urban parts. One of the major reasons why students in India are applying to U.S. universities is because the competition to gain admission to the elite Indian universities is so tough…so students seek to expand their options.

In terms of numbers, 460 students applied to the University of Pennsylvania in the hope of being a part of the Class of 2015. Of those 460 students, 42 were admitted. That marks an admission rate of just a little bit under 10%. What do you think about these numbers? What do you think about what Eric Furda had to say about Ivy League admission from India? Let us know your thoughts by posting below! And check out this post on the Ivy League and India.

Categories: India University Admission, International Students, Ivy League  Tags: , , , ,
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US Universities and China

January 5, 2012

There was a great article yesterday up on “Global Post” about U.S. universities and China and how students in Asian nations applying for admission to U.S. universities cut every corner possible by cheating their way into universities. How so? They hire unethical college admissions agents in China who give them a pile of essays from which they can choose one to submit with their U.S. college application. These same unethical admissions agents make up awards for them and even rework their transcripts! The students even hire other students to take the SAT for them (maybe this is where those Great Neck, Long Island students got their inspiration!).

American Universities and China, China and American Colleges, US University China

It's about time for U.S. universities to take a stand against unethical Chinese admissions agents.

This is nothing new. We’ve reported on the unethical Chinese admissions agents before. And there isn’t much that can be done to stop these unethical individuals from compromising the college admissions process in the United States. Or is there? What if these unethical agents didn’t receive commissions from U.S. universities if their students got into a school and attended? What if U.S. universities just said “no more?” Wouldn’t that be something! But instead, U.S. universities are dragging their feet, unwilling to take a stand against these gross violations of ethics. In no uncertain terms, in many though certainly not all cases, they look the other way!

Want to know why? Because U.S. universities have something very important to gain from admitting and ultimately matriculating these Chinese students: money, money, money. Chinese students are seen as “full-pays.” They pay the full cost of tuition. Universities don’t have to offer these students financial aid like they do for American applicants. So U.S. universities will gladly take their money, look the other way at these gross ethical violations, and run. We’re calling on U.S. universities to reverse this policy, to take a stand at the blatant corruption in China. We’re calling on U.S. universities to put their money where their mouth is.

Categories: China University Admission, International Students, University Tuition  Tags: , , , ,
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Chinese Students at US Universities

December 4, 2011
Chinese Students at American Colleges, US Universities and Chinese Students

For Chinese students studying at U.S. universities, it’s often the first time in these students’ lives where they feel like minorities.

As you may know from reading our blog or from your familiarity with the trends of international students applying to universities in the United States, it’s China, China, China. Yes, and India. Indeed the fastest-growing group of international applicants to universities in the United States is the Chinese. According to a “New York Times” article by Dan Levin on Chinese students at US universities, “In 2008-9, more than 26,000 were studying in the United States, up from about 8,000 eight years earlier, according to the Institute of International Education.”

But what is it like for these Chinese students once they get to the United States to begin their university studies? Is there a culture shock? In short, yes. As the article on Chinese students at American colleges points out, many Chinese students have a difficult time adjusting to the social atmosphere…one that often includes quite a bit of drinking. They also often have time learning the English language. What they learned as the proper pronunciation of a word in China doesn’t necessarily fly when their professor hails from Mississippi! Plus, learning a language in a classroom is a far cry from leading your life in that language, from conducting all of your daily affairs in that foreign language.

It’s worth mentioning the literature on ethnic identity formation as well. For Chinese students studying at universities in the United States, it’s often the first time in their lives when they’ve truly felt like minorities. This isn’t the case necessarily for Chinese American students as they’ve grown up in America where the vast majority of people aren’t Asian. So what’s it like to go through ethnic identity formation during one’s university years? In the coming months, we’ll be hearing from Chinese students as they adjust to life at American universities. We hope you enjoy the series.

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Chinese Studying in United States

October 27, 2011
Chinese at US Colleges, China and US College Admission, China and Ivy League, China and US Universities

90% of Chinese students are granted visas to study in the United States.

The number of Chinese students studying in the United States is on the rise. Shocker. More specifically, over the course of the last year, 160,000 student visas were issued to Chinese students seeking to pursue their studies in the United States. And in the United States, 18% of foreign students hail from China. Many students in China dream of attending Ivy League colleges. And many end up getting in and matriculating.

China is trying to make the visa application process easier for Chinese students to navigate since so many students have an interest in studying in the United States. Indeed 50 new consular officer positions will be added in China within the year to help serve these students seeking to get visas to study abroad (90% of these student visas are granted).

What do you think about so many Chinese students studying in the United States? Do you think this will improve relations between China and the United States? Do you think we’re training the competition? Or in today’s global times, do you think we all just need to cooperate and be team players in the pursuit of higher education? Let us know your thoughts by posting below!

And check out this post on College Consultants in China.

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Yale and Singapore

September 23, 2011

The relationship between Yale and Singapore is taking off. Students wishing to apply to Yale in Singapore can begin applying this winter and spring. Yale-NUS (National University of Singapore) will officially open in August of 2013. This campus marks the first school for Yale outside of New Haven. You can read about Yale’s announcement to open a school in Singapore via this previous post: Yale in Singapore.

And what kind of admissions process will be employed at Yale-NUS? A holistic one. Rather than rely exclusively on test scores as Singaporean universities typically do, they’ll be using the system that Yale and all of the Ivy League colleges use here in the United States. They’ll even be holding workshops to train teachers in Singapore on how to effectively write letters of recommendation for their students since these teachers aren’t used to having to do this.

Yale in Singapore, Singapore and Yale, Ivy League in Singapore, Ivy League and Singapore

Applicants can begin applying to Yale-NUS (Yale’s school in Singapore) this winter and spring.

According to Jeremiah Quinlan, a deputy dean of admissions at Yale and the dean of admissions and financial aid at Yale-NUS, as reported in an article on Yale and Singapore by the “Yale Daily News,” “The college hopes to attract around 150 students for its first class, and will eventually build the number of students up to 250 in each graduating class and approximately 1,000 in the school.” There will be three rounds of admission for Yale-NUS and according to the “Yale Daily News, “earlier applicants may be deferred to later rounds before a final decision is made.”

Do you think more Ivy League colleges will be opening up campuses around the globe? Let us know your thoughts by posting below! And, if you’re a student in Singapore, contact us today for help with your case for admission to Yale-NUS.

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