I seem to get more spam e-mail than most people … probably a couple hundred junk messages each day. So I’ve got a speedy “trigger finger” when it comes to hitting the “Delete” button. But, sometimes, just before I banish the latest onslaught from my inbox, an item may catch my eye that warrants a closer look. Such was the case this week when I spotted a notice about a new college-related venture, Design Your Dorm. More »

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For international students eager to attend college in America but unable to find the means to do so, the next best thing could be to enroll in a U.S. university’s overseas “satellite” campus. While “Education City” in Qatar may be the best-known (and booming) American higher-ed outpost, according to a recent issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, India is eager to get into the game:

“Kapil Sibal, India’s new minister in charge of higher education, might actually do what many Indians have long hoped for: shake up the country’s dysfunctional higher-education system. He may also do what many Americans have wished for: open India up to foreign universities.” More »

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Some good news from a press release this morning (6/9/09):

Stanford Graduate School of Business today announced the launch of a new private loan program through Star One Credit Union to provide financial assistance to students admitted to the School’s MBA, PhD, and Sloan Master’s programs. An especially welcome relief to international students, the custom loans, which cover tuition and living expenses, will be available to those without a U.S. co-signer.

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I first “met” Lainey Hughes on the College Confidential discussion forum, where she effused about her experience at Stephens College in Missouri:

” … Everyone is so friendly here and they all want to come visit my family in Ireland! I have made some really wonderful friends here and I feel like they’re my family now. When it comes to Thanksgiving/Winter/Spring breaks, I’m never short of offers for places to stay. More »

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As part of the Admissions Without Borders sporadic “Inside Scoop” series, Judi Marino, Director of Transfer and International Student Enrollment at Florida Institute of Technology, offers some anecdotes and advice, below. Judi has worked in the international admission arena at Florida Tech for over 20 years. She also served on the Council of International Schools Higher Education Committee for Latin America for eight years. She is an active member of the Overseas Association of Colleges and Schools, Council of International Schools and NAFSA: Association of International Educators. More »

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This winter I received an in-box full of email messages from Donnie,** a young man from Ghana who wants to attend college in the United States. But when I compared Donnie’s college list to his grades, SAT scores, and other academic qualifications, I worried that he was aiming way too high. In fact, because Donnie will require a lot of financial aid, I suggested other less selective colleges to add to his roster, although I was still concerned that he would not be admitted to any of them. Unfortunately, I was right. All of Donnie’s U.S. applications were denied. More »

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This article, U.S. Colleges Bask in Surge Of Interest Among Chinese, from the Washington Post, offers a helpful look at the rise of Chinese applicants to US colleges: More »

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Recently I received a query from a prospective international student. He’d found his way to the College Confidential discussion forum and was daunted by posts he’d read from other high school juniors about their “EC’s.”

“At first I did not even know this term, ‘EC,’” he wrote me, “but then I realized that it means “Extracurriculars”–sports and clubs and other activities that students do outside of school. But in my school, we attend classes until nearly 5 p.m. and then we do our studies at night. Some students play on club football teams and do other sports, but it is not like it is in the U.S.” More »

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That’s American slang for trying to get money as a deadline approaches. In this case, of course, I’m talking about the May 1 Candidates’ Reply Date, which is when most colleges need your commitment–and usually a deposit check–or else they’ll give your bed away to someone else.

If you’ve been admitted by a college you hope to attend but weren’t awarded enough financial aid to make it possible, it’s late to start an appeals process. But, there is one plus to waiting this long: By now, as May 1 draws near, colleges may have received final “No thanks” decisions from students who were admitted with generous financial aid. So, although many colleges are crying poor this spring, there may be some schools with more money in their financial aid budgets than expected, if their top candidates are not enrolling. So how do you get it? More »

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For the last few months I’ve been doling out a lot of advice to international students. Sure, I’ve been in the admissions business for more than two decades and have co-authored a college guidebook for international students. But, admittedly, I attended a college that was a just five-hour car ride from my home. I didn’t have to deal with visas, jet planes and jet lag, studying in a foreign tongue, or navigating an unfamiliar application process. I did live overseas for several years thereafter, but I also confess that the last time I stepped off of U.S. soil was on a three-day trip to Montreal seven years ago. So, today (and again in sporadic future “Admissions Without Borders” columns), I’ll be taking a break from my armchair advising and, instead, offering reflections and suggestions from actual international students.

“Sadhil” (not his real name) is an Indian living in Dubai, UAE, and a current freshman at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Here are his responses to “Admissions Without Borders” questions: More »

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