Trying to make college a home away from home for international students
Posted on 3/9/2010
Topics: Living in the U.S.
For some students, one of the most intimidating things about enrolling in courses in the U.S. is the language barrier. It's tough to come take classes in a foreign tongue and adapt to another culture.
But universities are stepping up efforts to help international students with the transition.
BusinessWeek reported that some business schools are opening up their applications to accept both the TOEFL and the IELTS English-proficiency exams. The news magazine also stated that applications can now be packaged with audio or video content, to give admissions officers a better sense of the student beyond the test scores and essays.
Many colleges have several international student organizations to give newly arrived scholars a chance to socialize with others in their university community. Some colleges are moving their resources online, which can make it even easier for international students to connect with American peers. Still others have created programs to pair international students with American undergrads to help with adjusting to a new culture.
According to data from the Institute of International Education, a total of 671,616 international students were enrolled at American universities during the academic year 2008-2009.
But universities are stepping up efforts to help international students with the transition.
BusinessWeek reported that some business schools are opening up their applications to accept both the TOEFL and the IELTS English-proficiency exams. The news magazine also stated that applications can now be packaged with audio or video content, to give admissions officers a better sense of the student beyond the test scores and essays.
Many colleges have several international student organizations to give newly arrived scholars a chance to socialize with others in their university community. Some colleges are moving their resources online, which can make it even easier for international students to connect with American peers. Still others have created programs to pair international students with American undergrads to help with adjusting to a new culture.
According to data from the Institute of International Education, a total of 671,616 international students were enrolled at American universities during the academic year 2008-2009.
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