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Starting Early—Big Advantages for International Students
A report from the Institute of International Education and the U. S. State Department noted that, for the 2013-2014 academic year, there were 886,052 international students enrolled at U.S. universities. Though this constitutes just four percent of the overall enrolled students, the number represents the eighth straight year of growth. The U.S. also hosts more of the world's 4.5 million students than any other country.
Despite the increasing numbers, navigating the U.S. college system is not easy for foreign students. As evidenced by the blossoming college consulting industry in the U.S. and abroad, there is a significant familiarity gap. And that should come as no surprise. U.S. college preparations start early in high school in the form of AP classes, PSAT prep workshops, and college fairs. These things are not part of the landscape for students from other countries.
Fortunately, students live in the age of the Internet. Amenities like the Common Application and virtual tours make it easier to access college from across the pond. Still, it's hard to know what you should be doing and when you should be doing it.
So why not start early? By early, I mean high school. Spend a year (or longer) in the U.S. as an exchange student. Chinese students, who, at 31%, make up the largest number of U.S. foreign students, routinely attend U.S. high schools in preparation for collegiate study.
The advantages? The language and cultural barriers which often prove isolating to new foreign college students can buy ambien in uk be tackled within the safe confines of a host family situation. Students have access to U.S. guidance counselors. They get the opportunity to talk college prep with other U.S. students who are still in the midst of the process. They can stay on top of deadlines for standardized tests.
By the time college rolls around, America won't seem so daunting or, well, foreign.
Labels: Starting Early—Big Advantages for International Students
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