My son's private liberal arts college is being flooded with foreign students! (degree, high school)
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My son returned to his small liberal arts college this fall and was shocked when he looked around campus. It seemed like over half of the Freshman class was now international students. The leaders of the college are quite proud of this and say they are going to promote the college to international students and increase the diversity of the student body.
My son says while it can be interesting to have SOME students from overseas he wonders where to draw the line. What is a logical percentage of students to have from overseas? 40%, 50%, 70%?
The problem with the foreign students is they have balkanized the student body. Most of the international students are from either Korea, India or China and each group of these students just divide up into their own groups and have nothing to do with people from the other countries. He reports that the American students try hard to be inclusive and welcome and befriend the foreign students but rarely do they react in kind. And the Korean, Chinese or Indian students are openly hostile to each other and only socialize with students from their own country.
The second problem with all the foreign students is that with each person the college lets in from lets say China, an American born student who works hard, gets a great ACT/SAT score and dreams about going to that college all his life is shut out.
I agree, American colleges should let in foreign students for a variety of reasons but how much is to much? Lets debate!
My son returned to his small liberal arts college this fall and was shocked when he looked around campus. It seemed like over half of the Freshman class was now international students. The leaders of the college are quite proud of this and say they are going to promote the college to international students and increase the diversity of the student body.
My son says while it can be interesting to have SOME students from overseas he wonders where to draw the line. What is a logical percentage of students to have from overseas? 40%, 50%, 70%?
The problem with the foreign students is they have balkanized the student body. Most of the international students are from either Korea, India or China and each group of these students just divide up into their own groups and have nothing to do with people from the other countries. He reports that the American students try hard to be inclusive and welcome and befriend the foreign students but rarely do they react in kind. And the Korean, Chinese or Indian students are openly hostile to each other and only socialize with students from their own country.
The second problem with all the foreign students is that with each person the college lets in from lets say China, an American born student who works hard, gets a great ACT/SAT score and dreams about going to that college all his life is shut out.
I agree, American colleges should let in foreign students for a variety of reasons but how much is to much? Lets debate!
Even at a big state university, students who are first generation, but have been in this country for a while stick to their own kind. It's just easier for them language wise and culture wise. Plus, most of the American students have their own cliques. Not too many young nubile American women or beer chugging frat boys are dying to talk to the fobby looking Chinese kid with crazy hair and glasses who can't speak English that well.
But that's kind of how people are. At my college, the Asians who were born here, a lot of them just hung out with just Asians. And a lot of white people hung out with just white people. And the pattern pretty much continues after college. I'm sure if the right white kid talked to the right foreign kid, they would be open to being friends.
As far as the 'epidemic', a lot of lesser known liberal arts colleges are trying to draw students in from foreign countries to try to get their college's name out there as well as increase enrollment. I read an article on it a few years ago.
It's a private liberal arts school so what they do in terms of enrollment is their decision, and in my opinion a good one. We're living in what is called now a "world economy" and it only makes sense to reach out for more inclusiveness. For those that want a less diversified mix there's always the regional state universities which have much less of an international presence, usually around 5%.
My son returned to his small liberal arts college this fall and was shocked when he looked around campus. It seemed like over half of the Freshman class was now international students. The leaders of the college are quite proud of this and say they are going to promote the college to international students and increase the diversity of the student body.
My son says while it can be interesting to have SOME students from overseas he wonders where to draw the line. What is a logical percentage of students to have from overseas? 40%, 50%, 70%?
The problem with the foreign students is they have balkanized the student body. Most of the international students are from either Korea, India or China and each group of these students just divide up into their own groups and have nothing to do with people from the other countries. He reports that the American students try hard to be inclusive and welcome and befriend the foreign students but rarely do they react in kind. And the Korean, Chinese or Indian students are openly hostile to each other and only socialize with students from their own country.
The second problem with all the foreign students is that with each person the college lets in from lets say China, an American born student who works hard, gets a great ACT/SAT score and dreams about going to that college all his life is shut out.
I agree, American colleges should let in foreign students for a variety of reasons but how much is to much? Lets debate!
From what I gather, it is rather difficult for foreign students to go from a foreign high school to an American undergraduate college/university. The jump is typically from a foreign college to an American masters program.
If these students are going there form undergrad I would guess that most either went to a highly regulated hs in their own country or most likely went to high school in the USA at a private boarding school. So they had the same level playing field as your son and those who applied and most likely blew them away academically. To them college is not about socializing, it is about getting the best job possible upon graduation, sorry your sons social life is hurt from it.
These students took the SAT's but to supplement the verbal part (as it is not their first language) they took the TOEFL. I am all for foreigners at American colleges, the more the better. It just shows what a mockery our education system is.
And yes, these foreign students pay their way in cash because their parents value education. Here on CD we have debated on whether peoples children "deserve" their college paid, and those who do are spoiled rich kids. I highly doubt such a gift from ones parents is demonized in India, China, or Korea like it is here.
I have a sister who teaches in a prep school in Vermont who says the same thing is happening with her school. She says the reason is economic--foreign students pay more tuition, and the school would have gone under in the last few years if not for the foreign enrollment.
Prep schools may have a slightly different situation than colleges, though, because she says that another reason is there's less interest in enrollment from US families. In times like this, a lot of families have cut back on sending their kids to prep school--but families in other countries are still very interested.
She also says the #1 reason families in other countries send their kids to her school is that wealthy families in certain countries do not always feel safe sending their kids to school in their own country. Plus, they want their kids exposed to the US and American customs, since we are a powerhouse in the world and that exposure will help them later in life.
I think it works both ways, and that it's beneficial to American students to become familiar with students from other countries and learn a little bit about their customs. Back in the 70s I had a college roommate from Iran and it was very eye opening.
My son returned to his small liberal arts college this fall and was shocked when he looked around campus. It seemed like over half of the Freshman class was now international students. The leaders of the college are quite proud of this and say they are going to promote the college to international students and increase the diversity of the student body.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Datafeed
Because they pay full tuition. You likely do not. Every Chen on campus is 145k straight cash to the uni..
Economics....
The university may be publicly promoting the "diversity of the student body," but internally, it is all about the money. In order for international students to keep their visa, they must pay all of their tuition up front before beginning classes. More international students also mean less need for "Student Accounts" and "Financial Aid" staff.
I have a sister who teaches in a prep school in Vermont who says the same thing is happening with her school. She says the reason is economic--foreign students pay more tuition, and the school would have gone under in the last few years if not for the foreign enrollment.
Prep schools may have a slightly different situation than colleges, though, because she says that another reason is there's less interest in enrollment from US families. In times like this, a lot of families have cut back on sending their kids to prep school--but families in other countries are still very interested.
She also says the #1 reason families in other countries send their kids to her school is that wealthy families in certain countries do not always feel safe sending their kids to school in their own country. Plus, they want their kids exposed to the US and American customs, since we are a powerhouse in the world and that exposure will help them later in life.
I think it works both ways, and that it's beneficial to American students to become familiar with students from other countries and learn a little bit about their customs. Back in the 70s I had a college roommate from Iran and it was very eye opening.
Well said. For a foreign student, a prep school education in the USA is a fast track to an American college.
My HS was bout 30% international.. mainly Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Japan. The Japanese kids were always my favorites, very Americanized and all around good people.
And yes, these foreign students pay their way in cash because their parents value education. Here on CD we have debated on whether peoples children "deserve" their college paid, and those who do are spoiled rich kids. I highly doubt such a gift from ones parents is demonized in India, China, or Korea like it is here.
In Asian countries, Taiwan I know for sure, education is THE PATH to a good career. As in, if you went to one of the handful of top colleges, there's little chance you won't get a good job. It's probably less so now than many years back, but still way more the case than in the states.
But it's totally different in America. You could have a degree from Brown or Columbia and it really wouldn't help you that much in finding a good paying job depending on circumstances.
If those parents knew that, they probably wouldn't be as eager to foot their kids' bill.
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