Not exactly, according to a new survey of the two groups conducted by the Association for Graduate Enrollment Management (NAGAP). Compared to students, the managers overestimated the difficulty of the application, while underestimating how hard it is for students to find the “best fit” school for them. Maureen Manning summarizes the findings for The PIE News. (May 2023) …
Leave a commentIn many countries, undergraduate degrees focus on one area of study and take three years. But in the U.S., students are expected to take a series of courses across the arts and sciences before they choose their major. This process is supposed to take four years, though many students need more time. An op-ed in Inside Higher Ed reviews the history of the three-year degree, and argues that U.S. students would save money, get better grades and receive better teaching under such a system. Lou Matz offers an argument in Inside Higher Ed. (May 2023) …
Leave a commentThe Eastern Michigan University International Student Association has revved up, increasing its community involvement as the coronavirus pandemic wanes. EMU Today, a university publication, writes that recent activities include a cultural talent show, a clothing drive for local community shelters and an event that highlighted food from around the world. (May 2023) …
Leave a commentThe New York Times spotlights a Kenyan student whose commitment to music and creative writing won her a spot at the prestigious school, where she is studying to be a journalist. Despite such stories, countries around the world are spending less on the subject, and many have no official arts programs for students at all. The reason? Societies still don’t understand the intellectual and emotional benefits. Ginanne Brownell has more. (May 2023) …
Leave a comment“The fee for a master’s degree at University College London is more important than the price of fish,” writes Alan Beattie, referring to the fisheries debate that stalled Brexit. Beattie claims that in a globalized world, Britain, along with other English-speaking countries with prestigious schools, must recognize that education is another service to trade. Enrollment could increase if governments began treating it as an “educational export.” Read more in the Financial Times. (May 2023) …
Leave a commentThe College Post offers 15 tips for international students in the U.S. Among them: take up extracurricular activities, prepare for the weather, learn local laws and set realistic academic expectations. (May 2023) …
Leave a commentDebating helps students advance their public speaking skills. But the benefits do not end there. From improving research skills and critical thinking, to better time management and empowering international students, rigorous debate preparations have a positive impact on many facets of student development. Andrew Smith and Caty Weaver explore the story for VOA Learning English. (May 2023) …
Leave a commentRepublicans in the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would cancel President Joe Biden’s proposed forgiveness program. Supporters of the plan, which would forgive up to $20,000 for qualified applicants, say it’s crucial to alleviate the massive student debt burden. But opponents claim the program’s $500 billion price tag is excessive, and that it does nothing to rein in costs and will benefit many people who are already well-off. Democrats and Republicans agree the system needs fixing. Who has the solution? Education writer Collin Binkley breaks down the debate for The Associated Press. (April 2023) …
Leave a commentIn 2015, roughly half of the Chinese students who planned to study abroad wanted to attend schools in the U.S. By 2022, this percentage had dropped to 30%, signaling a shift within the largest international student body in the U.S. Higher education professionals suggest that gun violence, rising anti-Asian racism, rocky U.S.-China relations and friendlier immigration policies in other countries are some of the reasons Chinese students have been looking for education elsewhere. Han Chen examines the causes and the potential economic and political implications behind this trend for Axios. (May 2023) …
Leave a commentA group of Chinese international students studying in Washington has established an independent student union, hoping to provide a safe space and platform for other Chinese students and scholars at their university to express political dissent without harassment by pro-Beijing students and organizations. Students from George Washington University (GWU) call the organization Torch on the Potomac. A statement by the organization on April 25 said, “We want to provide Chinese students and scholars at George Washington University, as well as their peers in the diaspora, with a platform, social support and community independent from the Chinese Communist Party and itsmore
Leave a commentConsultant Iain Sloan’s recommendations for student recruitment are for the United Kingdom but could apply anywhere: Diversify beyond China and India, efficiently manage the visa process, focus on career guidance and not just academics and build hands-on curriculums. Weigh Sloan’s recommendations in the Times Higher Education. (April 2023) …
Leave a commentMillersville University President Daniel Wubah argues that U.S. colleges must forge closer relationships with schools elsewhere. U.S. institutions need the tuition that international students pay, and developing countries can build their economies by sending students abroad. Read Wubah’s op-ed in Forbes. (May 2023) …
Leave a commentThe U.S. Department of Education released a College Scorecard based on student salaries, debt after graduation and racial diversity in teaching. This year’s reports analyze graduate programs for the first time and expand the data on earnings after undergraduate study. Read a summary by USA Today reporter Kayla Jimenez or check out the reports. (April 2023) …
Leave a commentIn 2021, two Chinese graduate students at the University of Chicago were shot to death within 11 months of each other. Campus newspaper The Chicago Maroon took a look at students’ push for better safety and the school’s response. (April 2023) …
Leave a commentThe University News, the student newspaper at Saint Louis University in the U.S. state of Missouri, recently interviewed international students on their experiences at the school. Some students said that some U.S. systems, notably the health care and tax systems, were difficult to navigate. One student said she felt the school’s international support services tended to be STEM-focused. (April 2023) …
Leave a commentPrivate colleges in the U.S. can be very expensive, and their costs have risen much faster than comparable public institutions. But few students pay the full “sticker price,” and a new survey suggests the savings are greater than ever. According to the National Association of College and University Business Officers, full-time, first-year students at private schools had their tuition discounted by more than 56% on average. Jeremy Bauer-Wolf of Higher Ed Dive summarizes the data. (April 2023) …
Leave a commentAbout a fifth of surveyed colleges have at least one mental health counselor embedded with a specific group, such as athletes or international students. Now, Virginia Tech is trying something new – counselors who live in the dorms with students, to build trust and provide around-the-clock support. Kate Hidalgo Bellows of the Chronicle of Higher Education investigates. (April 2023) …
Leave a commentAhead of U.S. Supreme Court rulings on a pair of affirmative action cases this spring, students at the University of North Carolina are divided on the issue of affirmative action — the practice of factoring race in admissions to boost minority enrollment — and the role it should play in creating a diverse student body, Reuters reports. (April 2023) …
Leave a commentDistressed parents of Kenyan university students stuck in Sudan converge in a house in Kenya’s Wajir County while they wait for news of their stranded children in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. The imminent end of a 72-hour cease-fire between Sudan’s warring forces has left many Kenyan parents extremely apprehensive, including Osman Mohamed. “My son is among those still stranded in the university, and he confirmed to me that they are several of them who are waiting for communication from the embassy and they are yet to receive that information,” he said. The first group of Kenyan evacuees arrived home aboard amore
Leave a commentIn June, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on two cases that claim that the affirmative action policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina discriminate against Asian American applicants. While the court has upheld the legality of such preferences in admissions three times, the past is no guide to the future – and colleges must now plan for one that could be race-blind. Henry Gass and Ira Porter of the Christian Science Monitor dive into the history and law behind the case. (April 2022) …
Leave a commentHarvard University said in a statement that former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had been appointed to dual fellowships at Harvard Kennedy School and to a concurrent fellowship at the Berkman Klein Center later in 2023. “I am incredibly humbled to be joining Harvard University as a fellow — not only will it give me the opportunity to share my experience with others, it will give me a chance to learn,” Ardern said in the statement. Reuters has more. (April 2023) …
Leave a commentA former Harvard University professor convicted of lying to federal investigators about his ties to a Chinese-run science recruitment program and failing to pay taxes on payments from a Chinese university was sentenced Wednesday to supervised release and ordered to pay more than $83,000 in restitution and fines. Charles Lieber, 64, was sentenced by Judge Rya Zobel in U.S. District Court in Boston to time served — the two days he spent in jail after his arrest — two years of supervised release — the first six months in-home confinement — a $50,000 fine and $33,600 in restitution to themore
Leave a commentJapan has one of the lowest birthrates in the world, and the number of 18-year-olds in the country has dropped by nearly half in the past 30 years. The result is shrinking enrollments, lowered standards, shuttered schools and economic pains as companies fight over a limited supply of young talent. As the U.S. ages, its education system could resemble Japan’s – unless international students reverse the decline. Read the story from Jon Marcus of the Hechinger Report. (April 2023) …
Leave a commentAlmost every category of higher education in the U.S. has declining enrollments. But trade programs – short certificates that offer real-world skills like auto repair and industrial automation – are a hit. The Hechinger Report’s Olivia Sanchez looks at one program in Tennessee to discover why: students love the flexibility, practicality and high wages. Read her story published by The Associated Press. (April 2023) …
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