Lower Merion School District Select-A-Session:Guide to International AdmissionPRESENTED BY: ERICK HYDE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Who am I?Erick Hyde◦ University Connection Counseling Specialist◦ English Language Programs, University of Pennsylvania

◦ 11 years as an admission counselor

◦ Instructor, “Applying to U.S. Universities” on Coursera

◦ Chair, NACAC International Initiatives Committee◦ International Association of College Admission Counseling

International admission: 2 audiencesPart 1: International students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree in the US

Part 2: Students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree abroad

Part 1: International Admission to US UniversitiesBig Question: Who is an “international student?” ◦ Any student that requires a visa to study in the U.S.

Special Case: International students at US high schools ◦ How “special” is this case?◦ How many students are in a similar situation?◦ How are you viewed by universities?

IIE – Globally Mobile Youth (2017)Key Findings:

•International secondary student numbers continue to grow, but at a slower rate.

•Most international secondary students in the United States ultimately seek to enroll in higher education.

•More secondary schools now enroll international students, mostly in the private sector.

•Students from China continue to drive the growth in international secondary students in the United States.

IIE – Globally Mobile Youth (2017)Key Findings:

•Students from China continue to drive the growth in international secondary students in the United States.

Admissions to US Universities-2 Big questions:

1. QUANTITATIVE: WILL YOU BE ACADEMICALLY SUCCESSFUL?

Academic Documents (Transcripts, IB/AP scores)*

Test Scores (SAT, ACT)*

English Proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, other)*

Strength of curriculum

Letters of recommendation

2. QUALITATIVE: ARE YOU A GOOD FIT?

Essay

Activities

Interview (possibly)

Letters of recommendation

* Can have different requirements for international students

What’s different for international students?

… It depends!◦ TOEFL requirement◦ SAT/ACT requirement◦ Academic Documents◦ Financial Aid ◦ Who reads the application?

Different schools evaluate differentlyA look at a few schools:

• Purdue

• Drexel

• Penn

• Vanderbilt

• Santa Clara

EnglishLanguage Requirements:

All int’l students must meet requirements

Waived for:• Attend 3 full years

of high school in English

• Score 600+ SAT verbal

US high school graduates are waived from TOEFL(can self-report scores)

TOEFL requirement waived for students attending at least 2 years in English medium school

TOEFL waived for students who have attended US high school for 4 years

Evaluation/ Reader:

Internationaladmission officer

PA admissions officials review students at PA high schools; questions go to international admissions

Territory manager of the high school reviews the application; questions go to international

Territory manager of the high school reviews the application; questions go to international

Applications reviewed by PA admissions officer

SAT/ACT Policy:

Optional* for int’l applicants

*priority

Required for int’l applicants

Required for int’l applicants

Required for int’l applicants

Required for int’l applicants

Resources• Your school counselor

• “Applying to US Universities” on Coursera- Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)—Free! • Audience: International freshman applicants to US universities• Created by UPenn English Language Programs

Part 2: A Bachelor’s Degree Abroad

• Short-term (source: IIE Open Doors 2018)

At UG level: • 332,727 students studied abroad for academic credit in 2016/17; 2.3%

increase over previous year• Participation has more than tripled over past 2 decades

• Gap year (Source: Gap Year Association)• 90% of Gap Year graduates are back in a four-year college within a

year• 80% involve an international element

• Full degree

Types & Duration

46,500 students enrolled in academic degree programs abroad in 2011-2012 ◦ 42% at the UG level◦ Represents 5% growth over previous year

68% pursued UG degree studies in English-speaking countries. Top destinations included: ◦ UK ◦ Canada◦ New Zealand ◦ Australia

Top subjects: Humanities and social sciences

Academic Degree Programs Abroad

Source: Institute of International Education, New Frontiers, 2013

Bachelors Degree AbroadSome fun facts:

There are around 5,670 English-taught degrees in non-English speaking countries

In Europe, there are over 1,500 bachelor’s programs taught in English in 300 schools

The average tuition for a degree abroad: $7,291 (more in the UK, free in parts of Europe!)

*source: Beyond the States and StudyPortals

Popular reasons to study abroad: Save moneyCollege can be free (free!) or virtually freeFinancial aid is available (need and merit-based) for universities outside US

Alternative university experienceExperiencing foreign culture, language, travel, “global” experienceGlobal career options

More focused programs

“International” studiesDegree options with international appeal: IR, economics, public health, education, cultural studies,

foreign language, etc.

Graduate fasterIn UK and Europe bachelor’s degree are 3 years.

ConsiderationsFIT

Profile of student who thrives abroad: ◦ Independent◦ Open-minded◦ Loves to travel◦ Enjoys experiential learning◦ Appreciates diversity◦ Interested in other cultures

CHALLENGES

Navigating a new language and culture

Independent academic experience◦ Less resources to guide your

through your course of study◦ Less of a “community”

college experience

Unknowns & Differenceso “Undecided” major

LOGISTICS

Admission requirements and process

Timing and timeline: deadlines, decision dates, start dates

Visa requirements

Distance

Other costs

Admission ProcessHOLISTIC ADMISSION (U.S.)

You are viewed as a combination of ALL the pieces of your application, including: ◦ Grades◦ Test Scores◦ Essay(s)◦ Activities◦ Letters of Recommendation◦ Strength of curriculum ◦ Interview◦ School forms◦ Etc.

ACADEMIC ADMISSION (ABROAD)

You are your academic merit/potential◦ Grades◦ Test scores◦ Essay (UK: passion for major)

Important: Who you

are!

Important: Academic Potential

Resources: Country Specific Organizations

Resources: NACAC & ICO

Resources: Articles & Websites

NY Times: A guide to getting a bachelor’s degree abroad

US News: How bachelor’s degree programs in the US and Europe differ

https://beyondthestates.com/why-college-abroad/

https://www.studyportals.com/intelligence/english-taught-bachelor-programmes-in-europe/

Questions?Erick Hyde

University Connection Counseling Specialist

University of Pennsylvania

English Language Programs

University Connection Program

herick@sas.upenn.edu

• The UK home to 162 higher education institutions.

• In 2016-17, the UK enrolled 442,375 international students. Of the more than 16,900 US students pursuing full degrees, about 5,800 were undergraduates.

• Degrees are typically 3 years in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales; in Scotland, 4 years is standard.

• More information: British Council

United Kingdom

Australia• 39 public and four private universities, known as

“unis”• 624,000 international students studied in Australia

in 2017, 11,900 were American. • Typical UG degree is 3 years, though there are

exceptions (e.g., honors programs)• More information: The Australia government’s

Study in Australia.

• Education is under the legislative jurisdiction of the provinces and territories; basic structures are similar across the country

• 495,000 international students studied in Canada in 2017

• Typical UG degree is 4 years, and considered equivalent to an American qualification

• Co-op experiences are a hallmark of Canadian degree programs

• More information: EduCanada

Canada

• Finland has 14 universities and 24 universities of applied sciences (UAS)

• Typical UG degree at a university is 3 years; 3.5-4.5 years at UAS

• Nearly 31,000 international students studied in Finland in 2015-16

• If students are fluent in Finnish or Swedish, can pursue a degree in one of these national languages tuition-free.

• More information: Studyinfo website

Finland

• Undergraduate degrees are offered at 74 public universities and 250 grandes ecoles.

• 295,000 international students studied in France in 2017, including about 17,000 US students.

• An UG degree is known as a licence, and can be completed in 3 years.

• More information: Campus France

France

• Germany has 427 state-accredited universities; 120 of these are private

• In 2017, hosted 358,900 international students; 5,839 were US students

• UG programs are very structured and can be completed in 6-8 semesters.

• More information: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

Germany

• Ireland has 7 universities, 5 public colleges, 14 institutes of technology, and 8 provide colleges

• Ireland hosted more than 33,000 international students in 2015-16; the US is a top place of origin

• Most UG degrees take 4 years to complete• More information: Education in Ireland we

Ireland

• Italy has 97 universities, 12 national research centers, and 137 higher education institutions in arts, dance, and music.

• Italy hosted 90,000 international students in 2016-17 for degree study.

• Bachelor’s degrees are known as laureatriennale, and last 3 years.

• More information: Uni-Italia

Italy

• There are hundreds of local and national universities in Japan, varying in size, reputation, and institutional control.

• English-taught programs have existed at Japanese universities for decades.

• In 2017, over 267,000 international students studied in Japan; 2,516 were Americans.

• A bachelor’s degree takes at least 4 years• More information: Japan Student Services

Organization

Japan

• Higher education in the Netherlands is divided by research-oriented (3 year bachelor’s) and profession-oriented institutions (4 year bachelor’s).

• Many large, traditional Dutch universities have created university colleges, or selective honors colleges, that follow a liberal arts and sciences curriculum.

• The Netherlands hosts more than 122,000 international students annually.

• More information: Study in Holland

The Netherlands

• NZ has 8 universities and 16 polytechnics and institutes of technology

• In 2017, NZ universities hosted 30,000 international students. US student enrollment totaled 3,044, though most participated in short-term study abroad.

• UG degrees are typically 3 years; 4 years for an honours degree.

• More information: Study in New Zealand

New Zealand

• There are 430 institutions nationwide, 58 are public.

• Junior colleges are 2-3 year programs; universities are 4 years.

• In 2017, nearly 124,000 international students studied in Korean institutions; there were 2,767 Americans.

• Most universities offer English-taught programs, and will waive the Test of Proficiency in Korean.

• More information: Study in Korea

South Korea

• There are 84 universities in Spain; 50 are public.

• In 2017, nearly 95,000 international students enrolled in Spanish institutions; American students accounted for 7%

• An UG degree is referred to as grado, and can typically be completed in 3-4 years.

• More information: Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education

Spain