Lower Merion School District Select-A-Session: Guide to International Admission PRESENTED 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 audiences Part 1: International students who want to Part 2: Students who want to earn a earn a bachelor’s degree in the US bachelor’s degree abroad Part 1: International Admission to US Universities Big 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 2. QUALITATIVE: ARE YOU A GOOD FIT? SUCCESSFUL? Academic Documents (Transcripts, IB/AP Essay scores)* Activities Test Scores (SAT, ACT)* Interview (possibly) English Proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, other)* Letters of recommendation Strength of curriculum 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 differently A look at a few schools: • Purdue • Drexel • Penn • Vanderbilt • Santa Clara English All int’l Waived for: US high school TOEFL requirement TOEFL waived for Language students must • Attend 3 full years graduates are waived for students who Requirements: meet of high school in waived from TOEFL students attending have attended US requirements English (can self-report at least 2 years in high school for 4 • Score 600+ SAT scores) English medium years verbal school Evaluation/ International PA admissions Territory manager Territory manager Applications Reader: admission officials review of the high school of the high school reviewed by PA officer students at PA high reviews the reviews the admissions officer schools; questions go application; application; to international questions go to questions go to admissions international international SAT/ACT Optional* for Required for int’l Required for int’l Required for int’l Required for int’l Policy: int’l applicants applicants applicants applicants applicants *priority 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 Types & Duration • 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 Academic Degree Programs Abroad 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 Source: Institute of International Education, New Frontiers, 2013 Bachelors Degree Abroad Some 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 money College can be free (free!) or virtually free Financial aid is available (need and merit-based) for universities outside US Alternative university experience Experiencing foreign culture, language, travel, “global” experience Global career options More focused programs “International” studies Degree options with international appeal: IR, economics, public health, education, cultural studies, foreign language, etc. Graduate faster In UK and Europe bachelor’s degree are 3 years. Considerations FIT CHALLENGES LOGISTICS Profile of student who Navigating a new language Admission requirements and thrives abroad: and culture process ◦ Independent Independent academic Timing and timeline: ◦ Open-minded experience deadlines, decision dates, ◦ Loves to travel ◦ Less resources to guide your start dates ◦ Enjoys experiential learning through your course of study Visa requirements ◦ Appreciates diversity ◦ Less of a “community” ◦ Interested in other cultures college experience Distance Unknowns & Differences Other costs o “Undecided” major Admission Process HOLISTIC ADMISSION (U.S.) ACADEMIC ADMISSION (ABROAD) You are viewed as a combination of ALL the You are your academic merit/potential pieces of your application, including: ◦ Grades ◦ Grades ◦ Test scores ◦ Test Scores ◦ Essay (UK: passion for major) ◦ Essay(s) ◦ Activities ◦ Letters of Recommendation Important: Important: Who you Academic ◦ Strength of curriculum are! Potential ◦ Interview ◦ School forms ◦ Etc. 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 [email protected] United Kingdom • 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 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. Canada • 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 Finland • 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 France • 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 Germany • 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) Ireland • 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 Italy • 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 laurea triennale, and last 3 years. • More information: Uni-Italia Japan • 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.