March 22, 2021

Social Media News

The PIE Live virtual conference begins today, get yourself to this session if your institution is exploring deepening relationships in India. Registration fee required but well worth it for an online event all week. Great sessions.
If you’re looking for a future looking webinar in April on what international student exchanges might look like, the international team at ACE have a useful event on this topic coming up the middle of next month.
Clubhouse continues to be an important social (audio) platform to keep and eye on. For future thought leaders in our field, it may well be a useful way to make your mark.
There truly is an ed tech revolution going on in our profession. How will some of these players impact our increasingly digital-based international recruitment plans? Quite significantly if you believe this take from a deputy VC at Coventry.
In case you didn’t think the short-form video field on social was already getting crowded, the 800 lb. gorilla of video launches YouTube Shorts to compete with TikTok, Instagram Reels, and others.

International Education News

Big Picture Issues

ACE and the 30+ other higher ed associations are leading the way with intl ed requests for change. This letter to DHS and State Dept. secretaries on doing what’s need now to smooth the way for new intl students this fall is on point.
The cases being pursued in SoCal right now being dubbed a mini international version of the Varsity Blues scandal, is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fraudulent credentials being submitted to US colleges.
Though not as “Hollywood” as its domestic scandal counterpart was, because this intl version involves charges of visa fraud, as this Justice.gov indictment reports, it will be a case that will have some legs in the press.
The UK saw an enormous increase of new Indian students studying at British unis in 2019-20. Though data for the 20-21 academic isn’t out yet, Indian interest is potentially spreading the wealth to non-top tier institutions.
Can US business schools woo back intl students that stayed away in droves the last four years? Perhaps, but a clue might be to stop calling them “foreign” students.
When it comes to China, the Biden administration has its plate full, no doubt. So, are the bridges that may be rebuilt with allies the best path to managing that relationship? It’s better than what we’ve had the last four years.
So, how are President Biden’s immigration plans going down in our 2nd largest student market? Well, it’s a bit early to tell, but this Indian-focused article lays out what’s possible with the new government.
Another region of the world the US hopes to rebound in with intl students is the Middle East. This Arab News piece shares one US institution’s experiences with declining numbers from the region and hopes for a brighter day.
Fascinating story on how STEM OPT came about in 2007-8, but also highlights how broken the system has become since then. Interesting stats: 23% of OPT employers are universities, 77% are businesses.

Solutions Central

The more our domestic college students have an opportunity to experience the wider world beyond our borders, the more our nation’s future will be in good hands. This proposal - a Civic Engagement Corps under the Peace Corp has great promise.
What should all undergrad intl admissions staff understand? What motivates parents. Excellent international study by Brookings that details what parents want.

Test-Optional Debate

Kudos to WPI, a very STEM-heavy school, for going where all decent universities should go: test-blind for SAT/ACT! A brave new world.
In India, a big grad school market, the ability for prospective grad students to take the GRE from home is being received rather well.

On-Campus Happenings

Major news when a prominent liberal arts, women’s college like Mills makes the decision to transition to an institute and no longer conferring degrees.
At a large state institution in Florida, USF, encouraging early signs with applications and admits from all areas including international up across the board.
In the Midwest, Illinois colleges and universities are making the move back to primarily in-person class and campus experiences this fall. Large lectures will remain online for many.
Meanwhile in Massachusetts, prominent Boston-area and other colleges across the state are making plans for a “full fall reopening.”
International students at the University of Iowa are quite keen to see a return to normalcy this fall. So say us all.
What’s one benefit international admissions staff have seen due to moving all recruitment online? According to one rep at Oberlin, “I’ve reached more students and a more diverse population of students in terms of where in the world they were.”
In Pennsylvania, Dickinson College, saw a 17% increase in international student applications for fall 2021. One change, the addition of “student stories, faculty-student research pieces, and a sense of place to the Dickinson website.”

Global Roundup

In Australia, the English language programs sector has been devastated by the pandemic with a 43.3% drop in new starts year-on-year.
There’s a dark underbelly to the world of agents to be sure, but these reports out of Australia are a bit head turning. 50% commission rates?!
This report on the extent to which vocational colleges have gone to enroll international students in Australia via agents, and the fees that are paid is eye-opening.
The talk of an Australia=Singapore travel bubble sparks some hope, but the snail’s pace at which re-opening is happening for Australian universities’ international offices must be a slow drip of water torture.
Though this travel bubble may move forward, Singapore has made it quite clear that it will not become a quarantine pass through for international students.
Back in the UK, intl students at 3 London unis are refusing to pay their nearly 30,000 British pounds fees because doing their classes from their bedroom is not what they paid for are under threat of having their visas revoked.
IEPs the world over have been hit hard. In the UK English Language Teaching centers have lost 590 million pounds of revenue in 2020. Long road back.
For British unis that have enrolled significant numbers of EU students, with Brexit, “home fee status” is gone for those continental students. A recent analysis suggests a 57% drop in EU students equals an almost $86 million annual loss.

March 22, 2021

SMIE Consulting Midweek Roundup