New York, U.S.A. — International students seeking to attend an American higher education institution differ by academic preparedness and financial resources. These differences impact their preferences and information-seeking behavior during college search according to a new report from World Education Services (WES)–a New York-based non-profit with over 35 years of experience in international education research and credential evaluation.

The publication of ”Not All International Students Are the Same: Understanding Segments, Mapping Behavior” presents findings from a survey of international students in the process of applying to U.S. colleges and universities. The survey, which was administered from October 2011 to March 2012, received responses from nearly 1,600 prospective international students from 115 countries.

The report identified four distinct international student segments based on academic preparedness and financial resources: Strivers, Strugglers, Explorers and Highfliers.

Strivers form the traditional segment of students coming to the U.S. They are highly prepared for academic work and expect to receive financial aid from their host institution. In contrast, Explorers form an emerging segment of students who can cover tuition fees but are not fully prepared for college-level coursework, indicating their need for academic support, particularly in English language training.

Highfliers are the most sought after as they are academically prepared and financially able. However, their attraction to a narrow circle of top-ranked institutions makes it difficult for lower ranked institutions to compete for them. Strugglers are less selective about their college choice, but they require additional pre- and post-enrollment assistance and have less access to financial resources.

The study found that just one-sixth of the survey respondents reported that they had used an recruitment agent during their college search. Student segments with lower academic preparedness—Explorers and Strugglers—were found to be more likely to use agent services.

“Segment-based information makes higher education institutions more aware that choice of recruitment and information channels should be mapped with the student segment they are interested in recruiting. This also means that the debate of using or not using commission-based recruitment agents should be grounded in an understanding of the agent-using student segments and an assessment of its implications on institutional capacities and priorities,” says Dr. Rahul Choudaha, director of WES Research & Advisory Services and author of the study.

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We all born into a society, a specific way of life,  namely into a bunch of traditions. We are used to a specific cuisine, places, people, basically a specific culture. We just live and exist but do we actually see ourselves or our own culture truly unless we experience something else other than ours? Multiculturalism opens this inner possibility to chase the meaning of our own existence. The 20th century French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas indicates that the “face-to-face” relation is the basis of ethics which is prior to all philosophy, and that means the “face of the other” comes first and the “I” is responsible for the “other”. When we only live by our own, isolated and closed, disregarding other existences just because we believe that our truth is the only truth, when we avoid encountering the “face of the other” and not admitting that we are responsible of them, we don’t have the chance to pursue the true essence of being a human. So the question is, how can one truly experience another culture by encountering the others? Fortunately, with the outcome of globalization, many young people now have the chance to study and live abroad and get into a multicultural life.

Nowadays there are many exchange programs, probably the most popular one is the Erasmus program. The website of European Commission indicates that “by mid-2010, 2.2 million students experienced Erasmus and currently 33 countries are participating this program”. The main aim of Erasmus is to let young people experience different cultures beside all the other benefits of studying and living abroad. So at least students get to know the culture, the system, the people of their host country.  But not only that! The most amazing thing about Erasmus, is that there is the chance to meet people who are literally from every part of the world and surprisingly you find out that you really get along with them! You truly experience a multicultural life style despite all the cultural differences and even political issues between your home countries. So you find the possibility of transcending your own being and your own culture which helps you to expand your horizon. “Others” interfere to your existence and you as an “other” interfere theirs, but only in a positive manner! You share everything, your culture, your cuisine, your experiences, ideas and thoughts and dreams, basically you truly open up yourself to others. Cultural, religious, ethnic differences, historical grounds, political tendencies and all the prejudices that you have been told throughout your life seem to dissapear or lose their meaning when you genuinely let yourself to get into the multicultural life. That does not mean that you “lose” or forget yourself, but it only helps you to realise that differences can not be a barrier between people. The point of views of many Erasmus people show that, the main aim of this program actually works, and many Erasmus people are truly satisfied of gaining unforgettable memories.

Encountering the face of the other shows us that eventually we are all human beings no matter how different we are, and it gives an opportunity for us to build an extraordinary relation between each other. Maybe, an Erasmus experience is one of the essential solutions that may give us hope and power to “fix” this world, no matter who we are by letting people to see other faces. So if you feel young and eager to live through cultural exchange, simply take part in this program and just see what it brings to your life!

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Dear Stan,

«This is it» would have said our dear dead Jackson! By the way, I saw his clone at the train station today, I told you he wasn’t dead!

Anyway, so that’s it, I’m a German now! It was quite weird when I went for the first time to the university. I was expecting something like I don’t know, like any French university, you know a poor building who gives the impression to be promised to demolition within one  week! A place with more cables on the floor than chairs in the classrooms. But apparently I traded my old french university to a 2 kilometer long campus. God, I promise you, it took me almost 20 minutes to walk across this place, and well finally I found the «Erasmus welcome place». Funny thing, I think it would have taken me the same amount of time to find the same thing but in one of our old french building! Yeah, as soon as I arrived in Germany, I began to spit on France !

Well, perhaps I am over-reacting, you know when you find yourself in a new country, everything seems to be so great, so beautiful. About beauty, shit, you should have been here a short time ago! Let me explain : a bunch of ladies from almost everywhere in the world. Dude, it was awesome! Only that one day would have been enough for me as an  Eramus exchange!  But well, I could continue to write you about my phantasm, but if one day some people eventually had the crazy idea to read me, I don’t think they could care much about my sexual dreams. That’s why I just decided ( for posterity!) to talk from now on about «clichés». «Clichés» and reality: Germany, the country where everything can happen! That would be a bloody title! But an Isralian friend I would meet a couple of weeks later told me this sentence « Bloody Germany, here only the moon is shining». I can understand that for a guy from Israel, the country of Goethe does not exactly offer the sun of Zion!

Well, my letter is getting confused now, but to get back to the main subject, which was «cliché», I think it might be a good idea! Look, everything is here : different country, people from everywhere and cheap alcohol! I could write a lot of theories about human mankind! Obviously Germany and France above all! And about Germany, I could not talk about it with out mentioning this incredible capacity the Germans have to respect and follow the law. I don’t mean necesserly that French guys are all assassins or thieves, but well, we are quite far away from being the politest people on earth (besides, we have a reputation to keep!). Whereas in Germany, God, they are so different. A friend would tell me it’s a kind of hypocrisy of the Germans, but I don’t think so. They just follow the rules, the social rules I mean, like leave a seat to an elder person, help someone to carry his bags … You can be sure, that as soon as a new law is published in Germany, everyone will accept and follow it. I cannot say the same about France. By the way, I heard it is such a mess in Paris right now! Strikes again, aren’t there? If only we had a different president than this little dwarf, things would be much better I guess. But well, I get lost  in my thoughts again, sorry, so I was talking about the German way of following the law, right? Well, I heard some crazy stories about it. Do you know the USA? Of course you do. Well, back in the sixties, they (Mister Milgram in fact, who was a psychologist I believe) led an experience. It was something about the capacity to obey, when someone is exposed to increasing pain. It is quite hard to explain it, most of all in a letter, so I invite you to visit our best friend Google for further infomation. Anyroad, 70% of the tested people stayed on. The other 30% just decided to give up, judging this experience unhuman. What is the link between that and Germany? Well, this experience has been also made with German people, and the result was that more than 90% of the people persisted to keep on! In dispite of the suffering! Why do I tell you that? Well, to prove you, that the Germans are quite obedient, far more than the French who would have killed all the scientists before burning down the place! Yeah, don’t try to coax any REAL French, I don’t mean all those stupid friends and supporters of Sarkozy, God, I hate them all … Hope things will change within a year!

Take good care of yourself, old friend, and I will write you again soon, to speak further about «clichés», in the meantime strike well in the country of Gavroche, dude!

Raf’

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