Recruiting Intelligence

Well we've done it again. It provided such a fascinating glimpse into how institutions engage with prospective students that we decided to run the experiment all over again. If you are an avid reader of our blog (thanks, Mom!) then you know that last May we published the results of our mystery shopper experiment, phase one. We could hardly believe that nearly 25% of institutions we contacted to request information for a prospective Chinese undergraduate student never replied. For the full report, read our blog 25% Don't Reply to Prospective International Student Inquiries. Since we ran that experiment in the spring, April to be exact, we decided we would try it again in the fall. And so we bring to you, dear readers, the results of the mystery shopper experiment, phase two.

Smart phones and tablets such as the iPad have become our travel companions.   Here are seven of my favorite apps to make your life easier and more productive for your business and also personal travel.  There are a great deal more apps-- we have focused on the ones that can and will help you with domestic and international travel, unless otherwise indicated.

Every month the 2nd and 4th Thursdays will be devoted to highlighting our library of podcasts. We believe stongly that information can be conveyed in a number of ways. We hope that you will continue to read our blog and also take advantage of the opportunity to listen to our podcasts at your desk, the gym or during your commute. Through 20-30 minute podcasts we hope to introduce our readers/listeners to a variety of compelling topics related to international higher education. We hope you enjoy our podcasts and, as always, we welcome your feedback.

In my last post, I discussed my experience at Bahcesehir University and gave some of my impressions about what drives students to study abroad.  Working at BAU didn’t just give me a chance to observe students, though.  It also allowed me to look at overseas university systems close up.  I was able to see how their programming and administrative organization compare with older American schools, and how they differ.  Below are four things that I saw overseas schools doing right, to keep themselves relevant and sustainable in a global education community.

In addition to working for Intead as the Academic Advisor, I also work alongside high school students counseling and preparing them for the college application and admissions process. As an independent counselor I don't work for a specific high school or college. I am paid directly by my clients. I treat each family as if the students were my own children, eager to go into the world, but in need of advice to get to the next step. Because of my work with Intead I am incredibly interested in the great agent debate primarily because it affects our clients and their ability to recruit students, but more personally because, abroad, I would likely be assigned the title "agent." This post isn't intended to perpetuate the agent debate but given my unique perspective as one who works with students and parents, in the US and internationally, and who partners with universities, I have an ability to see these issues from numerous sides.

Sometimes, watching globalization from America isn’t the same as going overseas to see it at work.  I recently returned from a semester teaching at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul.  BAU was founded as an intentionally global university, growing hand-in-hand with the emerging global economy.  It has campuses in nine different countries, and purposefully draws a student body from around the world.  Working with its students gave me a chance to learn more about what drives students to study abroad.  Below are four institutional and cultural dynamics driving overseas study.

Pearson recently released a global report on education comparing major factors in education, such as expenditure per student, GDP, graduation rates, etc. One of the top countries in Pearson’s list is South Korea. According to the report, there are some interesting differences between Korean education and American education. Understanding the Korean system can help in international student recruitment.