After months of visa delays and a June freeze on student visa interviews, the numbers are in. No doubt you’ve seen them. And we all anticipated them. For those in the know, there was no surprise here.
New international student visa issuances dropped 36% year over year – an indicator of continued enrollment declines on the horizon. And if you are just talking about India–with its 62% drop–the picture is even more stark. The impact is uneven across the U.S. High prestige (aka the highly rejective) institutions will not struggle for enrollment. Others have some adapting to do.
But we don’t trade in pessimism.
Our view is more pragmatic. Because there’s always a path forward, if you know where to look and how to act. Challenge is the source of opportunity. Some will fall by the wayside, and usually, those are the unprepared, less thoughtful, highly inefficient, and fearful-of-change institutions.
The fact is, the US continues to hold the title of most sought after study destination while other valuable study destinations have rising allure. Lower cost paths such as US community colleges have a stronger power to draw than they have in years past. And the two tools we've been harping on since 2015 are suddenly aha moments for so many in our field: international alumni networks and a focus on career outcomes.
Those of you who are long-time followers of this blog are nodding along as others seem to be just waking up to long-time student motivation realities.
Meet Intead!
- Find us at ASU+GSV in San Diego in April and NAFSA in Orlando in May . Be in touch to share a cup of coffee in person.
eBook Reboot: 88 Ways to Recruit International Students updated for our times. Your tactical toolkit for the year ahead. Covering all the bases in 10 quick-read chapters. Fosters great ideation discussions with your team.
And so, this past quarter we asked: What holds leadership back from strategic investments in internationalization? What data should we trust? Where can we find clarity? What is going on with digital and search these days? And, if we’re being honest, where’s the sanity? Because it’s in short supply.
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6 hesitations leadership leans on when deciding not to invest in internationalization
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Recognizing our “New Coke” era
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What to know about vibe coding
- The Chinese student in America experience, as told by Tianyu Shen
Miss any of these? No problem. Read on for quick access to each…
Translating Reality into Action: Reflections from AIRC 2025
In this post, we offer helpful slides from an Intead conference session that addresses 6 hesitations leadership leans on when deciding NOT to invest in international and what you might present to them to modify their perspective. The focus: institutional leaders do not need to know HOW it all works. They simply need to see the value of it and the investment required. To do that, they need to listen to and trust the messenger (that’s you).
With thanks to our esteemed co-presenters at the 2025 AIRC conference: Derrick Alex, Director of International Admissions and Recruitment, University of Nebraska; Vanessa Andrade, Director of International Programs and Partnership Development, CSUN; Mark Daly, SIO and Executive Director, University of Missouri-Kansas City; Dr. Tim Honadel, Director of International Services and Programs, College of the Canyons; Pieter Vermeulen, Senior Director of International Recruitment, University of North Texas; Abhijit Zaveri, Managing Director, Career Mosaic.
The US is Having a New Coke Moment
In 1985, Coca-Cola “improved” its formula, giving consumers a new taste, new logo, and a massive, expensive new product rollout. Welcome to New Coke. Almost immediately, consumers revolted. A quick 79 days later, the original formula was back in market, rebranded as Coca-Cola Classic. Our take on why we think the US is experiencing a New Coke moment all its own.
Vibe Coding and the Hidden Risks of AI in Enrollment
AI is simply not mature enough to deliver consistently reliable, broad results at scale in enrollment and admissions. Not yet. Despite what every tech solutions vendor out there is telling you right now. Large-scale implementations are simply not plug-and-play at this point. What to know about loosely coded AI integrations, aka vibe coding. This one helps you evaluate tech solutions with smarter questions about how it was built.
A Decade in America: My Journey as a Chinese Student
After a decade of studying, working, and contributing to US higher education, Tianyu Shen has returned to China – a move that mirrors what many Chinese students who studied in America have experienced. As so many countries are revising their policies about who may come, how long they may stay, and whether or not they can work, this recounting of Tianyu’s experience is particularly poignant. Many of you know Tianyu, the affable, talented Data Analyst who did some amazing work during his time at Intead as a STEM OPT student. Read his two-part post: undergrad years and graduate years.
Look, we know the pressure is mounting as you try to make smart decisions in a chaotic environment. If you need a partner to help you wrestle through tough questions and build an adaptive plan, we’re the pragmatic team that’s got you. No cookie-cutter solutions here. Simply smart, reliable, and exceedingly creative people who know the field really well. Be in touch.
