…and we thought Q1 was turbulent. The annual NAFSA conference couldn’t have come at a better time. As the White House continued its efforts to reshape US higher ed, our industry was banding together as NAFSA CEO Fanta Aw reminded us that “when the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.”
Cue a collective deep breath from the audience. We’ve got this; time to dig in.
Through it all, we’ve been evaluating the news and identifying actionable recommendations. It is a time of continual tactical adaptation to achieve the goal at this point in the year: maintaining or improving yield despite the headwinds.
This post will catch you up on our blogs from Q2 ’25, including:
- TRULY VALUABLE TO ALL: Our 2025 ebook reboot of 88 Ways to Recruit International Students
- Why online community college is rising for many international student prospects
- New NAFSA and Intead-led research on international student employment trends
- Revisiting lessons from the past to help shape our response to near-term obstacles in international edu
- Our slides from NAFSA 2025 Career Data Presentation (Connecting Dots)
- Useful tips on tapping into the digital communication student trend: #studyspo
Read on…
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While many NAFSANs did express a weariness and some sessions had a very somber tone, that feeling was not pervasive. There will continue to be pain along the way, no doubt. Some of us will suffer losses due to the threats and disruptions in our field. Student stress (and worse) is no joke. Fabulous and motivated international students will be denied access. Nevertheless, the dust will settle. Reason will prevail. And our community will fix what is being broken.
NAFSA, among other leaders in our field, will be there throughout and after.
To be clear, no one is giving up the fight.
We were part of three presentations at NAFSA this year, mostly about career outcomes for international students and how institutions can use this information to improve enrollment and advocate for our community. Find the link to our data (slides and reports) below.
Read on…
Here is your Recruiting Intelligence news from Q2. Use it to inform your recruitment strategy and tactical realignment for next year.
88 Ways to Recruit International Students: 2025 Reboot
The compendium you need – international recruitment tactics for edu institutions. Our 2025 reboot from the original published more than a decade ago, prompts your staff training and internal discussions as you consider all the options. How many of these tactics has your team evaluated? Tested? Fully deployed? Back by popular demand. Read the blog post here. Go directly to our ebook download here.
The Allure of Online Community College for Global Students
For tens of thousands of international students, community college has been the secret to earning an affordable US degree. And the interest is growing. In this post, we get into the considerations when recruiting (and retaining) international students who see online community college as their way into the US higher ed system. Powerful recruitment options for 2-yr AND 4-yr institutions.
International Student Employment Trends After Graduation
Our latest research – done in collaboration with NAFSA and Fox Hollow Advisory – gives preliminary, yet important findings on the behaviors, motivations, and economic impact of international students after earning their US degree. The report also offers links to many other relevant studies on this topic. Read the full post. Or click here to directly download the full report.
Admissions Teams and Resilience: Lessons from the Past
US higher ed is at a pivotal moment as policy changes in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia all create new realities for student options and student decisions. How we respond now will affect our capacity tomorrow and for years to come. The good news: history shows us that success is possible with clarity of focus and perseverance. "Stay calm and carry on" comes to mind. There are lessons of resilience and recovery from within academia worth looking at. Useful lessons with contributions from our friend and colleague Alan Preece.
We Will Fix This – NAFSA 2025 Reflections
NAFSA delivered what it always does: space to learn, to innovate, and to connect. And this year we were reminded of our strength when we run as a pack. Check out this Recruiting Intelligence post for key conference takeaways and links to download our session slides and reports on career outcomes for international students. Have you used your institution’s US Dept of Labor data to point to your international graduates’ career success? We show you why that is important and can help you get it.
Do you know #studyspo?
An important nook of the internet—from Pinterest boards to TikTok stories—this one has gained noteworthy momentum in helping students build connective digital spaces and communities where they share life hacks and ideas with each other. And now #Studyspo is turning study time into scroll-worthy content. Can your digital team leverage this trend to connect with prospective students? This post gives insights and tips. Creative marketing ideas 101. Share this one with your social mavens and get them brainstorming.
That’s a wrap for this quarter. As you begin thinking toward 2026-27 recruitment, be in touch. We’ve got ideas (and demonstrated results).
