International Student Admissions

Lawrenceville offers its students an education that not only prepares them for college but also teaches them to be active, thoughtful members of society. Lawrenceville’s most distinguishing features are its house system and its conference-table classrooms. Both give Lawrenceville, a large school of extensive educational and extracurricular opportunities, the feeling of a much smaller, more personal school. Students are stretched and challenged by their talented peers and teachers in an environment that is both supportive and encouraging. Lawrenceville has been coeducational since 1987.

For the 2009-2010 academic year, the School enrolled 815 boarding and day students, who come from 33 states and 33 countries. As of June 30, 2009, its endowment stood at $215 million. Lawrenceville received 1,778 formal applications for entrance in fall 2009, of which 245 were enrolled.

One of the oldest prep schools in the U.S., Lawrenceville was founded in 1810 as the Maidenhead Academy. As early as 1828, the school attracted students from Cuba and England, as well as from the Choctaw Nations. It went by several subsequent names, including the Lawrenceville Classical and Commercial High School, the Lawrenceville Academy, and the Lawrenceville Classical Academy, before the school’s current name, “The Lawrenceville School,” was set during its refounding in 1883. An 18 acre area of the campus built then, including numerous buildings, has been designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark District, known as Lawrenceville School National Historic Landmark. A newer portion of the campus, not intruding into that district, was built in the 1920s.

Yale decides to go with a different approach to admissions videos:

There seems to be intense debate in the UCs (University of California) system as to the exact number of international students they should be allowing to enter their institutions. We have already touched on the debate a bit here. For a more detailed discussion on the issue, I recommend reading this link -

Fix #1 was bringing in lots and lots of foreign students, who would presumably come with fists full of cash.  But also, with problems.

I yield to no one in my appreciation of UC Berkeley’s traditional international flavor. I vividly remember the first time I approached Sather Gate. A woman wearing a sari was coming out as I went in, and I thought to myself that I was—finally—a true citizen of the world, privy to all its delights and entertainment. Among the international friends I made as an undergraduate were a Kurd, (from an ethnic group I’d only encountered in books) a Chilean Socialist (two firsts there), an Israeli woman who thought I was an Indian because of the sound of my name, and my whole rooming-house full of women physics students from Taiwan, who taught me how to cut up a chicken with a few swift strokes of a cleaver without removing any fingers by mistake. And they were all amazing people, brilliant high-achievers, admitted because of their outstanding abilities—not, however, including their ability to pay big bucks for tuition.

There’s a real danger that today’s international students will become nothing more than cash cows. There’s the possibility that the student body will be overloaded with the privileged offspring of the ruling classes who couldn’t cut the mustard back home, and that merit will go out the window.

It doesn’t have to happen that way, but the risk is there. The same caveat applies to out-of-state American students, who will also be paying those lucrative higher tuition fees.

Overall, the percentage of these special categories is jumping from 6% to 8% of the student body in the whole UC system, with UC Berkeley getting the biggest increase. Berkeley continues to be a very saleable brand in brand-conscious Asia, with much more cachet than Los Angeles or Riverside.

A major difficulty with embarking on the mission of educating the world, even if we get nothing but the cream of the crop, is that these students are not nearly as likely as they used to be to stick around after they graduate. India and China in particular are developing their own industries which will employ their own top graduates. This might leave California, high-tech California in particular, short of top talent, having educated too few Californians and too many people who just go home after they graduate.

The Hotchkiss School is an independent, coeducational American college preparatory boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. Founded in 1891, the school enrolls students in grades 9 through 12 and a small number of postgraduates. Hotchkiss strives to develop in students a lifelong love of learning, responsible citizenship, and personal integrity.

The diverse student body at the school comes from 40 states and 38 foreign countries. With over 223 courses, Hotchkiss offers a large-school academic experience with a small-school feeling. The average class size is 12, and facilities include: an 87,000 item library, a visual arts center, two theatres, new state-of-the-art athletic and music complexes, a golf course, and tennis courts, all on a 810-acre campus. Over 36% of students receive need based aid from a financial aid budget of over $7.2 million.

Boarding Grades: 9-12,

Enrollment:
Boys: 299
Girls: 296
Boarding: 543
Day: 52
States: 40
Countries: 38
Courses: 223

Accepted gives a good summary of what U.S. MBA programs are looking for from their international applicants. The focus of the post is on Chinese applicants but the lessons are universal -  

• Demonstrated experience in an international business environment
• Applicants who have made an impact
• Rising stars, recognized by senior management
• Leaders, managers, and mentors to others
• Passionate, directed people
• Community activists
• Applicants who understand why they need an MBA from an American institution
• Communicators who ace the interview

The San Francisco Chronicle has an interesting article regarding the burgeoning number of international students at California universities -

When Rebeca Ponce signed up for summer classes at UC Berkeley through her university in Mexico, she knew she was in for an experience that would broaden her view of the world.

She had no idea.

The 20-year-old business administration student from the Tecnológico de Monterrey soon found herself sitting in a classroom where she and students from India, Germany, China, South Korea, Australia, her own country and countless others are the overwhelming demographic.

“Studying at UC Berkeley has been a really rewarding experience. I have made many friends from different countries,” she said. “I wish there would have been more U.S. students to get to know more about Berkeley’s lifestyle, but I loved interacting with people from all over the world, learn from their cultures … and see life from other perspectives.”

The result of a concerted outreach effort, the number of foreign students attending classes in UC Berkeley’s summer program this year has climbed 50 percent over last year. The 2,356 international students make up 16 percent of the 15,000 total students enrolled, said UC Berkeley summer sessions director Rick Russo.

The infusion of international students is evident in the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution course Ponce is taking. About 98 percent of students in the class are from abroad, said Haas School of Business Professor Eli Kass, adding that such diversity cultivates a classroom dynamic distinct from what students would find during the regular school year… Read more here

I strongly recommend reading this post to understand the challenges school admissions counselors face in dealing with the highly selective college admissions game. A taste -

What is driving the application frenzy?

One college counselor colorfully exclaimed, “We know the devil and it’s 3 faces: Moody’s, US News and World Report, and the Common Application.”

Moody’s

Moody’s, the first branch of the demonic trifecta, penalizes colleges and universities by degrading their bond ratings if their SATs, selectivity or yield drop. And bond ratings are nothing to sneeze at. When a university needs to borrow money for capital improvements or renovations, its bond rating determines the interest rate at which it can borrow funds. The Board of Trustees will put heavy pressure on an admissions office to maintain the institution’s AAA bond rating.

Private High Schools are locked into a similar set of rules determined by Moody’s. Their bond ratings are tied to their matriculation lists, SAT scores, National Merit and AP scores. To keep their boards happy, college counselors must attend to the selectivity of the colleges on their “matric” lists.

US News and World Report

By now, most of you are aware of Mephistopheles’ favorite publication, the US News and World Report. The US News annual rankings are responsible for narrowing the collective gaze of millions of high school students onto a handful of schools and rewarding these schools for rejecting as many students and being as “selective” as possible… continue reading.

The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) is an English language test designed to assess the readiness of non-native English speakers to participate in a university-level English language instruction program (the test is meant to be a substitute for TOEFL). PTE Academic is endorsed by the Graduate Management Admission Council, who are owners of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The test is computer-based exam and focuses on real-life English used in academic surroundings.

Harvard, Yale and Stanford Business Schools all accept the PTE.

Format
Computer-based test measures all four language areas: Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing,

Content
Authentic academic test content from a variety of international contexts and scenarios

Duration
Approximately three hours

Availability
During the launch period PTE Academic will be available in 37 territories including China, India, the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, the UK, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada.

Registration
Register online and schedule a test using a flexible ‘choose and book’ system

Scores
Available online within five business days of taking the test Secure online results service

Being an international student often means it is difficult for you to visit and learn about a campus firsthand. Many universities have excellent admissions videos that can give you a taste of what life is like on campus. First up is Harvard -

This is the third segment in our review of The Ten Schools Admission Organization. The Hill School is an American preparatory boarding school for boys and girls in grades nine through twelve. 

Founded in 1851 The Hill is located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The school is devoted to academic excellence, learning, and achievement. Teachers work closely with students, preparing them for the finest universities and colleges. The curriculum stresses critical thinking, analysis, and writing in the areas of the sciences, humanities, languages and mathematics. Hill’s athletic teams regularly earn regional and national recognition.

The Center for the Arts houses a 750-seat theater, studio arts, and a diverse music program. The Hill School offers over $4.4 million in need-based financial aid, assisting 40% of our student body. Hill seeks to develop the strong moral values that remain the foundation for a successful life.

Enrollment

Boys: 277
Girls: 216
Boarding: 375
Day: 118