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RICHARD HIGGINS: I would think because, if you look at the
scope of the US, the diverse educational opportunities that
are within all of the universities and colleges
within our country.
I also think location.
A lot of international students have certain specific
regions that they would like to attend, whether it's the
South, whether it's the Northeast, whether it's the
West Coast. So I do think that we have a wide range of
locations that international students prefer.
Whatever country you are in Europe,
wherever else in the world.
You need to start at a place where you get the people that
have the tools and the ability to say, let's ask you some
basic questions.
And they'll discern where is the best place for you to
start looking.
So I would think that Education USA
is the first stop.
I also think you can do the internet, websites.
We've also developed, cultivated our websites so
that you can get additional information.
But that would be my first stop.
I work at a public university.
And I think that a lot of us have heard about the Ivy
Leagues, in terms of, certainly, Princeton, and
Harvard, and all the rest. And an Ivy League education is
superb and wonderful.
And if you could afford it, and if you can get into those
particular admission areas, great.
But there's some wonderful educational outcomes from
public universities that sometimes I think the myth is
private is better than public.
Both are very good.
And I do think that we are--
Really, I would say, we can give you a private education
at a very affordable cost with outstanding outcomes.
Again, I think an Education USA counsellor can help that,
or maybe someone's secondary school counselor.
But programmatically, people choose a place because you
have the major or majors that I'm interested in.
The reputation of that particular program of study.
Everyone has different inside interests.
Accreditations.
Size.
Do you want a really large university, over 15,000?
Or do you want a small, intimate one, which would be
about probably 2,000 or less?
Do you want to be in an urban area, in terms of a city?
Do you want to be in a more rural or suburban?
So these are some natural way--
Do you like snow?
Would you rather get a sunburn?
There are some silly things.
And I also think internationals select
institutions based on family, relatives, or friends who live
close by or in a travel distance where they get to
somebody within two hours.
In terms of testing, we're really looking for the TOEFL.
We're looking for a score of 76, usually, in terms of the
undergraduate level.
81 at the graduate level.
We will take the IB Higher Level, in terms of looking at
that as well.
So we do require to make sure that you have English
competency, because of the rigor
that's within our classroom.
We do have an English bridge program.
So if you fall below that and yet you still have interest in
our institution, we could make a recommendation to come into
our bridge program for a semester, sometimes even for a
year, where we will build up on your English proficiency.
And then, we'll mainstream you into the classroom.
But those are the standardized test scores that
we're looking for.
Well, we're really looking at that secondary school
transcript, if you're freshman applicant.
If you are a transfer looking at that school that you
attended, that college or university, we want to make
sure that your grades are above average, basically.
So average to above average to excellent.
And every country has a different grading system.
So it's difficult for me to tell you specifically that.
But the top factor is to make sure you have the academic
foundation for the rigor of our institution.
The second factor is English proficiency.
We really want to make sure that you have the
competencies there.
And the third factor is that we want to make sure you have
the financial background to pay for your education.
We do offer merit scholarships for high-ability
international students.
We do have some need-based grants, based on, again, the
family circumstances and the countries that some
individuals come from.
And we also offer some housing subsidies.
So we do try to ratchet down the cost of our attendance.
When we issue, obviously, the I-20, the cost of their family
monies are there.
So situated is that the family knows what they're getting
into with our costs prior to any commitment.
I, again, have to go back to Education USA, because I
think, in every country, you will find someone that can
help talk you through.
Every country has a different circumstance in terms of their
immigration.
So my best advice is, obviously,
number one, stay calm.
Be ready.
Look well.
Don't get nervous, because I know you're only a teenager,
usually, in terms of going through that.
But talk to a Education USA advisor, because they will
walk you through the steps for that particular country.
We will send information through the US mail, so that
the parent can certainly read this.
We will send information electronically to the student.
The student does not always share that information with
the parent.
But the parent can also go to our link.
So at Plattsburgh.edu, go under International, and
there's a link that will advise parents what to bring
to the States so that their son or daughter will be most
comfortable for that particular semester of study.
New student international orientation is
just a lot of fun.
Basically, we have over 400 international students total.
So we feel that that's a critical mass.
Total.
That's returning students.
We enroll about 90 new students in our fall, August
month, in terms of that.
Students come a week before school begins.
And we also have a parent orientation program.
It happens at the same time that the students are going
through orientation.
And you'll meet other international
students who are new.
You'll meet returning international students.
You'll be advised about academic courses.
There's an immigration session.
You'll learn about the food service.
Actually, we'll pick up international
students at the airport.
We'll transport into the university, if they're not
coming with a parent.
There's a shuttle that brings them to various, like, WalMart
and different stores where they may want to buy bedding
and what not.
So we do have a full opportunity orientation week
for students and their parents.
That's very important to us.
We do think that there's two directions after you graduate.
We want you to go into the world of work.
Or we want you to go into graduate school.
So we do need to prep you as you go through.
We have over 60 different majors, over
40 different minors.
So it varies dependent upon what you're studying.
But ultimately, we have a career development office that
will sit down with students and help them create the best
resume possible for them to understand how to conduct a
job search, in terms of their area, or how to conduct
graduate school search.
So ultimately, we feel it's important to avail ourselves
to students-- whether they're international or US citizens--
that they know the pathway after they graduate, which is
a great achievement.
1/3 of our international students do OPT.
1/3 do graduate school.
And then, 1/3 go back to their home country.
So ultimately, that seems to be the direction that our
international graduates are leaning toward at this point.