The Pathways to the United States: Chinese International Undergraduates in America

• In Event: 2484 - Section on Sociology of Education Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 10. Immigration and International Education

Abstract

American universities have witnessed an unprecedented growth of international undergraduates from China over the past few year. What are the pathways for Chinese international students to arrive in American universities? This project employs a mixed-methods approach to data collection, including an online survey, to gather quantitative data on Chinese students’ demographic backgrounds, their educational backgrounds prior to coming to the U.S. Other components include 80 one-on-one, in-depth interviews with prospective and current Chinese students at American universities to understand their college application processes, their expectations before arrival, how they are prepared for college admissions in the U.S. The gap between the two education systems in China and the U.S. has created a large void for third-party brokers to fill in and to profit from. American faculty and college administrators may be oblivious to such differences in education systems, but if they are going to keep admitting students from China on such a large scale, this project strongly suggests that American universities need to invest more in recruiting in China. They need to reach out directly to Chinese applicants by partnering with local schools in China, disseminating information, and sharing knowledge about how to go about the application process. This proactive effort on the part of American universities will help Chinese applicants tremendously and promises to draw more qualified international students from China.

Author

• Yingyi Ma, Syracuse University