This document discusses international students in U.S. high schools and their enrollment in U.S. colleges. It notes that the number of international secondary students in the U.S. has more than tripled since 2004, with the majority planning to attend U.S. colleges. It also outlines benefits and challenges to recruiting international students in U.S. high schools and resources for supporting their transition and application process.

1. •Do you know where your international students are enrolling
from?
•How does your institution weigh their high school experience?
•How do domestic-focused and internationally-focused
colleagues interact when it comes to recruitment and
admission?
•What is the cost and return on recruiting internationally and
recruiting domestically? For example, does yield vary?
Framing Questions

2. International Students in US High
Schools
According to the IIE Center for Academic Mobility Research
and Impact (www.iie.org/research-and-publications):
• The number of international secondary students in the U.S.
more than tripled from 2004-2016
• 72% (almost 60,000) F-1 students in U.S. high schools as of
2016 plan to enroll in U.S. higher education institutions after
secondary studies
• 2016 top 6 sending countries of origin for F-1 students: China,
South Korea, Vietnam, Mexico, Japan, & Canada

3. Benefits of Recruiting In US
•More familiar with the system/school
•College counseling support
•Fewer testing issues within the US
•Acclimation
•Budget-friendly

4. Challenges of Recruiting In US
•Relatively small (but growing) pool
•Understanding how prior academic work is
accounted for
•College counselors may feel unprepared
•Years at US HS
•Experience of US HS in supporting international
students
•Domestic staff may not feel as comfortable

5. Intl Student Growth at High School Level
Source: Farrugia, C. (2017) Globally Mobile Youth. IIE
59,392
24,387 23,980 23,542 22,589
48,632
54,564 57,483 59,392
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
2013 2014 2015 2016
J-1 F-1

6. Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, State of College Admission (2017)
Growth in Enrollment of International Students
from US High Schools
24
70
30
65
5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
US HS Intl HS Pathway
2015 2017

7. An institutional approach
• Analyze data to identify domestic high schools with international
students
• Target visits to U.S. high schools with significant percentage of
international students
• Train domestic admission colleagues on TOEFL/IELTS,
SAT/ACT/Test Optional, non-US credentials, overview of F-visa
regulations, SEVIS
• Assign an international admission liaison to domestic admission
teams/territories
• International team outreach to U.S. high school counselors with
growing numbers of international applicants (on-campus
workshops, webinars)

8. •Help students adapt to new language and culture
•Understand academic structures and expectations
•Evaluate students’ previous academic work
•Engage with international student parents
•Balance expectations of parents, agents, and students
•Navigate university applications and international student specific
criteria
8
Counselor Responsibilities: International Students

9. 9
U.S. Counselor Needs (N=749)
Source: NACAC Counseling Trends Survey, 2016
Counselor’s Level of Preparation Assisting International Students with the College Admission Process

10. 10
Counselor’s Level of Preparation – Continued (N=753)
Source: NACAC Counseling Trends Survey, 2016

11. Professional Development Resources
www.nafsa.org
• State, regional, and annual conferences
• Member Interest Group (MIG) for secondary school counselors (www.nafsa.org/secondaryschool)
• ISSS Knowledge Community (KC): F, J, SEVIS, DSO training & updates
• International Enrollment Management KC: Credentials, ESL, admissions trends, IEM strategies,
resources (www.nafsa.org/IEM)
• 2017 NAFSA Guide to International Recruitment
www.iie.org/research-and-publications
• Charting New Pathways to Higher Ed: Int’l Secondary Students in the U.S.
• Globally Mobile Youth: Trends in Int’l Secondary Students in the U.S., 2013-2016, August 2017
www.nacacnet.org
• Engage with Affiliate ACACs
• International Student Programming at NACAC fairs/conferences
• International Counselor Toolkit: www.nacacnet.org/Knowledge-
center/international/CounselorToolkit/

12. Professional Development Resources
• www.internationalacac.org – Int’l Association for College
Admission Counseling
• www.ecis.org – Council of International Schools
• www.wes.org, www.ece.org – Credentials evaluation
organizations (sample list)
• www.tabs.org – The Association of Boarding Schools
• www.educationusa.state.gov – U.S. State Department site with
objective information & resources on all aspects of U.S. higher
education including the application process
• www.american.edu/admissions/international/resourcesforcouns
elors.cfm – AU counselor virtual resource corner. Contains both
AU and generic int’l education resources, PDFs, links, webinars,
powerpoints.