The University of Vermont plans to triple its international student population over the next five years.
The university has hired a company called Study Group to troll several continents for suitable applicants.
The effort, scheduled to start in January 2014, is designed to put UVM on par with its peers. International students make up 6 percent to 8 percent of the student body at most public universities. With only 1.8 percent of its undergraduate population hailing from outside the United States, UVM has some catching up to do.
The point behind bringing more international students to campus is to “improve the quality of student experience,” Chris Lucier, vice president for enrollment management at UVM, said.
“When you look at the 21st century, it’s a trite phrase, but the planet is getting smaller … students have to have an opportunity to go to class with students from different cultures, backgrounds, religions.”
Once the strategy is in full swing, roughly 140 international students will be admitted to UVM each year. Currently, there are only 180 international students in the university’s undergraduate program.
The university elected to hand over recruitment duties to Study Group because it had very limited experience with international recruiting, Lucier said.
“The challenge that we had is that UVM has never done international recruiting in any significant way. We don’t have an international brand. This was the best opportunity to establish a brand and to do it worldwide in a cost effective manner.”
Study Group’s expansive network of recruiters — it works in 130 countries — was also a draw. Lucier said the university has asked the company to recruit beyond powerhouse countries like China, Japan and Korea, which churn out international students in large numbers. Study Group will search for applicants in Latin America, Europe, India, Russia and the Middle East. Even so, he predicts that Asia will be the most-represented continent among the influx of students.
Study Group will focus exclusively on recruiting undergraduates. UVM officials, however, say they also plan to reach out to graduate students within the next three years.
UVM and Study Group will also jointly administer an on-campus program for international students who need to bolster their English language skills. Students must attain proficiency during the two- semester program in order to be actually admitted into UVM. Study Group claims that 90 percent of students who enter these programs are admitted to the college.
In a statement released on Feb. 7, Study Group said UVM’s strong ranking will be a “selling point” for international students.
“Rankings are very important to many international students and UVM’s top 100 status among U.S. institutions and top 40 ranking among publics is a huge advantage.”
University officials say the effort will not affect the proportion of Vermont students admitted to the school.
