“Miami University, like other universities, is encouraging the increase of international students,” said David Keitges, director of international education. “Our goal is to increase our out-of-state and international students by 40 percent to help diversify our campus.”
Seventy percent of Miami’s international students this year will come from China. More than 63 percent of students came from the country last year. India and South Korea followed at 5.5 percent and 4.2 percent.
“Most international students search for schools based on its ranking,” Keitges said. “About 4 out of 10 people in the world live in China and India. We believe this is partially why we have a high Chinese and Indian enrollment.”
Freshman at the university began moving in today. As a way to help international students transition from their home to an American college, Miami’s Academic Preparation Culture Program welcomes foreign students to campus two weeks prior to class.
“The program was implemented in 2008,” Hoy said. “It’s designed to help international students understand the expectations at an American university, specifically Miami.”
“We had 60 of the 340 currently-enrolled international students participate in our program this year,” Keitges said.
began arriving July 30 and the program ran Aug. 1-12. Each student pays $300 for the two-week program and they earn three credit hours toward graduation.
The students spend three hours a day in college preparation courses and on the weekend take an excursion to Cincinnati.
“The students get good academic practice in using their English and sitting in lectures,” Keitges said. “They write papers and form discussions.”
They learn about campus and receive information about advising, government-required visas, banking options and mandatory tuberculosis testing, Hoy said.
Aside from the coursework, the students enjoyed a boat ride on the Ohio River, ice skating, shopping, bowling, horseback riding and a scavenger hunt.
“The students have a lot of questions about the Oxford community,” said Zi Ye, program member and international student. “We are their resources for everything, but we encourage them to make friends outside of APCP.”
Ye, 20, from China, participated in the program two years ago and said it helped her overcome a culture shock.
“I was quite lost when I came here,” Ye said. “My English wasn’t good, but the APCP helped me. Now I’m a member and I can answer more questions because I know how they feel.”
Most international students pay for their American education out of pocket because they are ineligible for state and federal funding.
Most students do not have the resources to research their college before they come. Most do not know what the college looks like, they just come based on the ranking, Ye said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4533 or dRippy@coxohio.com
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