How Will I Fit In?

Before applying to any school, you may want to look into how many foreign students are already enrolled there. It is useful to know in advance whether internationals are well represented, or if they are in the great minority, with just a few appearing from different countries. You might feel very lonely in such an environment.

U.S. News Online lists information about the international student population at schools in its database, including the percentage of students who are foreign, the countries represented, and international student organizations. This site also lists the national colleges and universities with the largest proportion of international students at the undergraduate level. Many guidebooks on U.S. schools also offer similar information.

International student organizations, including clubs that students form themselves (representing their various countries) are very common on college campuses. Many of them also have websites (accessible from their school’s site). Once you are interested in a school, you may want to see if there is a student club representing your country there, and even ask the club (online) about conditions at the school. For example, the University of Michigan has 47 international students clubs comprised of foreign-born students from around the world.

Many schools also provide a special orientation session for international students. For example, Oklahoma State offers a week of orientation at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters to help international students adapt to their new environment. During orientation sessions at the College of William and Mary, the school gives international students a tour of the area around the school and even assists them in securing a social security number. The College of William and Mary also has a highly informative international student’s manual to assist its international students.

Once you arrive at school, you will find that many colleges also have a foreign students union where you can congregate with other foreign students, make friends, and learn from their experiences.

For a discussion of the cultural differences many international students experience, see Cross Cultural Communication and Coping with Culture Shock.