Its More Than Computer Science at Clark Atlanta University for Ian Mills

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This week's student introduces himself. “Hi, my name is Ian Mills. I am from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean southern most island in the west Indies. I decided to come to the United States to pursue a degree in Computer Science mainly encouraged by my mother as well as educational opportunities available here.”

With that being said, Ian chose Clark Atlanta University as the school to further his education. “Clark Atlanta because my university of choice for a multiple of reasons. The first time Clark Atlanta came into my view was at a college fair and the high school that I was attending there was a college fair that multiple colleges came down from the United States and Clark Atlanta was one of them and I spoke to one of the representatives actually Ms. Davis who currently is the Assistant Director of Admissions and while speaking to her she really made Clark Atlanta seem like an interesting place to attend,” he says.

“Along with when I did my personal research Clark Atlanta was rated as of the top ten at the time of HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and I was also offered a scholarship to attend. So everything put together as well as a quick response from the Admissions office led me to attend Clark Atlanta university instead of other universities that I had also applied to.”Studying Computer Science is Ian's passion. He says it is important to him to do something that he enjoys as a pastime. So with that being said, is his coursework challenging for him? Ian says....”the classes aren’t difficult for and it is not difficult because it is not challenging, but at the high school I attended we also had to do an Associates, so before I came up here I did an Associates in Computer Science,” he says.

“So it is a lot of reinforcing that I previously learned and the upper classes are definitely more challenging now. I will also say it has helped me and prepared me for attending my internships that I did and the actual industry.Ian also says when it comes to getting an education; it is more than what he learns in the classroom.

“To me it is very important, but I would not limit education to strictly to what you learn in the classroom, I think the educational experience is more than what you do in the class, what you learn from the textbook, but I think your entire experience at a university so living in a dorm room, interacting with students, attending different groups and extra curriculum activities it builds a more holistic person and that is what I consider truly education you know is building a person not just learning information."As he looks over the past several years, Ian says there is a growth and development phase from being a freshmen student to now being a senior.

“I think when you come in as a freshman the thing is you are still almost questioning what you want out of life and even though as a senior that question is still there, it is answered a lot more,” he says. “ I would say for me for example when I first came I knew I was interested in Computers I changed my major from Information Systems to computer science which is like you are changing from a Business aspect to a more technical and that changing of itself help me define further what I was interested in the Computer field,” he says. “To me I think change of development are more and greater understanding of who you are and what you are interested in and the ability to pursue that.”

Another memory, which Ian says he will always treasure, is the camaraderie in the dormitory. “The one thing that I will always treasure is my freshman year living in the dorm and the freshman dorm is different that most rooms you have a roommate and it is one large room and two beds and you share that experience, but I think what the biggest experience was I would be sleeping and then get up about one or two o’clock in the morning and if you walk down the hallway at least every other door would be open and there just would be people hanging out,” he says.

“You know if they are doing homework, playing games or talking, there was always something going on and to me just that experience that I can get up in the morning and it can be whatever hour, whatever time in the night and just go and hang out with some friends and know it is in your same building it is just that camaraderie, that brotherly kind of mesh I think that was the best thing the biggest memory I take away from Clark.” Ian says his next steps in life after graduation will be to work in the computer field.

Former William Woods University Student Returns for Graduate Studies

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His name is Ilia Lipartiani. Ilia has returned to William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri after graduating from there in 2005. Here's his story. “I’m from Republic of Georgia, former USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and first of all I came to the United States as an exchange student. I came to the state of Montana and I graduated high school in Montana. I went there one year in 2000 and I graduated in 2001,” he says.

“Now I am attending William Woods University. I graduated in 2005. I went there for four years on a soccer scholarship. I took one year off after I graduated in 2005. I worked in St. Louis and then I came back as an assistant soccer coach and I am doing my MBA right now.”

So what is it about the university that made Ilia return to pursue his MBA degree? “The university is pretty small. It is about one thousand people and outside maybe not even that much and they are just really friendly people. You pretty much get to know everyone on campus, all the students everyone and they are very nice people, very nice professors,” he says.

“I like the professors a lot because since I am an international student, when I came I had a little bit of language barrier to understand everything that was being discussed in the class and the classes are about twenty-five to thirty people so teachers would stay afterwards and help me out if I had any problems with anything, especially Ms. Popp she taught me a lot of courses in Business. She was very, very helpful and I like the community and that is the reason I decided to come back.” While working on his degree, Ilia says he enjoys the fact of being able to mix his studies with being an assistant soccer coach.

“When I came in 2001 I played four years I was offered a full scholarship with soccer and I had just an amazing time playing soccer and I love soccer so I kind of wanted to continue my soccer career,” he says. “Soccer is a big part me and I love the sport definitely plus I love business and I wanted to get involved, get more knowledge in business so I tried to mix those two things together which would be soccer and business and it kind of happened perfectly,” he says. “I became a soccer assistant coach meanwhile I am getting my MBA.” Ilia says its not so much the university, but for him it is important to pursue a second degree especially in the United States.

“Well it was very important actually because back home having gained an American degree, having a degree from the United States means a lot and since I got my bachelor’s degree here I was very happy with that and my parents and all of my family was very happy with that and then I had the chance to continue my education, get my Masters which was huge plus I think for my education career,” he says. “It will be very valued in the United States and more than in the United States in Georgia having a Masters degree from the United States and the reason I did this is because I hope my possibilities will be more open and that is the reason I decided to go for the MBA.”

The MBA program is for two years and Ilia has completed his first year. He says he will return in August to complete his studies. “This is my first year. I am just finishing my first year right now. It is a two year program we don’t have any breaks other than Christmas break two weeks break for Christmas and the program goes through the summer, however I’ve decided that since I haven’t been home in about three and a half years now I decided to take one and a half month off from my class and go back home and visit my family and then come back in the beginning of August.” Once Ilia finishes, his first priority is to work in the busines world. He says he will still be involved with soccer in some way because that is one of his passions in life.

“I’ve decided that since I played in college and now I coach it is a big part of me and I love the sport definitely, I think I would more likely be coaching the younger kids just for fun so I am still involved with soccer, but my priority will be the business and because I love business very much I want to have success and that is what I want to do and secondly I would look at the soccer just to have fun and it kind of keeps me in shape and all that stuff and plus coaching the kids and spreading my knowledge to education the kids.

Delaware State University Gives Canadian Student Major of Her Choice and Much More

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Savitre Bachoo chose Delaware State University and there is more than one reason why she did. “I viewed all the other schools that were also interested in me because of soccer and basically at Delaware State the atmosphere here on campus is awesome. For me personally I don’t like a big, big campus and I mean compared to some of the other schools that I know the campus is really not that small, but at the same time it is in walking distance to everything around so that is what I like about the campus,” she says.

“Also the teachers are really great here. If you are one of those people that you really need help or something like that, there’s always ways to get help here like there is always tutoring places you can go to with no hassle or anything like that, but there is a lot of great opportunities on campus that students can really take advantage of and compared to some of the other schools that I have heard of through some of my friends going there right now, I think that right now Delaware State has a lot of focus on the students and they have my major here and the campus is great so I really didn’t mind coming here.”

Going to college and playing soccer here is important for Savitre, but she says she also is mindful of having a job once she finishes. “Well, I am originally from Toronto, Canada and the reason why I decided to the United States was because I am on a soccer scholarship right now, but my whole goal in the future is I am a Nursing major and in terms of working in Canada as oppose to the United States, nurses make a lot more here,” she says.

“So basically coming to school here is one step in the door to trying to make a living for myself here.”

While studying to receive a nursing degree, Savitre says much is expected from her being a soccer athlete on scholarship. “There is always high expectations here expected of the athletes because they don’t want to set the attitude to other people on campus that athletes get away with everything so basically athletes always have to be better than the regular student,” she says. “We have to prove ourselves academically, but physically especially with our sport and since this university is trying to strive to achieve a lot with their sports we always are training and with our training we are always studying and there is always mandatory study hall so as an athlete here I mean a lot of people assume that athletes get away with a lot but no, as for me especially I have to work twice as hard just to stay on top of my schoolwork and excel in that as well as my sport.”

Savitre is nineteen years old and in her second year at Delaware State. She says for her, studying in the United States is a great learning experience. “I think it is not so much how important, but I think it is more of how great it is as a learning experience because in the United States as well as Canada too I can see that there is a lot more opportunities around you as long as you take advantage of it here, anywhere really, but with this is for me I think that there is a lot of things going on that you can always get yourself involved,” she says.

“There is always experience all around you if you take the opportunities and with that it also helps you get into many job fields that you want. I think especially in America there are always opportunities for its citizens. It could be the littlest opportunities that you think that means nothing, but in the end it could turn into something big so that is what I really like. The fact that there is always an open door as long as you take advantage of it.”

Savitre's advice to other international students is… “By people coming to the United States from different countries people think that they won’t appreciate your culture or where you are from especially if you are different than the average person here, but really coming here is not the way sometimes people portray it,” she says.

“People are welcoming here and people appreciate the fact that you are an individual and there is a lot of opportunities here and I just think it is a great advantage from studying away usually where I’m usually from.

Indian Student Enjoys Football and Engineering at Auburn University

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Anan Narayanan education started back home way before he decided to come to the United States to study.

"I am from India. My native place is a small village in India called Palakad in Kerala, but I grew up and spent most of my life in Chennai, which is a metropolitan city. One of the biggest cities in the south," he says.

“I did my schooling there and I did my undergrad studies in Engineering Electronics and Instrumentation from Shanmugha College of Engineering which is in Cumberland and after my undergrad in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering I looked at my options for higher education and Auburn seemed to be very promising," Anan says. "The kind of infrastructure and the kind of research program that the university has and I decided to join Auburn. It’s been two years since I have been doing a graduate program at Auburn and it seems to be awesome so far.”The 24-year-old is working on a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. He says education has always been a part of his life due to his upbringing.

“Education is very important to me because I come from a background where I am a Hindu by religion and in India education is also an object of worship,“ he says. “We have a goddess for education and even as a child there was a tremendous amount of importance that was given to educational background and I believe that growth is not possible without education not just material growth, even spiritual growth is not possible without education,“ he says. “The kind of rich tradition the country I come from, science and education, science and religion go hand-in-hand. To me it occurs that science and religion are two different things, but there are different ways of speaking about the same thing."

“In a religious front a spiritual front and current and materialistic, I think education is very very important aspect of my life," he continues. "I owe much of it to the spirit I got from my family, from my upbringing, from my school I think that is the reason why I invest so much interest and importance on education.”Besides his research, Anan enjoys several campus activities at Auburn.

“I love Auburn football. I’m a fanatic about Auburn football. I come from a country where cricket is a religion. I mean it is the most important sport. I have not really recognized any sport other than cricket back in India but after I came I started loving football. I mean Auburn football is something that is very close to my heart,” he says. “Other things that I am involved in at Auburn is that I use to be the president of India Student Association. India Student Association is one of the largest and most dynamic international student groups at Auburn. It’s an honor of great pride to be associated and to lead an organization of around 250 members,“ he says.”

“Currently, I am serving as the president of the International Student organization. We have over 1,000 international students on campus and our office serves as a liaison for all international students their concerns, the common problems that international students share in a foreign country and it is a way of helping each other out and making our stay in America more pleasurable,” he says. “There are the two organizations that are very close to my heart and I have spent most of my time working on and these are things apart from my research that takes up most of my time that I have been involved in doing things like that.”Anan has a way to go before he completes his doctorate degree, however he does have an idea what he will do once he finishes.

“It depends on a lot of factors. The way your research goes, the kind of experimental research that you get, how lucky you are and I am guessing that I will get done in another two years,” he says. “So it’s five, five-and-a-half years and I think that I will go back home, but not immediately. I will work for a couple of years getting some international exposure, get a global perspective of business, management, research and academia and then go back to India and serve my country that is where my clients are. A couple of years I would give myself before I go back home for good.”Anan shares his thoughts with other international students about being in the United States.

“America is a fantastic place. It is a land of opportunities. It is a very immigrant-friendly country,” he says. “To all internationals I would ask that they share the kind of wonderful experience that I have shared in this country and not lose a moment and I would like to wish them the very best.”

Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Becomes a Heavenly Thing for Ladi Recac

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Ladi RecacLadi Recac is busy working on his advance degree at Hampton University. “I am in the PhD program. I am trying to get a PhD so I have been in this graduate program for three years now almost. I am working on my dissertation right now so that really depends how fast I can proceed with my research and that is hard to predict,” he says. “ I don’t know myself how long I am going to be here really.”

Being at Hampton University isn't new for Ladi. When he left his country, he initially chose the university for his undergraduate studies too. “ I’m originally from Czech Republic which is at the eastern border of Germany, Europe and I came to the United States eight years ago and I came as an undergrad to Hampton University,” he says.

“I studies Computer Science and I initially came on a tennis scholarship, I play Tennis and I came to play on Hampton’s Tennis team so I go my undergrad [degree] this way and during my years as an undergrad I was a student worker in the Atmospheric Sciences Department and that is how I got to graduate college,” he says.

“Here, when I finished my undergraduate degree, I liked what I was doing during my undergraduate years here so that is the story basically.”

During his years as an undergraduate, Ladi became interested in his major Atmospheric Science. The 27-year old says a lot goes into the complex subject. “Atmospheric Science as the title says we study atmospheres not only on earth, but planetary atmosphere as well, but that depends on what your concentration is. You can study planetary atmosphere in general or the earth’s atmosphere,” he says.

“Its already a complex topic and it is further divided into say dynamics about the motions of the atmosphere winds and waves and stuff and also you can also concentrate on Chemistry. What chemical processes is happening in the atmosphere at different levels for example so we study the atmosphere as a whole and as a scientist you can concentrate on whatever you like, but at the end of the day you need to know everything because it is all coupled,” he says. “It is just one atmosphere, it doesn’t have separate parts.

Although a lot is involved when it comes to learning, Ladi says he enjoys being in the program and getting hands on experience. “I do very much actually. The program here is great because we cooperate with NASA and we have access to a lot of data from various instruments, from satellites and there is some great faculty here,” he says.

“Also I’ve taken all of my classes actually so I sample basically everything and from my experience I can’t complain. On the contrary, it’s been a great studying experience plus the hands on practice with the research that we are doing during the studies as you take classes you also do research on your own or whoever is your advisor assigns, you learn a lot in a very short time.”

When Ladi graduates, he says he would like to teach or work with a team of scientists who also are interested in Atmospheric Science matters. “I would like to get either a teaching position or even better if I could get a job as a scientist either in government or a private company that are contractors to the government,” he says.

“The government being NASA here and I would like that very much if I could join some team of scientists and just work on problems and atmospheric sciences,” he says. There are just way to many. It is a vast field and considering that if we take all the solar systems, all the planets and the atmosphere there is just much we do not know yet about those things as well as atmosphere on earth.”

Rowing on the Potomac River as a Student at Georgetown University

I moved back to the Washington, DC area when I joined the State Department last fall. Four years had passed since I lived there. As I walked across the Key Bridge from Rosslyn to Georgetown, instead of focusing on the road, my eyes would be drawn to the Potomac River. I love the Potomac--I love the sun glistening off the water, the boathouse next to Tony & Joe's, the trees that line the banks of the river, and the story about the Three Sisters (rocky islands in the Potomac west of the Key Bridge).

The Potomac has a special place in my heart because I spent a great part of my freshman year on the water. I can't recall what inspired me to try out to be one of the crew members on Georgetown University’s rowing team (especially considering the fact that I can't really swim), but the point is, I tried out for the team and amazingly, survived three cuts, and made the Freshmen Women's Light Weight Crew team.

Crew was a bitter-sweet experience. It was bitter because I hated waking up at 5am every morning Monday through Friday and at 6:30am on Saturdays. It was also bitter because it was mentally and physically challenging--it stretched me to my limits. It was sweet because I loved being on a team and the camaraderie among the team members. I loved wearing our team uniform and screaming "Hoya Saxa" on top of my lungs. Crew is perhaps the epitome of team sport since rowing out of sync would compromise the efforts of the other members of the team, and as cliché as it sounds, the boat is only as strong as its weakest link. Needless to say, the coach pushed us to our limits. I thought about quitting numerous times, but I am glad that I stuck with it (at least until the end of my freshman year). Rowing taught me self-discipline and team work. It also taught me that I am physically stronger than I realized.

Ultimately, I had to make a choice at the end of my freshman year about staying on the team or focus on my other extracurricular commitments in the student government and other student groups. I gave up crew. I sometimes wish I was tougher and made a commitment to the sport, but I also realize that I couldn't balance crew, academics, and my other extracurricular interests.

My experience illustrates the wide range of opportunities available on college campuses across the United States. Educational experiences in the United States encompass more than lessons learned in the classroom, it also involve lessons learned outside of the classroom, whether it's from playing sports, performing community service with a volunteer organization, or interning at a law firm. Despite the fact that schools vary in size, location, and funding, there will always be a lot of opportunities for students to explore. Sometimes, tough choices will have to be made…but the point is that it is up to you to shape your own U.S. educational experience and to participate in activities that enrich your understanding of American society and culture.

Ten Tips for International Students Wanting to Pursue Graduate Study in the United States

The following article was written especially by Dr. Martin for students in celebration of 2008 International Education Week.

Hello from someone who has spent 28 years in the field of graduate admissions, financial aid and student affairs. It has been my privilege to work with thousands of prospective students, applicants, and enrolled students while serving at Columbia University, The University of Chicago and Northwestern University. My travels have taken me to 61 countries on every continent, largely for the purpose of speaking with students/advisors about the graduate educational process in the United States.

Here are some tips about pursuing graduate study in the United States. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Rather, it contains the input most often provided by me in working with international students over the years. For more information, and to learn about my book, Road Map for Graduate Study: feel free to visit my website: http://www.gradschoolroadmap.com/.

Tip 1: Allow a few years to adequately prepare – take your time
This is very important. You will be faced with many different activities – preparing for the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc., researching various educational institutions and programs, preparing your applications, determining how you will fund your studies and much more. All of this takes time.

Tip 2: The importance of learning to speak/write in English
Obviously, your ability to communicate in English, both verbally and in writing, is crucial. As with any skill, learning English takes time. In addition, some individuals have a greater level of ease in learning other languages. Take the time you need to learn the language. If you find that you are struggling, and application deadlines are approaching, wait a year.

Tip 3: Look beyond the top ten
In my experience, one the biggest mistakes prospective students (in the USA and abroad) make is determining, before doing any substantive research, where they want to apply/attend. Often these decisions are based on the ranking/prestige of an institution, and the student’s or his/her family’s belief that the most important thing is “getting in to the top school.” This is truly a myth. For one thing, rankings fluctuate. Secondly, no two rankings are the same. Thirdly, there are hundreds – yes, hundreds – of outstanding graduate programs in the USA that are overlooked every year because they are not in the “top ten.” In the end your success is not dependant on where you attended, but on who you are and the skill set you bring to your employer.

Tip 4: How you are treated as a inquirer/applicant is extremely telling
This is huge! If you are welcomed, thanked, appreciated and helped as an inquirer or applicant, it speaks volumes about how you will be treated as a student. And conversely, if you are ignored, demeaned, belittled and confused by those with whom you communicate, believe me, nothing will change once you are enrolled. Having a successful graduate school experience is about FIT – you and the institution you are attending complimenting each other.

Tip 5: Follow directions in the application process
Please do this! Resist the temptation to prepare essays that are longer than requested, to include more recommendation letters than asked, to leave a question unanswered, to apply a few days after the deadline, or send information that is for one admissions committee to another one. Any one of these does not provide a good first impression and in cases where the application process is very selective, can result in what might have been an admission decision ending up as a letter of denial.

Tip 6: Do not obsess about academic performance before or after enrolling
In the end, your success in life is not correlated to your grades. While doing well academically is certainly something for which every graduate student should strive, obsessing about having a perfect record can greatly lessen your chances of having a rewarding, fulfilling and fruitful graduate school experience. Do your very best, but if you get a few B’s, it is not the end of the world.

Tip 7: Do not take your standardized test over and over again
Many graduate school applicants are not the best test takers. This can be disconcerting, due to the misguided perception that one’s test score and make or break an application. There are a few institutions where this is the case, but most admit applicants with varying test scores. As Director of Admissions at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business I often admitted applicants with GMAT scores below 600, sometimes even below 500. And by all means I was not alone. Many admissions committees realize that test scores are by no means the only predictor of academic success – they are just one part of the application. . .If you take your respective standardized test and do not do as well as you hoped, by all means take it a second time, maybe a third. But do not keep taking the test! It looks worse for you as an applicant.

Tip 8: While there are financial resources available to you, they are not limitless
During my years working with financial aid, it seemed that many international students had a perception that institutions in the United States are extremely wealthy, and have unlimited financial resources to help students fund their education. This is not true. Yes, there are scholarships, fellowships and assistantships available, but there are most always not nearly enough of them to help every student. In nearly every instance graduate students will need to have quite a bit of their own funding available. This is why planning well ahead is so important.

Tip 9: If at all possible, relocate to your new institution/home early
Moving to a new home is a chore even if you are doing so in the same city, county, province or country. Moving to a new country is a major undertaking. There will be huge adjustments. Added to the responsibilities of a graduate program, the adjustments are compounded. If you are able to relocate even one month before your studies begin (two to three months is ideal), you give yourself time to gradually settle in and be more relaxed.

Tip 10: YOU CAN DO THIS!!
Yes, you can do this. Many have done it before you, and you will pave the way for others who follow you. There will be ups and downs, but with your ability to focus on the end result – completion of your degree program and the doors it will open for you – and practice Persistence and Determination, there is virtually unlimited opportunity for you. Your dreams and goals are out there, waiting for you to grab hold of and achieve them. The possibilities are endless. And you will be successful, one day at a time.

International Education Week 2008

International Education Week (IEW), November 17 -21, 2008, is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. Education and culture are among America’s greatest assets. It is a hallmark of America’s diverse and welcoming democratic society.

IEW offers an opportunity for America to celebrate international educational exchange and its positive impact on our nation and the world. According to the lastest Open Doors 2008 annual report, the total number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States reached a record of 623,805 in the 2007/2008 academic year.

As part of AIT’s IEW week programs to celebrate IEW, we have asked AIT’s officers to share their unique college experiences with Taiwan students. For information about related programs, please check list of events at: http://www.educationusa.org.tw/

View from the Other Side of the College Application Process

During my senior year at Georgetown University, I had the unique privilege to serve as a student representative on the School of Foreign Service's Freshmen Admissions Committee. I served on the Admissions Committee for the Class of 2007 along with professors and admissions officer in order to provide the student perspective in evaluating the applications and to help select a diverse class of students who would be able to contribute to the Georgetown community. I took a deep breath as I looked at the files piled in front of me. Each dark brown file was at least an inch thick. I reached for a folder and reviewed the first application.

For the first time, I realized that assessing an application was as difficult as putting together an application. How do I differentiate two candidates with similar GPA and SAT scores? How do you quantify a student council presidency versus captain of varsity basketball? How do you evaluate a student's achievements in relation to the opportunities and resources available to that particular student?

College admissions, to be perfectly honest, are somewhat subjective and relative. While SATs and GPAs provide a rough rubric for evaluation, the most important elements of the package--from my experience--are the recommendation letters and essays. Well-written recommendation letters shed light on the applicant and explain to the admissions committee how others see the applicant and the applicant's impact on his/her existing community. Personal essays, on the other hand, provide applicants with the stage to showcase themselves. Essays may reveal attitudes, beliefs, and/or personal traits that help admissions committee understand the applicant as an individual.

While each school will have its own set of priorities, colleges tend to prefer students who are well-rounded and multifaceted, and who can contribute to the diversity of the campus. As the admissions season progressed and the files piled up, it was easy to get lost in the files. Oftentimes, applicant "y" sounded exactly like applicant "x", and applicant "x" sounded exactly like another applicant whose file I reviewed earlier. One word of advice…essays should not only detail what you have accomplished--essays should paint a picture of who you are.

Dakota State University gives Japanese Student More Than Just an Education

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With a bit of encouragement from his father Yusuke Kojima decided to study in the United States. “I’m from Japan and when I decided to come down here my father offered me that if I wanted to go down to the U-S or not, but first I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and my father really wanted me to go down to the U-S because there might be better opportunities for jobs and my future if I come down here and get educated in the U-S, so that is the reason why I came down here.”

Yusuke is attending Dakota State University, but that wasn't his first introduction to an American college was in Louisville. “Right now I’m currently at Dakota State University in South Dakota and I use to go to the University of Louisville. I was there taking an ESL course, English As A Second Language and I wasn’t taking any other course there, just English.”

Dakota State University not only offers Yusuke the field of work he wants to pursue one day, but it also affords him the opportunity to enjoy one of his hobbies. “Well, my current advisor daughter was attending the University of Louisville taking a Japanese class which is where my advisor was at that time and she actually told me about South Dakota University and my hobby is skiing and she told me that if I came here I could ski down here, so I was kind of interested,” he says.

“Then I found out that South Dakota University has much more there like smaller class sizes and it is a small university so it may be a good place to go as I found out so that is the reason I came down here. [Also] I wasn’t sure what I was going to do at that time and later on I found out that they have web graphic design major so that is another reason to be here.”

Adjusting to American culture and language is a challenge sometimes for Yusuke, but academically he says he is doing fine. “The language barrier is a primary problem for me. The class itself is really nice because we have small classrooms and everyone is helpful to me, but sometimes there are words that I still cannot get like some of the U-S culture, but classes are going really good and the relationship with the faculty is nice,” he says.

“The thing is we have only twenty people in the class at most so the relationship with the faculty is really close and they can understand me well and I can understand them well so that really helps me in class.”

When it comes to the international population at Dakota State University, Yusuke says it is a small community of students. “There’s not many international students at the university probably me and another Japanese [student] is currently there. There are a few, but not many people are involved with an international club,” he says. “I’m actually the president of the international club and since it is a small university me and one other member is in the club.”

Yusuke has another year before he graduates. He says he will go back home to Japan. “Well after I graduate, I am currently thinking about going back to Japan and look for a job as a graphic designer and I am still not sure I if will work here in the States, but my plan is going back to Japan and work as a graphic designer.”

Advice Yusuke has for other international students..... “People who are just thinking about coming down here or they are not sure about it, they are scared or worried, then I say just come here and you will be fine. I know what people worry about like coming here and the language and people might be harmful to them or something, but I say everyone is nice and people usually try to understand me and understand other people so I say come here and you will be fine, just down think to hard and have fun!

Full-Tuition Fellowships from Top B-Schools

Here's a look at some of the basics about full-tuition scholarships at some of the leading MBA programs
by Alison Damast

One of the management education world's greatest secrets is the wide variety of full-tuition fellowship programs at business schools. There are more than you might think—University of Virgina's Darden School of Business, for example, offers 61 full-tuition fellowships—and it is well worth taking the time to look into them during the application process. It could save you a cool $150,000, the average price for a two-year education at a top business school. We've rounded up some of the top schools' full-tuition fellowship programs, along with how to apply for them.

School: California Berkeley (Haas)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Haas Merit Scholarship; Haas Achievement Award; Maxwell Fellowship; White Fellowship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 14
How to apply: Automatic for Haas Merit Scholarships and White Fellowships; Haas Achievement Award requires optional essay as part of the application; the Maxwell Fellowship has a separate application.
Special requirements: Students must remain in good academic standing.

School: Carnegie Mellon (Tepper)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Dean's Scholarship; Consortium Fellowship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: Not available
How to apply: Dean's Scholarship automatic consideration; Consortium application

School: U. of Chicago
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: The Dennis W. and Jane B. Carlton Fellowship; The Distinguished Fellows Program; The Wallman Fellowship; The David W. Fox Fellowship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 11
How to apply: Most admitted applicants are automatically considered at the time of the appliation, but many have additional interviews that are required as part of the final selection process.
Special requirements: All of the fellowships have a mentoring component, whether corporate or alumni. The Distiniguished Fellows are mentored by a professor.

School: Columbia
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Feldberg Fellowship; Kopf Fellowship; Project Charity Trust; Alexander Bodini Real Estate Fellowship; Margaret B. Greenawalt Scholarship Fund; Mario Gabelli Fellowship; Goldman Sachs Foundation; Heilbrunn Fellowship; Various Corporate Fellowships
Number of full-tuitiion scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: About 25
How to apply: Automatically considered

School: Cornell (Johnson)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Park Leadership Fellows
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: Up to 25
How to apply: Separate application
Special requirements: Participate in leadership curriculum, attend Park Speaker events, and complete a service project.

School: Duke (Fuqua)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Keller Scholarship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: About 25
How to apply: All admitted applicants considered

School: Harvard
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: HBS Fellowship Program
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 25
How to apply: Complete and submit financial aid application upon admission to Harvard Business School.
Special requirements: Scholarships are awarded based on financial need.

School: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Dean's Fellowships
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded: 10-12
How to apply: Automatically considered by the Admissions Committee
Special requirements: Maintain minimum GPA requirement during the four semesters.

School: University of Michigan (Ross)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship:Ross Fellowships; Consortium Fellowships
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded: Approx. 45
How to apply: All applicants automatically considered for the Ross Fellowship; all applicants who through the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (CGSM) are automatically considered for the Consortium Fellowship.
Special requirements: None

School: New York University (Stern)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Consortium Fellowships and Dean's Scholarships
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 42
How to apply: Automatically considered

School: Pennsylvania (Wharton)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Howard E. Mitchell Fellowship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 10
How to apply: Selection for the fellowships are made by a fellowship committee based on personal background, academic and extracurricular achievements, leadership, community involvement, strong interpersonal skills, integrity, and their response to the essay question. Admitted student who fits the criteria for the fellowship must complete a separate financial aid application.
Special requirements: The Office of External Affairs requires a one-page résumé and a one-page biography. This information is shared with the companies that financially support the Howard E. Mitchell Fellowship program. Also, the 10 recipients will be a part of a large network and leadership program with other Mitchell Fellows and alumni.

School: Stanford
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Charles P. Bonini Partnership for Diversity Fellowship; Mohammed bin Rashid Fellows Program; Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship, all outside merit-based fellowships. The school also offers fellowships through their financial aid office based solely on financial need.
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: Not available
How to apply: All have a separate application process and requirements.
Special requirements: The Bonini fellowship requires an internship.

School: U. of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Carolyn and Harold Anderson MBA Premier Fellowship; Bank of America MBA Fellowship; The Thomas M. Belk MBA Fellowship; Thomas W. Hudson, Jr. MBA Fellowship; Richard H. Jenrette Fellowship; Jay Edward Klompmaker MBA Fellowship; Peter G.C. Mallinson MBA Fellowship; The Michaux Family MBA Premier Fellowship for Real Estate Students; Tiger Fellowship; Consortium Fellowship; Forte Fellowship; Kenan-Flagler Business School FellowshipNumber of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 20How to apply: Automatically considered, except Consortium Fellowships which require a target="_blank">separate application to the Consortium for Graduate Study in ManagementSpecial requirements: Maintain academic eligibility

School: UCLA (Anderson)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Dean's Fellowships
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: Not available
How to apply: Either at time of decision or separate application
Special requirements: Maintain academic eligibility

School: Virgina (Darden)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Darden Jefferson Fellowship; Batten Entrepreneurial Scholarship; Batten Innovation Scholarship; Batten Media Scholarship; Batten Technology Scholarship; Class of 1957 Charles Abbott Scholarship; Darden Foundation Trustee Scholarship; Darden School Foundation Consortium Fellowship; Darden School Foundation Scholarship; IRC International Scholarship; Robert E. Lamb II Scholarship; Robert E. Lamb II Dean's Scholarship; Landmark Communications Scholarship; Pendleton Scholarship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 61
How to apply: All admitted applicants considered, excepted for the Batten Media Scholarship, which requires a separate application. Students who are considered for the Jefferson Fellowship must come to the school for an interview.
Special requirements: The only fellowship with a requirement is the Jefferson Fellowship, which requires students to do a research paper.

School: Yale
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: The Laura Cha (Shi Mei Lun) Scholarship; Gordon and Betty Moore Fellowship; Consortium Fellowship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 11
How to apply: All applicants considered for merit scholarships; Consortium application
Special requirements: Gordon and Betty Moore Fellowship: After graduation, grantees agree to work for at least three years in environmental or conservation organizations in the Andes-Amazon region.

Report: Foreign Language Study in US at Highest Level Since 1960

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A new study shows significant increases in foreign language study in the United States since 2002. From VOA's News York bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau reports Arabic is leading the surge.

The survey by the Modern Language Association of America finds that the study of Arabic has increased a whopping 127 percent, and the number of schools offering Arabic study has doubled since the last nationwide survey in 2002.

Spanish continues to be the most studied language at US higher education institutions, but interest in Asian languages is growing with Chinese up more than 50 percent.

The Modern Language Association has been tracking language enrollment for half a century. The group's executive director, Rosemary Feal, says the number of enrollments is now at an historic high. She says the increase reflects a growing recognition on the part of students and government that languages play a role in an ever smaller world.

"First of all, we think that they know that they are going to be better prepared in their careers and in their lives as citizens. And we also know that there is a lot more support for language study today, support in the form of federal dollars, support also in the form of technology," she said.

The study finds that students continue to study traditionally taught languages such as Spanish, French and Italian and that interest in classical languages such as Greek and Latin remains strong.

Karin Ryding, a professor of Arabic at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, says she is pleased that the survey found growth both introductory and advanced level courses in foreign language. She says practicality is one of the motivations.

"I don't think this is just a temporary spike in enrollments. I think these figures indicate a real shift of interest on the part of American students. Young people today understand that the world is now truly and inevitably smaller. They are coming to the study of Arabic and other languages with serious professional goals in mind. I include work with international organizations, diplomatic service, global environmental efforts, humanitarian relief efforts, security studies, international communications and media studies," she said.

The survey's findings are based on language study enrollments at 2,800 colleges and universities across the United States between October 2006 and August 2007. This report is the group's 21st survey.

Top US Business Schools Draw More International Students

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A Masters Degree in Business Administration, or MBA, was once considered a key to having a successful business career. In recent years, enrollment in full-time MBA programs has dropped, and some business leaders have said the degree is overrated. Victoria Cavaliere reports from VOA's New York Bureau that one of the country's top business school deans says an MBA still opens many doors and is drawing more international students than ever.

In 2005, the Wall Street Journal reported that applications to full-time MBA programs in the United States had plummeted as professors and graduates questioned the degree's cost and value in the workplace.

Meantime, the newspaper said that tuition was climbing and a typical two-year MBA degree can now cost as much as $100,000 .

One of the nation's most prestigious MBA programs is the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University in New Hampshire. Tuck's Dean, Paul Danos, says full-time MBA programs are well worth the cost.

Danos says more than ever, foreign students are willing to take out loans for an MBA. He says 37 percent of Tuck's MBA students are now foreign -primarily from India and China.
"I think the MBA is still a wonderful ticket to success. And the students are much more sophisticated now, they're broader when they come to us. They are older, and they are more socially aware and they are much more international," he said.

Danos says an MBA from elite schools like Harvard, Stanford or Dartmouth still enable graduates to get the highest paying jobs after school and puts them on track to becoming CEOs. The professor says the explosion of part-time and private MBA programs that are especially popular in India and the United States do not offer students the same quality of education.
"It's a matter of resources, and it's a matter of not that much accreditation. You don't have to meet a lot of standards to set up as a school, it seems to me. It's pretty laissez faire. And it's very mixed in terms of quality. But it's certainly not achieving the level of the best universities," he said.

Danos says top MBA programs adapt to changing times, though core curriculum, like finance, marketing, and accounting remain the same. He says business schools are teaching courses on business ethics and the impact of business practices to a new generation of MBA students.

U.S. College Admissions: All Pain, No Gain?

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The U.S. Census Bureau says a college graduate will earn almost twice as much money as a high school graduate during a career. That has led to increased competition to get into traditionally prestigious colleges and universities. VOA's Crystal Park takes a look at the college application process.

There are more than 2,600 four-year universities in the United States, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. But even with that range of choice, large numbers of high school students are applying to the same select group of prestigious colleges.

High school senior Bhavna Batra works at an accounting firm three times a week, but not for money. She's participating in an internship program for class credit and experience, which she hopes will win the attention of some colleges.

Bhavna BatraToday, any edge is important for those hoping to be accepted by a prestigious school. Yale University, a member of the select group of universities known as the Ivy League, set a record this year, by accepting fewer than nine percent of those who applied.

Part of the problem is that there are more college age students in the United states than ever -- the population is growing, and the children of the large post-World War II "Baby Boomer" generation are now in high school and college. Acceptance rates are also lower because students are applying to more elite schools -- apparently in the hopes of getting into at least one.

Sharon AlstonSharon Alston is the director of admissions at American University in Washington D.C. "There are just simply more students of college going age, so it's really a demographic pattern that we're seeing<' she explains. "In addition to that, in this age of technology, we're also seeing more students, and then more students applying to more colleges because it's very easy to do that."

Students can now apply online instead of filling out pages of documents by hand. A few years ago, each student applied to 3 to 5 schools on average. Today that number is much higher, says college freshman Brian Kalish, who now leads campus tours for prospective students. "Most kids apply to around 5 to 7 colleges, but some of my friends went as high as 18 different colleges."
These days many students begin preparing as much as three years before admission time -- picking courses, getting involved in school activities, and studying for admissions tests.

Fran LandauAt Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, a career center has been set up to help students prepare for college. Counselor Fran Landau says she's seeing increased pressure on everyone involved in the process. "I'm finding that students are more stressed out and worried about college than they have ever been before," she says, "and I think they're feeling an increased competition and colleges are feeling an excess number of students who are applying more so than ever before."

Students are forced to meet higher standards. For Bhavna, it can be overwhelming. "It's been very stressful only because there's so much you have to do," says the high school senior. "It's like deadlines, essays, teacher recommendations, test scores -there's so much."

And Brian Kalish says getting the letter with the coveted word "Congratulations" makes it all worthwhile. “This school sent me an e-mail and I screamed so loud that my parents came running, one from downstairs," he recalls. "'Brian! What happened?' they asked. ‘I made American [University]!’ Then I fell onto my bed and almost collapsed."

Educators say students should relax. They say a good education is available at many schools in the United States, which is considered to have the finest higher education system. And they say the most important thing is for students to find a school where they feel comfortable.

More International Students Studying in US

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The U.S. Department of Commerce says American higher education is the country's fifth largest service sector money-maker. International students contribute about $13.5 billion to the U.S. economy each year. A new report this week is announcing an increase in the number of international students in the U.S.


Nour, who is from Lebanon, is spending this year in the United States. She came a few months ago, and July's Israeli offensive in southern Lebanon is still fresh in her mind. She says it was hard to leave her family.

"Most people were shocked," said Nour Christidi. "They were like, 'How can you go after everything that has happened?' It is like you are a traitor. But I thought it was important. And especially after I got here, I realized how important it was to come here."
Nour is one of nearly 565,000 foreign students studying in the U.S.

The Institute of International Education, or IIE, keeps track of them. In a new report, the group says student levels are holding steady for the first time since 2002. It also says more foreign students are enrolling in the United States.

"I would never be able to meet so many international students back home," she said. "It's just incredible. I've met people from India, from Sweden, from Mexico, from all over the world, and it is just amazing."

India continues to send the most students followed by China and South Korea. Business continues to be the leading course of study.

Sang Min Lee is a student from South Korea. He says the mix of cultures offered in Washington, especially in the business community, was the reason he chose to study here.

"If you don't go to the Middle East, if you don't go to Europe, you can meet Europeans, you can meet people in Middle Asia [Middle East] right here in the U.S," said Sang Min Lee.

This year especially saw an increase in Middle Eastern students, due to programs like Saudi government scholarships.

Allen GoodmanAllan Goodman is the IIE's president. He says only about 150 U.S. campuses host one-half of the foreign students. He would like to see more colleges participate.

"International students bring a huge and valuable dimension to America," said Allan Goodman. "Most Americans don't have a passport. Most Americans don't travel abroad."

Still, more U.S. students are choosing to study abroad. This year shows a trend away from Europe and toward non-traditional countries, including China, Argentina, Brazil and India. Goodman says this should continue.

"More and more of the world is affecting how we live, how we create our economy, where we create our jobs, where we create our business," he said.

"No matter where they go in the United States, they will find a family, a friend, a mosque, a church, a temple to worship at," noted Goodman. "They'll be welcomed as students. They'll be welcomed as young citizens. They'll be welcomed as people."

And Nour agrees. She cautions future exchange students from making the mistake of associating only with people from their own countries.

"That's not the point in coming," she said. "I would definitely advise them to come, meet American people, try to listen to the other side and keep an open mind and stay positive. And definitely voice your opinion. It is really important that you do that."

US Seeks More Foreign Doctors, Medical Students

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Recent studies suggest the United States health care system will soon experience a shortage of doctors and medical professionals. This is leading to increased efforts to attract foreign doctors and medical students to the United States. John Featherly narrates.

Experts say several states have or will soon experience shortages of physicians in a variety of specialties, including cardiology, radiology, surgery and pediatrics.

Dr. Susan Wolfsthal, the director of the University of Maryland's Residency Program, says the United States needs more doctors in all specialties. "There are some parts of the United States where there are many, many physicians and it is very easy for patients to have access to clinical care. And then there are other areas of the United States where there is less and there might be only one physician for many thousands of patients."

This shortage is putting pressure on American medical schools to increase enrollment and on the U.S. government to allow more foreign doctors into the country.

U.S. Congressman Rob Simmons says the United States needs these foreign nationals. "We have people who come to the United States to provide nursing care and medical care and gosh knows we need all the help we can get."

Educators, including Wolfsthal, say foreign students can gain valuable experience and knowledge studying in the United States and working in U.S. hospitals. "You get the same exposure, you get the same opportunity to see whether this is something you are interested in and they also get to see you in action."

Sonia Yousef, a rheumatology fellow at the University of Maryland, says foreign students should try to have well-rounded experiences before coming to the United States.

"So you should try to do some volunteer work, anyways it’s good, and that looks good on your resume as well. So that is probably the fourth thing, but it is not as important as clinical experience."

Wolfsthal says universities value the diversity international students bring. "When you have international graduates they bring, as someone from another institution would, they bring a different perspective, they have different interests and so they bring that to the program."

Experts and educators say foreign medical students and doctors gain a lot from their time spent in the United states. They say working in American hospitals and studying at universities in the United States gives foreign students and doctors a chance to work with the latest technology and to grow professionally.

US Remains Top Destination for Foreign Students

For decades, the United States has been a magnet for the world's brightest university students. But the number of foreign students enrolling in U.S. colleges and universities slumped after the terrorist attacks of 2001. Now, U.S. officials say those numbers have rebounded, and America's educational ties to the world are stronger than ever. From Washington, VOA's Michael Bowman reports.

From 1985 to 2002, the number of international students enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher learning rose each and every year, for a cumulative increase of more than 50 percent. From 2002 to 2005, however, the trend reversed and enrollment declined. The drop in enrollment from Middle Eastern and Muslim nations was especially severe.

"The number of international students who came to America to study in academic year 2006-2007 has increased from last year and rebounded to record-setting pre-9/11 levels," said Hughes. "The number of American students traveling abroad to study is at an all time high."

Nearly 600,000 international students are currently enrolled in American colleges and universities, according to the Institute of International Education, which administers the much-heralded Fulbright scholarship program on behalf of the State Department. That number represents more than a fifth of the world's international students, making the United States the world's top destination for foreign scholars, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and China. Secretary Hughes says the benefits are enormous.

"I believe that America's international educational and exchange programs have proven to be our single most-effective public diplomacy tool of the last 50 years," said Hughes. "These programs also have the potential to change the world, because more than 130 world leaders have participated in America's international exchange programs, including the current president of France, the current prime minister of Britain, and the new president of Turkey."

More than half the international students enrolled in U.S. institutions come from Asia. The top five leading nations of origin are India, China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The top fields of study are engineering and business management. Americans studying abroad overwhelmingly opt for European destinations.

Institute of International Education Vice President Peggy Blumenthal says the total number of international students is growing and will continue to do so.

"This is really not a matter of [asking] which of us can capture the largest share of a static number of students, but [rather] how can we all build our capacity so we can host the increasingly expanding number of international students who want to study abroad," said Blumenthal. "In the 2004-2005 period, worldwide international students increased from 2.5 million to 2.7 million, and the projections are for it to very dramatically expand [further]."

In this regard, the United States has a clear advantage over some other countries. Foreign students account for less than five percent of America's total student body in higher education, compared to roughly 20 percent in Australia.

Blumenthal says, not only does the United States host more international students than any other nation, it has the capacity to increase that number in a way that few other nations can match.

Healthcare Administration is the focus for Suliman Alghnam Attending Hofstra University

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Hofstra University on Long Island, New York gave Suliman Alghnam as well as other international students a wonderful welcome to the United States and the university when he arrived a year ago. “One of the best days for me when I came to the United States was the first week when the international student office took us into the city to watch a musical called ‘Hairspray’ which was really beautiful and after that we went back and played some soccer on campus, “he says.” “It was actually one of the best nights I’ve ever had here at Hofstra because one you come to a new place and you feel so welcome, you stop to forget that you are away from home and you feel that you are among friends and family,” he says.

“Another experience was experiencing Thanksgiving dinner at the Vice president of the university when she invited us over for Thanksgiving which was really a beautiful experience for me.”

Coming to the United States to pursue a master's degree has been a life long dream for Suliman. “I’m from Saudi Arabia I am from the capital I grew up in Riyadh and I decided to come to the United States because I was given a scholarship by the Saudi government to do my graduate degree in the United States and its been a dreamed that I would come and do my education here and it worked out well and as soon as I got my undergrad I got the scholarship and then I came.”

Suliman says his major will afford him many opportunities to be employed either here in the U.S. as well as back home. “I’m doing my masters in healthcare administration. I have a background in physical therapy and when I choose that major I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure what I was going to do, but once I started experiencing the major and learning much about it I just feel in love with it, “ he says.

“I think it is one of the best majors out. I will have a variety of options in the future to do things like hospitals, nursing homes, pharmaceuticals; insurance companies there are a lot of opportunities for me to seize and my background was working in hospitals so I think it is something that I really want to pursue and continue working either here in the United States or when I go back home.”

One thing Suliman says he realizes is being an international student has given him a way to network with other students and also be an ambassador for his country to share his culture and life. “The first and the most important advice is always get involved. I mean get involved with people in your class. Get involved with activities on campus. Get involved with any associations related into your major. If you are a Business major then join a Business association or fraternity. I mean anywhere in the world if you don’t get involved that takes place in that place you will never be able to make friends, you would never be able to network in case you wanted a job, “he says. “So, it is important to get involved, don’t be shy, share your experiences a lot of people misconception about the place you came from. You are here as a messenger to teach people exacting working both ways. You came here to learn and let others learn from you and your culture.”

Suliman isn't too sure what he will do once he completes his studies, however he does want to work some here in the United States before going back home. “I haven’t thought about it yet, but probably I would look for a job and take advantage of the opportunity that international students have after they finish school in the United States every student get a chance to work in the United States for a year doing what is called an open year training so I might take advantage of that and then go back home and start applying what I have learned here in the United States.”

Nida Shadeed Pursues Political Science Degree at Shaw University

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Nida Shadeed is a Political Science major. Deciding to study in that field was a decision influenced by a summer internship and an associate she met in 2005. “I did an intern the summer of 2005 and believe it or not that is when I decided that I wanted to do Political Science because I actually graduated from high school 2005 and that summer I did an internship at the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands and my co-worker she was a college graduate and she also wanted to go to law school and her major was Political Science so she kind of influenced me on that decision.”

Having a family member already studying at Shaw University made Nida Shadeed decision to attend the university that much easier. “I’m from the Virgin Islands, its U-S territory so it is not really that much difference from the U-S, but of course it’s an island,” she says. “The real reason why I decided to go Shaw here is Raleigh, North Carolina is because I have an older sister and she goes to Shaw as well and you know it just made sense I guess why I decided to come.”

While focusing on her studies, Nida is also involved with the Political Science Club as well as the Pre-law Club. She says meeting international students and getting to know them is one experience she enjoys. “Shaw University is a private school. It is very small and the teachers are hands on and that is something that I like personally. Everybody seems to be very friendly and I like it,” she says. “I got introduced to the international students through a friend of mine, a mutual friend and they are great. It is kind of like knowing people from all different walks of the world so that is one experience that I really treasure at Shaw.”

This is Nida's junior year. She says there are a few educational differences attending college away from home, but one thing is certain, she has also notice changes within herself both intellectually and personally. “To me the differences is back at home teachers are a little bit, the curriculum in my opinion is a little bit more harder and teachers challenge you a little more,” she says.

“Whereas here for me it was getting out of my comfort zone because I lived a pretty sheltered life being that I grew up on an island and coming here where it is like I really do not have that much family and I was forced to try to be a little more independent and be on my own a little bit more, it has kind of help me to realize that this is real life and in that sense it has kind of changed me.”

When Nida graduates from Shaw University in 2009 she wants to go to Law school in the United States too. Her advice to others interested in college here is....”My advice is just makes sure it is something that you really want to do and have school as your number one priority and know that is what you are there for and make as many friends as you can. Nida is one of more than 500-thousand international students currently enrolled in the U-S college and universities.

Muna Ngenda Attends Temple University, Same As Father

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His father went to Temple University in Philadelphia so Muna Ngenda decided that too would be the university for him. “I’m from Zambia in Southern Africa, the capital city of Lusaka and right now I am attending Temple University in Philadelphia. It was recommended by my dad because he is a Temple alumni and after I looked at it I liked the ranking of the Business school, it is rather highly ranked and also because it has a diverse international student population so it seemed like a good choice,” he says.

"I decided to come to the United States because of the Law degree is something I could get from here. It is very influential I would say, it is good for my credentials and I wanted my education to be more international because I have studied in a few other countries so I thought I would add the United States to the list to round it off.”

Muna is twenty years old. His major is International Business, but he also is interested in Law as well. "I initially wanted to study Law, but while waiting to come to Law school because I planned to come to Las school in America and in America as opposed to England, the Law program is on a second degree,” he says. “You do the law after you get an undergraduate degree. So I decided to get my first official degree in Accounts[ing]. So After studying accounts a few years I decided that I like that field as well so I am going to do Business and Law so that is why I am studying Business as well.

"So I will be receiving a bachelors then I will go on to get a joint a JD MBA.”
From making new friends, getting to know the professors and participating in a few campus activities, Muna says he is getting the total university experience. “Things are going well, I settled in okay and started making a few friends. It was a bit rough at first trying to settle in and get use to the new environment and stuff, but you manage to adapt,” he says.

"The students are okay. The faculty is really cool. There are some excellent teachers, so I really like that. I would say the worse thing is probably been the weather. Otherwise, it has been a very good experience. It has been fun. It has been new and interesting. I joined a couple of organizations there is a student Christian organization that I am apart of as well as the organization of African students and I play sports every now and then. So I have had a good time here."

Zambia, England and the Ivory Coast in West Africa are places Muna have received education. Now, being in the United States he can share the differences and the importance of each system. "The things that I can note, I know back home the education is very intensive should I say that is the major difference I noticed between back home and other countries. The teachers would really push us a lot like during high school and primary school, during the earlier years, I notice that the teachers really pushed us a lot whereas when I went to England the emphasis was more on the student. If was your own decision whether to work hard or not, whereas with African education the teachers really make you work hard,” he says.

"There is a lot of teacher involvement. Then in Ivory Coast, it was a lot of the same thing. Ivory Coast was somewhere in between the two extremes and now in the [U-S] states I say it depends on the teachers some teachers will give you a lot of work to make you do the work, but, with the university it depends on the student themselves, how hard they want to work. The lectures are always available so when you need help, when you need some extra input its there.”

Muna says he even has set several goals for himself that he plans to achieve. “I like to graduate from the honors program, graduate with the highest credentials possible, get any extracurricular activities I can in, get any internships, job opportunities just to excel in my studies and to get my resume updated and develop a very good profile to get the most I can from being here.

When it comes to Muna's goals, graduating and future objectives, he says, “I should graduate in May 2011 or a little earlier if I get some additional transfer credits and my ultimate interest is business consulting. I would like to help people with business ideas, start their businesses and also pursue multi-national investments like getting international companies to invest in Africa, but before I do that I will probably get some experience with some large consulting firms, large business companies.

On the Web, College Classes With No Charge (or Credit)

Free course materials, including videos of lectures, are available online in many different subjects.

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Knowledge is free on the Internet at a small but growing number of colleges and universities.

About 160 schools around the world now offer course materials free online to the public. Recent additions in the United States include projects at Yale, Johns Hopkins and the University of California, Berkeley.

Berkeley said it will offer videos of lectures on YouTube. Free videos from other schools are available at the Apple iTunes store.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology became an early leader with its OpenCourseWare project, first announced in 2001. Free lecture notes, exams and other resources are published at ocw.mit.edu. Many exams and homework assignments even include the answers. The Web site also has videos of lectures and demonstrations.

Today, OpenCourseWare offers materials from 1,800 undergraduate and graduate courses. These range from physics and linear algebra to anthropology, political science -- even scuba diving.

Visitors can learn the same things M.I.T. students learn. But as the site points out, OpenCourseWare is not an M.I.T. education. Visitors receive no credit toward a degree. Some materials from a course may not be available, and the site does not provide contact with teachers.

Still, M.I.T. says the site has had 40 million visits by 31 million visitors from almost every country. 60% of the visitors are from outside the United States and Canada.

There are links to materials translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Thai. OpenCourseWare averages one million visits each month, and the translations receive half a million more.

Students and educators use the site, including students at M.I.T. But the largest number of visitors, about half, are self-learners.

Some professors have become well known around the world as a result of appearing online. Walter Lewin, a physics professor at M.I.T., is especially popular. Fans enjoy his entertaining demonstrations.

M.I.T. OpenCourseWare now includes materials for high school. The goal is to improve education in science, technology, math and engineering.

US Colleges Move to Increase Financial Aid

Action by Harvard turns up heat on other schools to use more of their endowment money to help their students.

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A recent decision by Harvard University to expand financial aid is putting pressure on other schools to do the same.

Graduation ceremonies at Harvard in JuneThe full price for one year at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is more than $45,000. Many other private colleges cost just as much. But Harvard is much wealthier than any other American university, so it has more to give.

Harvard already offers a free education to students from families that earn up to $60,000 a year. This has helped increase the numbers of lower income and minority students.

Now, the aim is to help all but the wealthiest American families pay for a Harvard education. The new policies announced last month will assist families that earn as much as one hundred eighty thousand dollars. These families will be asked to pay no more than ten percent of their income for college.

For example, a family earning $120,000 would pay about $12,000 a year. Under existing student aid policies the amount is more than $19,000.

What Harvard has done is change the way it offers financial aid. Undergraduates will not be expected to take out loans. Increases in grant aid will replace loans. Also, Harvard officials will no longer consider the value of a family's home when deciding how much aid to give.

Harvard says it expects to spend up to $22 million more a year in financial aid. This will come from its endowment. A college endowment is money given by former students and others as gifts. Schools invest the money to earn more. Harvard's endowment is valued at $35 billion.

Other universities with large endowments are also changing their financial aid policies. Examples include Yale, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

Yale's endowment is the second largest after Harvard, at $22.5 billion . This week, Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, announced it will use more of that money for financial aid as well as scientific research. Yale may also admit more students.

But some colleges say they simply do not have enough money to compete with the new policies that are being announced.

Critics of the rising costs of a college education say schools are making these changes in an attempt to avoid action by Congress. Some lawmakers have criticized universities for raising their prices even as their endowments grow larger and larger.