International Recruitment 101

International Recruitment 101
Samantha Stewart & Andrea Yen
UTA’S Graduate Business Services

 11% of UTA student population
is international
 Majority from India
 Graduate Recruitment became
centralized in 2013, inherited
from the Graduate School
 Office of International Education
had done some international
recruitment
 “as needed”
 We had no idea what we
were doing!
Some Background

 Which countries are the best
pipelines?
 Focusing on quality, not quantity
 Where are self funded students
coming from?
 Expanding to other countries
 China, Africa
Recruitment Goals

 Inquiry
 Messages will be country specific
 What are students most interested in?
 Program, Cost, Prestige?
 Applicant
 Most similar piece to domestic population
 Be clear and concise
 Yield
 #YouAreWelcomeHere
Communications

 We asked the students:
 Newly enrolled undergraduate and graduate international
students
 What information would you have liked to receive as you made
your decision to choose UTA?
 What information would you have liked to received as you
prepared to travel?
 What was the most challenging part about preparing to travel to
the US?
 What was the most challenging part of your first few days on
campus?
 What was the most helpful resource?
Focus Groups

 Immunizations
 Documents to carry with you
 Weather/ what to pack
 Student groups to connect to. Rides from airport,
housing, etc.
Communications
Preparing for Arrival

 Transportation
 How to get a Driver’s
License/Buy a car/Car Insurance
 How to transfer funds
 Weather conditions
 How to get a cell phone
 How to open a bank account
 How to get a SSN
Communications
You arrived… now what?

Communications
 Orientation
 Campus tour, department outreach
 Temporary Accommodations
 Are there options on campus?
 Some hotels will not let you book if you are under 21
 Timing
 You will need at least a week to transition and prepare
 You cannot do all orientations, advising, and adjust in two
days
 Stores
 Walmart, Target, International Restaurants
The First Few Days

 Virtual Fairs
 Online Info Sessions
 Inquiries and Admits
 Live Chats
 Facebook
 School’s App
 Facebook Live
 Private Messages
Online Recruitment

 Be Prepared for Weird Hours
 A lot of ours begin at 3am, 5am, 7pm, 9pm
 Equip Your Staff
 FAQs to cut & paste
Online Recruitment
Things to Remember

 Can be very effective
for overall strategy
 Provide in country
representation
 Insight to local
markets
 Established
relationships
 Must invest in the
relationship
 Dedicated staff to vet
agencies and train
 Cost
Agencies & Partnerships

• Fairs/Tours
– One lump sum, typically includes housing,
transportation, food, etc
– 300 students up to 4,500 per stop
• School Presentations
– Anywhere from 5 students to 600 students
• Making Contacts
– Agencies, school officials at the fair
International Travel

• On the Spot Admissions
– Pre-application
– Scan documents on the spot
– Faculty make instant decision
• Receptions
– Invite alumni from the area
– Admitted students from the surrounding area
– Formal welcoming speech

Fall 2017- Fairs/School Presentations Spring 2018- On The Spot Admissions

• Cannot issue on the spot I-20’s
• Long, long days
– Fall 2017: 12 flights in 15 days, typically 12 hour days
– Spring 2018- 10 flights in 12 days
• Food differences
– Granola bars
– Crystal Light
Reminders/Heads Up

Resources
 EducationUSA- https://educationusa.state.gov
 EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State network of over 400
international student advising centers in more than 170 countries
 WENR- https://wenr.wes.org/
 World Education News & Reviews (WENR) is an authoritative news and
information source for professionals in international education
 AIRC- https://www.airc-education.org
 The American International Recruitment Council (AIRC) works to
safeguard the interests of both international students and enrolling
institutions through the promotion of ethical, standards-based international
recruitment strategies
 Open Door Report- https://www.iie.org/

Questions?
Samantha Stewart
Samantha.stewart@uta.edu
Andrea Yen
Andrea.yen@uta.edu

International Recruitment 101

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