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Class of 2011 includes more international students

By Kristin K. Anderson

Internal partnerships have helped boost Michigan State University’s freshman and overall international student population for 2007-08.

This year’s freshman class, approximately 7,200 students, includes an expected 35 percent increase in the number of enrolled international students compared to last year.

“Our strategic partnerships with the Office for International Students and Scholars and International Studies and Programs have had a very positive effect on enrollment numbers,” said Jim Cotter, acting director of admissions.

To help make connections with some of its newly-admitted international students MSU officials at home and in the university’s China office utilized state-of- the-art technology and hosted a video conference for MSU-enrolled Chinese students and their families. This allowed the students, some 6,500 miles away in Beijing, to ask questions and hear from Provost Kim Wilcox and others about MSU academic programs. For the fall semester MSU has received more than 300 undergraduate applications for admission from Chinese students.

MSU has orientations and immigration and visa assistance programs to help new international freshmen and other international students make a smooth transition to the United States and the campus community, Cotter said.

“First-year students, regardless of their majors, have opportunities to participate in freshman seminars abroad even before they arrive on campus,” he said. “Seminars focusing on high-interest topics selected and taught by MSU faculty members find students studying the history, languages and cultures of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Quebec and South Africa.

“And, when MSU students choose a study abroad option during their academic career, there are 230 programs in 62 countries to whet their intellectual appetites,” Cotter said. “Overall, more students are coming here with a greater proficiency in foreign languages and more international travel experiences. This year’s freshman class has the edge in terms of exposure to a global community.”

Freshmen jump-started their intellectual appetites this summer. Their first assignment was to read Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands, by Susan Carol McCarthy, as part of the One Book, One Community program, co-sponsored by the city of East Lansing and MSU. (For more about One Book, One Community, see schedule here.)

McCarthy will address students during Fall Welcome activities at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 23, at the Wharton Center. President Lou Anna K. Simon, Provost Kim Wilcox and other faculty and administrators will join in welcoming freshmen to their new home away from home.

“This year’s incoming freshmen are very tech-savvy, and nearly one-fourth of the class plans to major in fields related to the natural sciences,” Cotter said.

“Besides a record number of world travelers, the class of 2011 also has an increasingly large number of student leaders, athletes, debaters, artists and students who have contributed their skills and time to community service programs,” he said. “We’re excited that this year students will have options to study in three degree-granting residential colleges in the social sciences, natural sciences and the arts and humanities.”

Once again, the incoming freshman class is one of the most academically talented groups ever to start their college careers at MSU, Cotter said.

“Academically, the middle 50 percent of the class has a grade point average of between 3.4 and 3.8; ACT scores range from 23 to 27 and SAT scores are between 1020 and 1240,” he said. “Geographically, we have students from 79 Michigan counties, 49 states and 49 foreign countries.”