Photo by: Katie Mastroianni

Here are some facts:

They don’t have a Social Security Number. They are not U.S. citizens. English is not their first language.

Who are they? Illegal immigrants? No, they are international students.

Although official statistics are not available, the number of international graduate and undergraduate students is up from last year’s 780 students in 2006, said Ali Klein, an international student admission counselor.

So, how do these students find out about DU?

“Only Ivy League schools advertise in China,” said Kaili Shi, a second-year international student from Hangzhou, China.

Shi only coincidently discovered DU while at a bookstore, in China, researching methods to quickly become accustomed to American culture. She came upon a book that mentioned a DU graduate student and decided to apply to DU. International students can either submit the “common application” or an “international application” specifically for DU, explained Klein.

“The application is judged based on the country’s educational system not our own,” said Klein. Often there are ‘holes’ in the applications.

“In China we only take the college entrance examination; there is nothing else you can work on,” explained Shi. U.S. students are often encouraged to get involved in extra-curricular activities, leadership programs, community service etc., and these things appear on college applications.

However, “internationally that’s not even standard,” said Klein. Many international students cannot even submit an ACT or SAT. In these cases, admission officers follow up with students via e-mail to find out more about the student’s academic environment.

Currently, DU actively recruits students from all over the world including: Asia, Latin America, Africa, Middle East and India. International admission directors travel to specific countries and attend public fairs and visit high schools and educational agencies to meet potential applicants.

“Studying in the United States is an honor,” said Shi.