As top-tier universities in the United States have worked to overcome reputations for serving only the children of the American elite, there is now a push to do the same amongst international applicants looking to study in the U.S.
?As noted by Project Atlas, during the 2011-2012 academic year, the number of international students studying in American colleges and universities reached 764,495 out of the 20,550,000 total students pursuing higher education in the U.S. from the same academic year.
While the number of undergraduates coming from overseas to matriculate into Yale, Harvard, and other schools continues to rise, the U.S. State Department has sought to attract applicants of more varied economic backgrounds.
With 25.4 percent of the total international student population in the United States coming from China, a particular focus has been put on the recruitment of students from Asia. Many college admissions officers regularly travel to China to promote application to American universities.
At Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a student-run organization pursues high-school-aged Chinese students by holding annual college-type seminars. HAUSCR, the Harvard Association for U.S.-China Relations, claims to encourage the exchange of ideas and to foster connections between students of the two nations. Each year, according to the organization, HAUSCR's programs are attended by over 1,500 Chinese high school students.
In New Haven, Yale University deputizes international students as "ambassadors," which allows them to talk with other students about their university experience when they return home on breaks.
The university's Yale-China Association, founded in 1901, maintains strong ties between the school and China, with international exchange programs ranging from art to health to education.
Mallory ODonoghue is an intern at WNPR. This report includes information from The Associated Press.