De Anza College and other California colleges and universities are experiencing an increase in the amount of international students they admit. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for this increase, as there can be many reasons an international student attends any given school. 

We see that the California economy is struggling, along with our public school system. International students are cost-friendly, since they have to pay more money for the same education as a U.S. citizen or resident. This is why, when experiencing drastic budget cuts, schools tend to admit more international students, as the schools can gain financially from their attendance. 

Another reason for the increase might be the desire for diversification on California campuses. California is known for its diversity and universities use it as a big selling point. Not only will students have a quality education, but they will also have the oppertunity to interact with people from all over the world on these campuses.

I asked what students at De Anza what they thought were the downsides of allowing so many international students to attend De Anza. Music business major Stephanie Kofu said, “I don’t really think there is a downside to having an increase in international students. By attending our school, current students have the opportunity to learn from them, and they can learn from us as well.”

Students who want to attend university abroad should be allowed to, and students who qualify should not be turned down. 

According to an article in the San Jose Mercury News, De Anza along with UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University launched recruitment efforts, joining the five-city China Education Expo 2010, which was attended by 70,000 students. Why would California colleges go to another country and try to recruit students, and what would students attending these colleges think of this?

Political science major Deepika Raj, a former UC Berkeley student, was a participant in the UC Education Aboard Program. Raj mentioned that she attended the China Education Expo in 2010, along with other students from her university. Raj felt that receiving students in other countries was a good step to encourage the best and brightest to study in the United States.

One can only guess at what admission officers think when they are making a decision on whom to accept into their universities.  Essentially, international students are a safe bet: many are known to do well in academics, they contribute both to the campus environment and the economy of the campus and they will more than likely end up succeeding and serving as a positive beacon for whichever university they attend.

The Golden State (La Voz Weekly)