Study Abroad: New Students
Express Strong Interest But Find Limited Opportunities
A recent study conducted by the American
Council on Education finds America's colleges and universities
have unintentionally erected "barriers against study
abroad."
A recent poll based on this study describes
students' longing to continue foreign language study and to
participate in study abroad programs as a "frustrated
ideal" that will not be realized in a climate of career-driven
curricula, financial aid penalties, and policies that prevent
more students from pursuing study abroad.
The report contains seven advisories to
enable schools to meet students' global study demands.
FINDINGS
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48% of students entering
college intend to study abroad, while only 3% do so.
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60% of students entering
college intend to study a foreign language, while only
7% do so.
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490,993 foreign students
study in the U.S. each year and 129,770 U.S. students
study abroad.
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75% of the general public
agree that college students should study abroad.
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80% of the general public
think college students should be required to take coursework
in international topics.
Volume 4/Number 3 of studentPOLL
is available as a PDF: www.artsci.com/admin/pdf/ACF2AE8.pdf
The ACE report entitled "The
Internationalization of Higher Education" is available
online: www.acenet.edu/news/press_release/2000/11November/ford_intl_rept.html
These findings are based on in-depth
telephone interviews conducted in April 2000 with a random national
sample of high school seniors who plan to enroll in four-year
colleges the following fall. Interview respondents had to have
achieved a combined SAT score of 800 or higher and/or a composite
ACT score of 17 or more. The sampling margin-of-error is plus
or minus 4 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. (Source:
studentPOLL, published by Art & Science Group); other
data from Internationalization of U.S. Higher Education:
Preliminary Status Report 2000 (ACE, Washington, DC, 2000)
and ACE Survey of International Attitudes and Knowledge,
Sept. 2000.
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DID YOU KNOW?
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Foreign language study and travel
drops off dramatically from high school to college.
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Students ranked the opportunity
to study abroad second only to finding a job or internship
during their college years.
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There has been a sea- change
in student's attitudes toward studying abroad. A majority
of students feel the experience would not only enrich
their learning, but will help them secure employment.
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