International Students Trickle to King's

More international recruitment a distant possibility

Freshmen Nini Chelidze and Armando Rodriguez were drawn to to King's from across the globe. At their homes in Georgia and Mexico City, they live approximately 7,635 miles apart. In NYC, they live six subway stations away.

New York draws people together in ways that no other city in this world can; Nini and Armando are no exception.

According to Armando, "What attracted me to NYC was the glamor television and movies depict...I also love the vision the college has."

Nini says of the Big Apple, "You never know what could happen the next second . . . this city is full of surprises."

It takes a lot of time and energy for an international student to come to King's. International students receive no federal financial aid, and they must obtain visas, move to a different country, and adjust to a new culture.

"The nature of recruiting an international student is completely different than recruiting a domestic student," says Luke Smith, Assistant VP for Admissions and native of England.

So, how do international students find out about King's? According to Smith, there is usually one of two ways: they either live in the US or they research schools in NYC.

Already this year, students from Russia, China, and Mexico have visited King's. Seven international students have been admitted to King's for next semester, and nearly 50 international students are considering King's. They all have yet to confirm their enrollment.

King's currently has no initiatives in place to recruit international students besides the distribution of an informational e-brochure to ten thousand college counselors globally.

According to Smith, "I think that [international recruitment] is something that we will work towards in the foreseeable future but only when it is a financially wise investment for the college." The staff hopes that as college's coffers grow, international recruitment will be given the green light.