Motives of foreign student recruiters questioned

By Alan Scher Zagier

Associated Press

Published: Friday, Nov. 25 2011 12:10 p.m. MST

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In this June 28, 2011 photo, Wang Chengdong, a Chinese student in the Executive MBA program, works in a library study room at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. As American colleges and universities welcome an ever-greater number of international students, some professors and admissions counselors are questioning the motives of the very professionals who have helped attract so many foreign scholars to their campuses.

The News-Leader, Bob Linder, Associated Press

Summary

American universities are welcoming ever-greater numbers of international students. But some professors and admissions counselors question the motives of the very professionals who have helped attract so many foreign scholars to their campuses.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — American universities are welcoming ever-greater numbers of international students. But some professors and admissions counselors question the motives of the very professionals who have helped attract so many foreign scholars to their campuses.

Higher education recruiters are under fire from detractors who say they put profit ahead of students' best interests. Critics accuse them of sending thousands of unqualified applicants to the U.S. every year. That sometimes allows students to skip basic English tests and falsify applications for a quick commission.

A leading group of admissions counselors even proposed a ban on the use of international recruiters who are paid based on the number of students they produce.

College administrators who rely on recruiters are quick to defend them, saying they are more familiar with overseas customs and school systems.

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