Record number of international students in Class of 2018
New international members of the Class of 2018
Skidmore President Philip Glotzbach often cites the importance of the College’s role in educating global citizens to participate in taking on the big international challenges of the 21st century.
One means of supporting this goal is to enroll a student body that better reflects the geographic and ethnic diversity of the world. This fall, 10 percent of Skidmore’s entering Class of 2018 comes from outside the U.S., an all-time record. Those 70-plus students represent 27 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Greece, India, Korea, Lithuania, Madagascar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Switzerland, Uganda, the UK, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. Currently, Skidmore’s total international population stands at 192 students from 56 countries.*
What really strikes Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Mary Lou Bates is the growth in those numbers. She says, “Ten years ago, less than 1 percent of the entering class was international students, in comparison to 10 percent this year. At the same time, the number of countries represented by international students has doubled.”
Increasing the international student population has meant an expansion in international travel by Admissions Office staff. This fall, staffers will visit numerous cities and schools in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Central and South America, spending 13 weeks on the road telling the Skidmore story and recruiting outstanding students who bring a truly global perspective to campus.
*Countries represented by Skidmore students in 2013–14: Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Dominica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Libya, Malawai, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the UK, Vietnam, Zimbabwe
