American Community Colleges: The International Student’s Guide

As a former international student, I never thought of an American Community College as being a choice to start undergraduate education in the United States. This is also true for many prospective international students who explore study opportunities in the United States. American community colleges (also called 2-year colleges) offer diverse higher education opportunities with comparatively lower tuition costs. Moreover, unlike in many other foreign countries, American community colleges are often the best pathway to a bachelor’s degree through transfer agreements that exist between community colleges and 4-year institutions

International Student Handbook

For the past 15 years, the number of international students in American higher education has increased steadily (Institute of International Education, 2014). According to the Institute of International Education (2014), "The United States hosts more of the world’s 4.5 million globally mobile college and university students than any other country in the world" (para. 1). The 29th edition of International Student Handbook published by the College Board (2015) is the most recent guide for prospective international students interested in postsecondary education in the United States

Impact of English Proficiency on Academic Performance of International Students

Using an ex-post facto, non-experimental approach, this research examined the impact of English language proficiency and multilingualism on the academic performance of international students enrolled in a four-year university located in north central Louisiana in the United States. Data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire from 59 students who were in their sophomore, junior or senior year of college. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences in language proficiency and multilingualism in relation to academic performance. The highest mean GPA was evident among students who had reported high levels of self-perceived English language proficiency, and among students who spoke at least three languages