Students who are traveling home this holiday need to remember S.A.N.T.A.

International/nonimmigrant students who are traveling home this holiday season need to remember the acronym S.A.N.T.A. in order to have an uninterrupted traveling experience:

1. Sign the Form I-20.

• All international/nonimmigrant students should travel with a valid, signed Form I-20, “Cerficate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.” This is absolutely necessary if you are traveling outside the U.S. Make sure you visit your school’s SEVIS contact and your I-20 signed.

2. Apply for passport or visa renewal in your home country (if necessary).

• If you are returning to your home country and you have a passport that is either expired or will expire in within six months, you should apply for a renewal. A student who has a passport with only six months or less left will not be allowed to enter the U.S.
• If you have an expired visa, make sure you renew your visa at your home country’s U.S. Embassy or Consulate. As soon as you find out your travel dates, make an appointment with the Embassy/Consulate to get your visa renewed when you get home. Again, you will not be allowed to re-enter the U.S. if you carry an expired visa.
• If you are traveling to a third country (not U.S. or your home country), make sure you check the visa requirements for that country before travel.

3. Note that employed students should bring an employment letter and Form I-766, “Employment Authorization Document,” (EAD) when traveling.

• If you are legally employed off-campus you should travel with a valid EAD and a letter from your employer verifying employment. This is assist the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in verifying your information upon re-entry.

4. Travel with all required documents.

• You should always travel with your required documents. Never place these important documents in checked luggage. The required documents are as follows: a valid, signed Form I-20; a valid passport (good for more than six months, unless otherwise exempt); a valid nonimmigrant visa, if required; and financial information showing proof of necessary funds to cover tuition and living expenses. Failure to have all these required documents may jeopardize your ability to re-enter the U.S.

5. Assign an emergency phone number.

• Make sure you have an emergency phone number from your school or from ELI 360 as a point of contact in case you encounter any problems while traveling.

By traveling with S.A.N.T.A. in mind, international students will have a smooth and stress-free re-entry and travel experience. If you have any questions, please contact Benjamin Skye at benjamin_skye@eli360.com

Unable to make it into the top local universities, more and more of India's best students are choosing to study in the US.

According to a recent report by The New York Times, students in India are finding it increasingly difficult to enroll in their local universities. With about half of India’s 1.2 billion people under the age of 25, the country’s handful of highly selective universities are increasingly overwhelmed.

“The problem is clear,” said Kapil Sibal, the government minister overseeing education in India, who studied law at Harvard. “There is a demand and supply issue. You don’t have enough quality institutions, and there are enough quality young people who want to go to only quality institutions.”

This summer, Delhi University, one of the top universities in India, issued cutoff scores at its top colleges that reached a near-impossible 100 percent in some cases. The Indian Institutes of Technology, which are spread across the country, have an acceptance rate of less than 2 percent — and that is only from a pool of roughly 500,000 who qualify to take the entrance exam, a feat that requires two years of specialized coaching after school.

Indians are now the second-largest foreign student population in America, after the Chinese, with almost 105,000 students in the United States in the 2009-10 academic year. Student visa applications from India increased 20 percent in the past year, according to the American Embassy here. Additionally, although a majority of Indian students in the United States are graduate students; undergraduate enrollment has grown by more than 20 percent in the past few years.

American universities have now become “safety schools” for increasingly stressed and traumatized Indian students and parents, who complain that one fateful event — the final high school examination — can make or break a teenager’s future career.

But for some students, it is not merely the competition that drives them to apply to study in the United States. It is also the greater intellectual freedom of an American liberal arts education. India’s educational system is rigid, locking students into one specific area of study and affording them little opportunity to take courses outside their major beyond the 11th grade.

Only a few courses of study are considered lucrative career paths. Economics, commerce, engineering and medicine have a certain cachet, while English, history and languages are less well regarded. Often students who cannot afford to study abroad end up in less competitive courses, with a narrowing of career possibilities.

Based on our experience working with international students, particularly those from countries which hold the final high school examination as the sole criteria to enrolling in a local university, we have seen how American universities can provide a great “second chance” for students who struggle with the one final exam. A quality liberal arts education in the U.S. not only prepares a student for a specialized career field, but also emphasizes the need for holistic development and lifelong learning. Students from these programs are better equipped to adapt to the challenges of an ever-changing global community.

This post is a summary of the article “Squeezed out in India, Students Turn to the U.S.” To read the original article as seen on The New York Times, please click on this link.

Families and students in the ELI 360 network can now keep up with the developments at ELI 360 by simply following our new Facebook Page.

Here’s a glimpse of what the landing page currently looks like:

It is our goal to continue being a vital resource to the families and students that we work with.

Please follow us by hitting “Like” button below to receive the latest news on international and US higher education, as well as developments at our partner universities and high school.

Chinese students and their parents attend the International Education Expo in Beijing on May 8, 2008; STR / AFP / Getty Images

Time magazine reports that Chinese students are looking for study options outside of China in increasing numbers, in part because they believe the quality of education in places such as the United States, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom is better than at Chinese universities that Time describes as being “hamstrung by an archaic education system in drastic need of reform.”

No longer are China’s top achievers in the national university admissions exam – the Gaokao – exclusively choosing top Chinese schools such as Beijing and Tsinghua universities. Instead they are increasingly looking at overseas options — a trend that has both China’s education experts and the general public worrying about the competitiveness of higher education in China.

While 9.3 million Chinese students took the college-entrance exam in 2011, close to 1 million high school graduates did not, and among them, some 200,000 chose to go to foreign universities instead. Today over 100,000 Chinese high school graduates attend college in the United States each fall, and this year at least 17 of the top 100 mainland students chose to go to the University of Hong Kong.(*Interestingly, Hong Kong’s Ministry of Education has begun drastically over-hauling its education system this year, swapping their old British-influenced system for one that resembles more of the American liberal arts system, to read more about this, visit this link: Paradigm Shift in Hong Kong Higher Education)

The exodus of the country’s brightest high school students has renewed discussions in the media about the ongoing problem of higher-education reform. And so far — in the absence of any clear evidence that reform is actually happening — public opinion of China’s universities has become more and more skeptical, if not downright negative, according to Time.

Beijing’s official response to the call for reform is contained in the 10-year blueprint for education reform issued by the State Council last July, with policies like “expanding the universities’ administrative authority” being listed — albeit vaguely — among its 70 bullet points. Until these issues of reform are resolved, the trend is expected to continue, with an increasing number of Chinese students “voting with their feet” by leaving the country’s education scene for brighter pastures outside of China, especially in the United States. Just this year alone, ELI 360 has had over a hundred applicants from mainland China with at least forty of those students having enrolled at one of our partner universities for either ESL (English as Second Language), bachelor’s or master’s degree programs.

- Read the full article regarding the current plight of China’s education system on TIME Magazine’s website: Why Are China’s Universities Losing Their Star Students?
- To read about Hong Kong’s education system overhaul, click here: Paradigm Shift in Hong Kong Higher Education

Leaving home for the first time is a big challenge - make sure you are off to a good start!

You have been accepted to a university in the U.S., received approval for your U.S. Student Visa, and booked your flight tickets, now all you have to do for the last three weeks before your departure is kick back, relax and have dozens of farewell parties with all your friends and close relatives. Right?

Wrong! There is still much left to do. Here’s a list of items you might want to look at in case you left anything out:

Flight Itinerary & Airport Safety

• Make sure that you know exactly when your flight is departing. For international flights, you want to show up at least two hours before you designated departure time so that you can clear customs. If this is your first time leaving the country, be sure you speak to a friend or relative who has experience flying internationally.
• To be safe, carry at least two copies of your flight itinerary with you so that in case you lose one, you will still have another one to refer to. When you arrive in a new country, make sure the first thing you do is to take note of the local time and adjust your watch accordingly.
• Do not be afraid to ask questions along the way and take care of your belongings. You have a long journey ahead of you so make sure that you are well rested before you get on the plane.

Electronics & Gadgets

• If you are bringing a computer or any other electronics into the US, be sure that you have the appropriate adapters for the outlets here. You also need to check the voltage to make sure that the devices you are bringing can work with the power outlets here.
• When traveling, keep you electronics close to you. However, do not get too carried away with your electronic devices while waiting between flights. Always keep an eye on the time so that you do not miss your flight.

Medical Issues

• If you have any medical issues that require you to take certain medications consistently, be sure to ask your local doctor for an official prescription. ELI 360 recommends that all international students undergo a full medical checkup before leaving their respective home countries.
• All students attending a university in Texas are required to receive a vaccine for bacterial meningitis before they can be allowed to move into the campus dorm rooms. Please be sure to check with your local physician if this shot can be administered.
• Bring a copy of your medical records with you while you travel. This can be very helpful while you travel in case of any medical emergencies. Your university nurse will also require you to turn in a copy of your medical history for the school’s records.
• Students who are near-sighted (myopia) and require glasses/contact lenses should visit their local eye doctor/optometrist to get additional contact lenses, a spare(additional) pair of glasses and your latest eye prescription before leaving your country.

Important Documents

• Be sure that you have all your important documents with you before you leave (Passport, I-20, Acceptance Letters, Birth Certificate, Identification Cards, Medical Forms, Prescriptions, Flight Itineraries, etc.).
• Carry your passport and I-20 close to your body at all times. You can purchase a sling bag that you can tie around your body under your shirt at your local traveler’s store. Keep your passport well hidden at all times – losing your passport (and other important documents) can make your trip very complicated.
• Make sure that you have copies of all your original documents. Keep your documents in a well seal folder. Whatever you do, do not place your original documents in your luggage. Always carry them in your carry-on luggage (preferably, in your bag pack).

Things to Bring & Packing Tips

• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash on you as best as you can. Visit the bank prior to your trip to get traveler’s checks.
• If you have to carry cash on you, be sure not to put all your cash in one wallet/bag pack/pocket. Separate your cash into small portions and have each portion in a different part of your body/bag. This way, if you get picked by a pickpocket or if you drop some of your money, you won’t be losing all of it.
• Be sure to weigh your luggage at home before showing up at the airport (unless you are ready to pay the additional charge for overweight luggage). Check with your airline company that you are flying regarding the weight and luggage limit before you begin packing.
• If you are arriving in the fall (August – September), you can reduce the weight of your luggage by not packing any winter clothing. The weather here in the Southern states usually stays warm through late October or early November. You can purchase winter clothing for relatively cheap prices once you arrive.
• One useful packing tip that can help you maximize your luggage space is to roll up your clothes. By doing so, you will be able to fit more into your luggage. Roll up any breakable items (glass, ceramics, etc.) into your clothing. You will also want to try and stuff items into any small spaces (i.e. all your socks can be stuffed into your shoes, along with other smaller items).
• Do not pack anything that you cannot afford to lose (important document originals, money, personal items of value) into the luggage that you check in. In case your luggage is lost, you will not be able to recover these items.
• If you are bringing any food items with you, be sure that you have it packed tightly. Check with your airline company regarding the types of food you can bring. Processed foods (spices, sauces, etc.) that are sealed are typically acceptable while fresh meat and vegetables are usually not allowed to be brought into the U.S.

***To receive a list of recommended items to bring along, please e-mail ELI 360 at the following address: benjamin_skye@eli360.com

Communication

• Be sure to have the name card/contact information of the person who is picking you up. If you are working with an agency (such as ELI 360), make sure you have the right local number to call. All airports will have public phones available, all you have to do is find some change or in some instances, you can use a credit card to pay for the call.
• Do not hesitate to contact the people who are picking you up in any cases of emergency or accidents at the airport (i.e. loss of luggage/passport, injury, etc.). They can offer you good advice on what to do.
• In case of any changes in your flight plans (delays or cancellations), be sure to contact the people who are picking you up. It is never good to leave the people picking you up without at information regarding the changes in your plans.

Some last words…

Congratulations once again from ELI 360 as you embark on this journey to your American university of choice! We look forward to seeing you on the other side and we hope you have a safe trip! Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any help or have any questions. All the best!

Sincerely,
Benjamin Skye
ELI 360
Communication Coordinator

* You can reach ELI 360 with your question by sending your e-mail to benjamin_skye@eli360.com

In photo, and Michiko (in hat) and Jonathan Straker (holding son Shiori) talk to neighbors outside the Sendai Church of Christ.

In Sendai, not far from one of the worst-hit areas of the tsunami where one in ten people died during the disaster, Abilene Christian University graduate student Jonathan Straker and his wife Michiko have been actively involved with the Sendai Church of Christ to help victims rebuild their lives.

Straker and his family lived in Japan as missionaries in Japan for over 5 years. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree at ACU but has brought his wife and son Shiori back to Japan to aid fellow Christian with relief work.

The Straker’s story shows that students at Abilene Christian University are dedicated to helping those who are less fortunate. Jonathan and Michiko, along with many other unnamed individuals, have given time, effort and other resources to help the people of Japan. Their story is living proof that a strong education extends beyond the confines of the classroom and academia. True education challenges its students to give of themselves to worthy causes aimed at the wellbeing of others who are in dire need.

ELI 360 would like to encourage all our friends to continue to be in prayer for the Strakers, along with the many other relief workers who are still working hard to rebuild Japan. You can keep up with the Strakers by reading the following article on ACU’s website.

The article also provides a link to a blog updating relief work in the Sendai area.

Andre Palit, a first semester freshman at Lubbock Christian University from Tanjungpinang, Indonesia received an award from LCU’s Science Department for being the top achiever in biology for the Spring 2011 semester. ELI 360 caught up with him recently for an interview to see what Andre has to share with future students regarding his first semester in the U.S.

Andre Palit at the LCU Campus during his first days in America. Since then, he has gone on to successfully complete his first semester as well as receiving the top award for academic achievement in biology.

Andre, what was your first impression about Lubbock Christian University when you were applying?

Initially, I was not quite sure whether LCU would be as good as a place as was promoted. I also had my reservations about the friendliness of the environment since it was a point that was advertised a lot.

Now that you are almost at the end of your first semester, was choosing LCU a good choice?

LCU was definitely a good choice; of all the places to be for my university life, LCU has great classes and a friendly environment that fits me perfectly.

What is your major and why did you choose it?

I am currently majoring in pre-med. My parents chose this degree for me despite my other options. Nevertheless, I have come to appreciate my major and am thankful that I have parents who know me and care about my future.

How do you feel about the program that you are majoring in at LCU?

I am really enjoying the pre-medicine program at LCU. I really appreciate having a friendly personal academic advisor that I can sit down with and discuss about what classes to take.

What was your favorite class from the first year and who was your favorite teacher?

My favorite class this semester would be biology lab because it was my first encounter with a real laboratory. My favorite professor must be Mr. Darrel Price, the personal fitness professor. He tries to help me in my spiritual life as well as in his class.

How is studying at LCU different from studying back home?

Study at LCU is in many ways different from back home. In my high school, we were studying in a self-paced system in which every student does his work independently. Here at university, I am exposed to internet resources (Moodle) and in some cases discussion format classes that require me to engage with other students and the professors.

Name one of your most memorable experiences from your first year at LCU.

This freshman award must be the most memorable experience here at LCU. I couldn’t believe that I wash the best achiever in biology (this being my first semester).

If you could name three of the things you enjoy the most at LCU, what would the top three be?

Three things I enjoy most: helpful professors, friendly environment, and the tons of resources to tap into!

Overall, tell us what your experience at LCU like in your first year. How did you find the environment?

In general, LCU life has been a really great experience. Compared to where I come from, this campus is loaded with awesome resources just waiting for someone to tap into. The people are surprisingly friendly, and I need not worry about getting hurt by others. Professors and advisors strive to make students successful, and they are friendly enough to talk to when you do not understand something. LCU is a good place to be.

What does this award mean to you and your family and what are your goals for the next three years of your undergraduate career?

I view this award as source of encouragement and motivation that will push me to do better in my college career. If I can achieve this much already in my first semester, who knows what other great things I can do in the future? This award is a reminder that if I work hard, it will pay off eventually. For my future in LCU, I hope to keep up the good work that I have started and build upon that. There must be something better lying ahead in my college study.

Any plans this summer? Will you be going home?

I won’t be going home this summer, but I will be going to summer school instead. I want to make the most of my youthful years by studying as much as I can in order to prepare for a better future ahead of me.

__________________________________________________________________

Andre is the eldest son of Mr. Fentje Palit and Mrs. Esther Tangkulung Palit and was born on February 17, 1994. Andre has two younger siblings, Renata and Ryan and is graduated high school from Fawnridge Christian Academy, Indonesia, in 2010. He arrived in Lubbock, Texas to study at LCU in the Spring of 2011 (January) and is currently enrolled in summer school there.

ELI 360 would like to congratulate Andre and the Palit family upon Andre’s achievements in his first semester at LCU. We continue to wish him all the best as he works towards completing his pre-medicine degree at LCU!

The Island of Hong Kong, one of the world's international financial centers, is home to over 7 million people, with 95% of the population being Chinese.

According to an article published on May 2, 2011 titled “The American Model” from Inside Higher Education, universities in Hong Kong will no longer be operating under the current education model which resembles the one practiced by British higher education. Instead, Hong Kong universities will begin offering the four-year American model of higher education as a replacement for the three-year European model. This change will also see the Ministry of Education abolish the “O” Levels and “A” Levels examinations. Students will now attend high school for 12 years before beginning the new four-year university system.

Whereas the European model has traditionally been more focused on helping the student master his or her field of study exclusively, the American model promotes a more holistic form of learning, with the liberal arts programs requiring university students to spend time in college studying humanity courses in fields such as psychology, philosophy and sociology.

The biggest challenge for the faculty, however, is in the area of encouraging creativity among students.

The logic behind such a drastic move by the Hong Kong Ministry of Education stems from a firm belief that the American model will cultivate more individuals who can be leaders in their field. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is one university that has embraced the benefits of the American liberal arts model of education. One faculty member at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is quoted as saying, “If you are an accounting major, you should not be an accountant at KPMG (one of the biggest international accounting firms), you should be the managing director of KPMG. You must be aware of history, of language, of all the other skills. It’s not the mechanical aspects of accounting.”

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, one of the most prestigious universities in Hong Kong, is leading the shift towards the American model of higher education.

In another similar article, King Lun Yeung, a professor of chemical engineering at HKUST, shares the sentiment expressed by his colleague. King expressed that most of his students are just as bright as their American counterparts. In fact, they generally work harder and take studying a lot more seriously. University students in Hong Kong are committed to idea of 2-3 hours of homework or reading per week for each credit of a course, and most students take 15-18 credits a semester. The biggest challenge for the faculty, however, is in the area of encouraging creativity among students.

In his courses with undergraduates, Yeung will pose a broad question, “and then I shut up and say they have to work through the issues,” he said. Fresh from a sabbatical at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yeung said that with graduate students, the area HKUST is teaching is how to gain confidence with pushing new ideas. When graduate students start their programs, and he poses a challenge to them, they are likely to search for whatever has been written about the issue, rather than framing a hypothesis. “There is a sense that, ‘If I come up with a good idea, someone must have already come up with the same idea, so I’ll look for it,” Yeung said. The approach at HKUST is to encourage students to gain the confidence to put forward their own ideas, while also learning the material.

There is a firm belief that the American liberal arts education is more fitted to cultivating individuals with strong leadership skills and a more holistic worldview.

Demand for this style of education is strong. Last year, about 5,000 students from the rest of China applied for 150 slots allocated to them. As such, universities in the U.S. can look forward to an increase of applicants from Hong Kong since the education models are now more similar.

The private universities with whom ELI 360 partners with are strong supporters of the liberal arts model of education. The belief in holistic education not only emphasizes the need to develop lifelong-learners and well-rounded individuals, but also individuals who are capable of exercising strong leadership skills in the workplace. As a matter of fact, one of the six pillars of education, as proposed by ELI 360, is leadership. (Click here to read what ELI 360 defines as leadership.)

ELI 360’s Six Core Values of Education:

• Character.
• Excellence.
• Leadership.
• Intellect.
• Integrity.
• People.

During a recent visit, Edmund Moy, former director of the U.S. Mint and aide to President George W. Bush encouraged students to practice integrity in the workplace.

Edmund Moy believes that Christians are called to ministry in the workplace and that integrity is essential for true success.

On March 29, 2011, students at Union University’s McAfee School of Business had the opportunity to hear Edmund Moy, the former director of the U.S. Mint and aide to President George W. Bush, speak during the “Business Through the Eyes of Faith Luncheon.” In his address, Moy encouraged those present to take integrity seriously in their careers. He also shared with the students an experience he had in his first job after graduation where his Christian faith and virtues were challenged by his supervisor.

During his visit on campus, Moy also took the opportunity to speak in several business classes. As a matter of fact, he even met with some of the Union Business students’ one-on-one to answer their questions.

Moy paid compliment to the excellence of Christian education at Union University when he said, ““One of the things that has attracted me to spending more time at Union University was the wonderful training they got, not only in academics, but in how to integrate their faith into all aspects of their life, including their workplace.”

Union University is one of several of ELI 360’s partner universities. ELI 360 selects its partner universities based on 13 Characteristics of Excellence. We believe in the importance of a holistic model of education that emphasizes discipleship and training individuals to be grounded in integrity and ethical behavior.

To learn more about Moy’s visit at Union University’s McAfee School of Business, please click here.

You can also click here to read about ELI 360’s 13 Characteristics of Excellence.

In line with ELI 360’s continual efforts to offer high-quality university education to the students and families we work with, we are proud to announce our latest partnerships with Pacific Lutheran University in Washington, and Valparaiso University in Indiana.

Here are some quick facts about our new partners:

Pacific Lutheran University (PLU)

Pacific Lutheran University. Established 1890 in Tacoma, WA.

• Pacific Lutheran University enrolls about 3,600 students with 6% being international students representing 31 different countries.
• Number of Majors: over 35 majors and Masters in Business Administration ranked nationally for its excellence
• Professional school acceptance rate: 85+%
• Top Tier U.S. News and World Report.
• MBA program is listed in U.S. News and World Reports “Best Business Schools” (only 363 made the list)
• Rieke Science Center, with its nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, the first of its kind at a West Coast undergraduate institute.
• Above 80% of faculty, who teach in the classroom, have earned the highest degree in their field of study.
• Colleen Hacker, Ph.D., Expert in sports psychology and who was the sport psychologist for the gold-medal U.S. Olympic women’s soccer team is a faculty member in the Department of Psychology.

To learn more, click here.

You can also visit PLU’s website: www.plu.edu

Valparaiso University (ValpoU)

Valparaiso University. Established 1859 in Valparaiso, IN.

• Valparaiso University enrolls about 4,000 students from most states and more than 50 countries, constituting an international, interconnected community.
• Number of Majors: over 70 programs and 40 plus master’s degree programs with a Doctorate in Nursing and Law.
• Professional school acceptance rate: 90+%
• Pre-medicine graduates are accepted into professional schools at more than twice the national average .
• Princeton Review’s Top 100 Best Midwest Colleges.
• Top Tier U.S. News and World Report.
• Civil Engineering program ranked #7 in the nation among undergraduate engineering schools.
• Above 90% of faculty, who teach in the classroom, have their terminal degree most often the doctorate.
• Valparaiso University offers its students a tobacco free campus environment.

To learn more about Valparaiso University, click here.

You can also visit Valpo’s website: www.valpo.edu

ELI 360 is excited about the prospect of helping more international students enroll at these two excellent universities. If you are interested or have any questions and inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at: info@eli360.com