Position Paper 1- International Student Recruitment

 International Students at New York University and Seoul National University

With the continuous rise in social media presence over the last several years, the experiences of international students have been seen by millions of prospective students. Many students from all over the world are constantly traversing unique cultures in order to earn their degree. New York University and Seoul National University are two academic institutions that produce extremely effective content that drive international students to their campuses. 

New York University

New York University is one of the largest private research universities in the United States. Founded in 1831, it hosts roughly 65,000 students at its main campus, with students from all over the US as well as international students from over 133 different countries. NYU focuses on providing strong academic experiences for both international students visiting the United States from other nations and US citizens searching for the study abroad experience. 

NYU has many partner universities ranging from various areas in Europe to Eastern Asia.  The university strives to consistently create a diverse environment on campus, which certainly mirrors its location. NYU provides opportunities for international students to experience a welcoming and educational time while in the United States through academic support and club participation. International students can consistently access information regarding student visas, immigration, and academics through its Office of Global Services. 

"OGS strategically aligns itself with NYU’s overarching commitment to create an inclusive environment and systematically integrates the lived experiences of the international community. By responding to current events and providing opportunities to the community to share their stories, we venture to remove barriers to these crucial conversations and foster a greater sense of belonging across the University. OGS has an ongoing commitment to examine its practices critically and engage in a learning process in conjunction with the international student community to strive towards a more equitable space for everyone at NYU."

New York University's Center for Student Life hosts over 300 unique clubs and organizations for various types of students, with many of them focused on international students. There are clubs for Mexican, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Brazilian, Indonesian, and many other types of students. The Center for Student Life is maintained by student interns on campus which ensures that there is always student involvement on campus. 

Both the Center for Student Life and Office of Global Services function under NYU's International Student Hub, also knows as "I-Hub." The I-Hub is used for advertising the academic services that are available to international students as well as special events and presentations that routinely take place on campus. 

New York University features a strong Writing Center that includes support for international students. The Writing Center provides one-on-one help for students seeking to improve their writing and overall communication skills in English through Expository Writing Program Writing Workshops. These workshops are intended to focus on specified challenges with English writing and are available for undergraduate and graduate students. Some of the workshops that are specifically targeted toward international students are:

• Grammar and Flow: Improving Sentence Clarity (for undergrads)
  
• Refining Your Academic Voice (for advanced undergrads or MAs)
  
• Understanding College Expectations (for undergrads)
  
• Avoiding Plagiarism (for undergrads)

@nyu.writing.center What happens during an NYU Writing Center appointment? #nyu #nyuwritingcenter #writing #writingcenter #writingcentersession #writingpedagogy ♬ Positive background music such as play and games(1251730) - earbrojp

One of the most popular events for international students at NYU during the spring semester is the annual commencement breakfast. International students are invited and encouraged to attend as well as their families. This year, the commencement breakfast takes place on May 11, three days before the undergraduate students walk the stage at Yankee Stadium. 

The breakfast provides a wonderful opportunity to spend meaningful time with other similar students before graduation as well as a way to find out who is receiving international student awards. Some of these awards include the International Student Leadership Award and the International Student Community and Camaraderie Award. NYU takes this event as an opportunity to celebrate international students during their final days on campus and as a way to display the students' unity to prospective students. Additionally, NYU also provides similar events for incoming students, such as the International Student Transition Program. 

NYU uses consistent branding for I-Hub related events, with many of their images focusing on current students next to the iconic university purple. Due to being an extremely popular school, NYU's international students provide lots of online content themselves through short form videos and interviews that show their daily lives to others. 

Seoul National University

Seoul National University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. In 2025, SNU ranked 31st in the QS World University Rankings. SNU was officially founded in 1946 with nine undergraduate colleges and one graduate college. Some of original educational tracks included Agriculture and Forestry, Dentistry, Education, Fine Arts, and Medicine. The university has withstood the nation's growth and turmoil during the 20th century, including the Korean War, becoming the first comprehensive university in Korea. Seoul National University is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2026 and has established itself as an impressive educational institution and research university. 

SNU heavily promotes the opportunities that it provides for international students by partnering with other universities from across the globe. Students can currently participate in SNU's exchange program which allows them to earn credit for their degree while abroad. Some of the requirements include having a 2.5 GPA on the 4.0 scale and demonstrating proficiency in either English or Korean. Students have a range of options for satisfying the language requirement if neither language is their native language, such as the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam or the TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean). In addition to these requirements, international students must submit examples of their work in a portfolio and provide several documents including a passport. Many documents must be submitted online and through the mail. 

The university provides several different options for international students seeking degree credit. Most majors can be applied to an international student's course track at SNU, with a few exceptions. Certain majors, such as business, economics, and music, can only be taken by students who are focusing on those courses at their home university. Law and Medicine are not available for international students seeking an undergraduate degree, but can be taken for graduate degrees. In addition to regular credit hours, international students can enroll in SNU's Korean Language Program in the evenings in order to become more immersed in the culture of South Korea. Depending on which program students enroll in, SNU is able to provide financial support. 

Some of the biggest challenges for international students in Korea are managing the cost of living and understanding the travelling process. Seoul National University takes these challenges into account and provides several resources through its website.  

Seoul National University has truly established itself as a strong candidate for students seeking the study abroad experience. Many universities in the United States, such as Stony Brook University in New York, have highlighted the opportunities available at SNU. 

Statement Provided by Stony Brook University

Similar to NYU, a large amount of SNU's online content for international students is focused on the individual lives of students. 

SNU's online content ranges from videos focused on detailing the visa processes and academic requirements for incoming international students to interviews that can function as advertisements. Many students, especially those from the United States, post personal vlogs detailing their daily lives. For certain students, SNU utilizes their experiences as a way to promote the experience of living in South Korea. 

The online content produced by these universities is extremely effective at bringing in ambitious and promising students. Students from every area of the world can easily find all of the information that they need to fully experience a unique culture during their academic endeavors while at New York University and Seoul National University.