Running head: OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 1

Obstacles International Students Overcome for Access

Matt Wright

Louisiana State University

OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 2

Introduction

A significant portion of Louisiana State University’s student demographic consists of

International Students and these students face unique obstacles that other student groups often

don’t have to think of. According to LSU’s statistics, there are 1598 International Students

attending LSU in the Fall of 2019 from over 100 different countries (Louisiana State University).

These students have to face hurdles that American students don’t have to in order to access

American higher education such as obtaining visas, English proficiency tests, and delays in

documents being received and approved. Access to higher education should be a readily

accessible option for people, even when they do not reside in the U.S. These students receive

extra assistance at many schools, such as LSU, where the students are provided extra advisors

that American students do not have access to and partnerships with companies outside the

university. Through this research, I conducted qualitative interviews with several LSU

International Students from various countries around the world. Some of these students currently

get extra assistance with partnerships from LSU Global, which serves to assist International

Students with the resources to overcome the many obstacles facing International Students in the

process to attend a college in the U.S.

Background

With International Students making up a decent sized portion of the student body of LSU,

there is a minimal focus on the necessities and resources that these students need to ensure their

complete education at LSU. International Students must take more steps in the process of

attending LSU than Domestic Students, to allow them access to the education offered by LSU.

One of these steps is the additional exams set forth by LSU on the Admission Requirements for

International Students to enroll at LSU. One of the requirements for International students is to
OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 3

achieve a certain score on either the TOEFL or an IELTS, which are English proficiency tests

traditionally issued for higher education students from countries outside the United States

(Louisiana State University). Schools use these English proficiency tests to over analyze too

often because there is a correlation between GPA and tests such as the TOEFL, however

universities need to focus on these exams for the English proficiency signals (Wait 2013).

Another barrier for International Students to come to LSU is the challenge of figuring out which

classes transfer credit or how grades transfer over from high school. Many countries use different

grading systems with differing point values, so LSU must decide what point values they are

willing to accept for transfer credit to count. The grade points assigned can vary from state to

state in the United States, however the difference of grading scales from country to country, is

more noticeable and varying. LSU advertises that they are a very welcoming university and

proudly post their infographics on their International Student body, which allows students the

opportunity to see that they are wanted and desired at schools such as LSU.

International Students have a large number of schools that they are able to look at, when

applying to higher education institutions in the United States, and take many things in to account

when deciding what school they will attend. Some International Students do not receive the

opportunity to visit a university in the United States before attending, so many rely on the work

of agencies to share information on the school and the experiences that the agents have from

their time visiting the campus. This research discovered what information is most helpful for

International Students as they make their college decision and what should be increased in the

effort of universities in the future. International Students from various countries also look at

different aspects such as academic ranking or sports rankings. This important information that is
OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 4

sought by International schools and agencies is made viewable through the research, work, and

focus that agents have while touring U.S. universities.

Objectives

The objectives of this research are to raise awareness and to describe the extra steps that

International Students must take in order to pursue an American higher education degree. This

objective will be filled through answering the following research questions:

1. Are International Students limited from accessing higher education in the U.S. based on

the steps and procedures required to enroll?

2. What ways are American institutions able to alleviate some of the burden put on

International Students?

This research serves as a way for university administration as well as American students

to understand and discuss what the experience of an International Student looks like in coming to

pursue a higher education degree through discovering what the answers to the prior questions

are. This understanding should allow for schools to effectively assist in the assimilation process

for International Students as much as possible. This research served to discover many more

effective ways of aiding International Students in their process of accessing an American

University, to better shape the ease of the process to join higher education programs in the U.S.

These students had the ability to share what about LSU made them desire attending the

institution, so that these features can be broadcasted to other countries, in order to attract more

students into attending the university. In describing the extra steps that International Students

take, this research will give the opportunity for the students interviewed to voice their own

experiences and share what their process and adventure entering an American university looked

like.
OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 5

Literature Review

TOEFL scores have been believed to be a strong indicator of what a student’s academic

performance will be when they start attending college in the U.S. but the scores can hold too

much weight such as when they are used to predict academic achievement. Researchers sought to

discover what correlation existed between TOEFL scores and an International Student’s GPA.

The research was predicted to have a high positive correlation as students should know the

English language to be taking courses taught in English, and this was correct in the findings. The

research found that while TOEFL scores have a positively relation to an International Student’s

GPA in college, the TOEFL scores should not be used for assessing students, except for their

English proficiency (Wait 2013).

International Students are a sensitive student population as they have many changing

factors occurring in their lives as they work to attend higher education in the U.S. and schools

should be doing everything they can to support this student demographic. Researchers used an

online survey of 121 International Students to discover what difficulties these students faced

during their shift to American higher education. Some of the students emphasized their difficulty

in adjusting to the culture and struggling to make friends, as they were not familiar with the

culture or ways of meeting new friends. (Sherry 2009).

It is a large adjustment for International Students to move to a new country and pursue a

higher education degree while being away from what is familiar, and this may cause them to

struggle to feel a sense of belonging on campus. Researchers sought to describe the situations

that International Students are faced with when they come to the U.S. to receive a degree through

conducting qualitative interviews with undergraduate students. The research utilized 10 students

who the researchers knew before hand, so they had the trust of the students in the information.
OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 6

The research discovered that it is a huge barrier for International Students to succeed in higher

education as they adjust to not just the new academic challenges, but also the mental and social

challenges that come along with moving to a new location (Wu 2015).

Method

The method for this research project is in-person, qualitative data interviews with current

LSU International Students. This interview consisted of questions constructed to focus on the

personal experiences of each individual student, and how they took steps to appropriately access

LSU for a higher education degree. The students interviewed for this project are current

undergraduate LSU International Students, who have previously been students at a high school in

the U.S, which provides a base of knowledge with changing from school to school in the U.S.

Three interviews were conducted with each interview lasting approximately 45 minutes and all

interviews were conducted in a private office located on the LSU Campus. The interviews were

semi-structured where the set questions influenced conversations to provide a deeper dialogue of

each student’s personal experiences. Table 1 demonstrates the aliases of the students who were

interviewed as well as basic demographic information discovered for this research.

Table 1

Subject Demographics

Name Age Gender Country Major College

of Origin Classification

Marvin 18 Male Vietnam Economics Freshman

Steve 20 Male Turkey Chemical Sophomore
Engineering

Nancy 21 Male Japan Computer Sophomore

Science
OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 7

The interview for this project had questions to discover what obstacles each student has

faced, and how they personally overcame them. The questions also served the purpose of finding

what assistance contributed to this success in seeking a degree in the U.S. The interview began

with soft questions, while progressively increasing the depth of response warranted, to allow for

increased comfort levels with sharing personal experiences and stories. The interview responses

given by each student are reviewed and compared with other students that were interviewed to

discover what themes are able to be coded from the data. Each of the students gave informed

consent through verbally acknowledging that they understood that the information was being

used for a project. A limitation of this research is the lack of student interviewees that would

allow for more support for the themes that are coded through the examination of the interview

data.

Findings

Each student had a unique experience that shaped the story they shared, and as expected,

each student had issues or concerns with the steps they take to access higher education in the

U.S. The codes that the research analyzed were the implications of English proficiency exams,

how credits transfer from institutions, and feelings on current LSU resources centered on

assisting incoming International Students. Many of the concerns the International Students had

focused around the tests used to examine the International Student’s ability to read and speak

English. All three students took the TOEFL to properly enroll at LSU.

Nancy: I did well enough on the TOEFL that I only had to take it once, but it is a very

long test. For me to access the test I had to travel 2 hours away from my home, as that

was the closest testing location that was available. Not only was the test far away but it

also cost more money for me and my family than the SAT did, which I also took.
OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 8

Marvin: I did not have difficulty in getting to the TOEFL, but I struggled with feeling

okay spending that much money on the test when I have spent a few years in an

American high school where I practice and learn English every day.

Steve: I had to take the TOEFL, even though the SAT already had an English portion on

the exam. The TOEFL cost a lot more money than the SAT and was harder to get to the

location to take it. I have to retake the TOEFL if I attempt to transfer schools as it expires

after two years. I hated taking the TOEFL as I have 2 years of experience in high school

here and then they just make you retake it, but I don’t get why, since I’m speaking and

using English every day why they think my English got worse. My English won’t

degrade overtime while I speak.

Many of the complaints from the students seem very similar to what American students say

about the SAT/ACT that they are required to take, as not everyone likes to take tests, but there

was strong evidence of the students being aware of limitations created through the process of

requiring the TOEFL.

The International Students interviewed in this research each had some level of AP course

work that should have had credits transfer over into U.S. higher education, however two of them

ran into factors that limited the successful evaluation of the courses.

Nancy: I took 6 AP classes while in school in Japan, but none of the credits transferred

based on how my report card was structured. You see, my school had the credit hours and

the number received in the class on opposite sides than what the school had used on a

regular basis, so they believed that I failed the courses and did not approve the credits.

When I attempted to contact the admissions office, they would not return any of my calls

or emails and essentially cut off communication from me.

OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 9

Steve: I took 2 AP classes in high school, but the school would only accept 1 of them, as

they believed the other was not similar enough to allow for the credit to work. It has to do

with how LSU divides the classes where instead of it being split up into smaller parts,

LSU has the courses combined for simplicity, but then it interferes with them qualifying

my past grades achieved.

Marvin did not have any issues when transferring credits into the institution.

Marvin: Yeah LSU let me transfer in 3 AP credits that I got in high school in Texas,

which was really great as I definitely did not want to take those difficult courses all over

again.

Marvin’s credits came from an American high school, which could have led to the

different results than the other students, but he was content with the transfer process, while the

other students were very unsatisfied.

Two of the students interviewed participated in LSU Global, which is a LSU campus

partner that works to assist potential International Students with the paperwork and acclimation

to arriving to school in America.

Marvin: I was super excited when my family said that they would let me take part in LSU

Global as I had heard from friends of mine that it is difficult to work with college

campuses as they are just trying to get your money and don’t care if you get dropped in

the process. LSU Global helped me feel that they were my family and that they would

support me the whole time through attending LSU. One of the counselors there even took

me to the hospital when I got hurt, and he stayed with me the whole time.

Nancy: LSU Global made it very easy to successfully become a student at LSU as they

always reminded me during my Freshman year when I needed to turn in documents to

OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 10

ensure that I remained okay at school and they let me work for them. I got to be a guide

with LSU Global and welcome new students to LSU and help them get used to relying on

LSU Global’s counselors.

Steve did not enroll in LSU Global as he felt differently about the program.

Steve: I thought that it would be dumb to enroll in LSU Global because I had friends at

LSU who could help me out with what I needed to know. LSU Global was super

expensive and I figured that I could be alright on my own and not rely on their help. I

also heard that they put on programs for just International students, which defeats the

purpose of me going to school in America. I came to school here so that I could be

around American students and learn about the culture, but so many programs put on are

focused on just International Students, which isn’t helpful for me.

While many students find LSU Global and other organizations to be useful, other

students can also think that they aren’t helpful and that they could be a waste of money as Steve

shared.

Discussion and Conclusions

Throughout the interviews in this research, all of the students felt as if there were specific

barriers limiting their access to higher education in America and felt that there were certain

aspects of campus culture that assisted in creating a more efficient process to become assimilated

into the culture at LSU. There are large amounts of pressure put on standardized testing and how

these numbers are used to evaluate students and assess their potential as successful students, so

they should be re-evaluated for the true purpose that they serve and identified as being useful or

not along with the dates of validity. Currently the TOEFL expires after 2 years, even while the

student is enrolled in an American college and they are taking English classes in English. These
OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 11

tests should have a longer time period of being accepted so as to not put another requirement

onto International Students. Student affairs professionals should seek to break down additional

barriers that limit the education opportunities presented International Students, as they are an

excellent way for universities to become a global force and create diverse and educational

climates for students to learn in. Universities consistently boast on their diverse campuses,

however if they are not making every effort to back this status up, then they are committing a

disservice to the students they serve. The students interviewed in this research felt that

established organizations or partners were beneficial for the intertwining of cultures in America,

but as one student showed, this forces International Students to again be separated from

American students and marginalized in comparison to American students who are accustomed to

living in the United States. With each student being unique in what experience they are seeking,

higher education administration needs to offer as many resources and program offerings they can

so that a wide variety of options are presented to International Students.

Implications

This research has found that International Students feel restricted from accessing higher

education through the extra testing policies, and the barriers from feeling included on college

campuses. International Students are directly affecting through the use of standardized tests in

the higher education application process, and they provide extra barriers from the students being

able to enter American colleges. These tests should have a longer valid date, and should not

expire after 2 years, such as the TOEFL currently does. With students having to struggle to

locate these tests and take them again, they are being forced to take extra steps that don’t seem to

serve a great purpose. Universities put in effort to create programs and organizations that create

inviting environments for International Students, however not all students find these resources
OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 12

beneficial, as some appreciate the extra attention, but others want to not be further marginalized

by their identity, and would instead like to further acclimate into American culture. Student

affairs professionals should place a high focus on allowing International Students to have equal

opportunity to higher education in the U.S. as they provide unique and personal experiences that

allow them to push universities to appreciate and respect the diversity that attempts to enter their

campus.
OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 13

References

Andrade, M. S. (2006). International Students in English-Speaking Universities: Adjustment

Factors. Journal of Research in International Education, 5(2), 131–154. Retrieved

Louisiana State University. (n.d.).International Student Admission Requirements. Retrieved from

https://sites01.lsu.edu/wp/admissions/become-a-tiger-2/international-

students/international-student-admission-requirements/.

Louisiana State University. (n.d.). LSU International Students. Louisiana State University. Retrieved from

https://www.lsu.edu/intlpro/statistics.php.

Sherry, M., & Thomas, P. (2009, November 3). International students: a vulnerable student population.

Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9284-z.

Wait, I., & Gressel, J. (2013, January 2). Relationship Between TOEFL Score and Academic Success for

International Engineering Students. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-

9830.2009.tb01035.x.

Wu, H., Garza, E., & Guzman, N. (2015, February 23). International Student's Challenge and Adjustment

to College. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/202753.

Appendix

Appendix A
OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 14

Table 1

Subject Demographics

Name Age Gender Country Major College

of Origin Classification

Marvin 18 Male Vietnam Economics Freshman

Steve 20 Male Turkey Chemical Sophomore
Engineering

Nancy 21 Male Japan Computer Sophomore

Science

Appendix B

Interview Questions

1. What country are you from prior to coming to the United States?

2. How old are you?

OBSTACLES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OVERCOME FOR ACCESS 15

3. What year/classification are you at LSU?

4. What is your major?

5. Have you attended school in the United States before attending LSU?

6. Did you attempt to have credits transfer over to LSU?

7. Have you attended school in the United States before attending LSU?

8. What steps did you take to get to LSU that American students don’t have to?

9. How did you feel about undergoing these steps?

10. While at LSU, how connected to the campus and other students do you feel?

11. How have specific offices or groups helped in your transition to LSU?

12. Did you live on campus at any time while attending LSU?

13. Have you had a job while at LSU?

14. What do you feel separates you from American students?

15. What are some resources that LSU could offer to better assist you and your needs?

16. What are differences that you face that American students do not have to?

17. If you could change anything about LSU, what would it be?