For the 2001-2002 school year, Boston University enrolled the most international students among New England universities, and is ranked sixth among schools nationwide.
Students like Tal Goldstein, a School of Management sophomore, make up the 4,454 international students from 141 countries who enrolled at BU last year, according to the Office of Admissions.
Goldstein is from Haifa, Israel and after his required time in the Israeli army, he decided to research universities in the United States on his own.
‘There is this big book of American universities,’ said Goldstein. ‘I found out my options, sent for information from BU, and applied.’
After being accepted to BU, New York University and George Washington University, Goldstein chose BU because he said he enjoyed the city of Boston and the programs the school had to offer.
‘I came to BU because Boston is a very European city; it made me feel closer to home,’ said Goldstein. ‘BU also has some great programs not only for international students, but it’s recognized on a national level as a great school.’
With such a large international student community at BU, potential students have a significant group of people from their country to talk to about their application process and dealing with the long distance from home.
‘BU was very helpful with the application process,’ said Engin Basaga, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences from Istanbul, Turkey. ‘I had two interviews in Turkey before I came to Boston.’
Basaga found out about BU through advisors and the reputation the university possesses in his country.
‘There is a large Turkish community at BU,’ Basaga said. ‘It is a well-known university back home.’
With a reported 24,117 international students during the 2000-2001 school year, greater Boston colleges and universities are behind only the New York metropolitan area and Los Angeles-Long Beach region in enrollment numbers, according to national statistics.
The statistics show a 6 percent total increase in foreign students throughout the country, bringing the national number to 582,996 in 2001-2002.
According to the U.S. Commerce Department, foreign students contribute close to $12 billion from tuition and living expenses, allowing higher education to be one of the top service exports the United States provides.
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