artmouth to Admit International Students Without Considering Ability to Pay

artmouth to Admit International Students Without Considering Ability to Pay

Dartmouth College in the northeastern state of New Hampshire recently announced need-blind admissions for international undergraduate students.

Need-blind means a university offers admission to students without considering their ability to pay.

With the move, Dartmouth, which is the smallest of the famous Ivy¹ League schools, joins other universities including Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Amherst, also in Massachusetts, are other examples.

A number of U.S. colleges offer need-blind admissions but only six offer it to international students.

At one time, Dartmouth did make need-blind offers to international students. But, the school changed the policy after it became too costly². The new policy comes thanks to a $40 million gift from a person who did not want to be named. The school said it is working to establish a $90 million fund to pay for need-blind admissions for international students.

International students face high costs

Syed Rakin Ahmed is a 2018 Dartmouth graduate from Bangladesh. He is working on an advanced science degree in Boston and plans to return to Dartmouth to finish medical school.

Rakin received financial aid to go to Dartmouth. He noted³ the high cost of higher education in the U.S. "does present a significant challenge for any international student, and even more specifically for international students from low-income countries, such as myself."

He said he expects the school to receive more interest from international students because of the change.

The current cost of attending Dartmouth is about $75,000 per year.

The policy will take effect immediately. That means students currently applying to Dartmouth may go for free if they can show their family cannot pay.

In a question-and-answer page on the Dartmouth website, the school said it did not make the change to bring in more international students. Instead, the college noted that it gives an equal chance to students around the world. The school notes that interest from international students was rising before the news.

International students make up about 10 percent of the undergraduate student population at Dartmouth. That is similar to the numbers at Harvard and MIT. The school notes international students make up 14 percent of the current first-year class, that is up from eight percent in 2016.

Christine Chu advises international students at a company called IvyWise based in New York City. She said the high cost of higher education is one of the first things she discusses when she meets new students. She said Dartmouth's policy should increase interest among international students.

"Having a need-blind policy opens up that international realm for Dartmouth," Chu said.

She added that the decision may help Dartmouth admit international students who would otherwise go to school in a large city like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. She offered these thoughts on how Dartmouth's officials might think of their new policy.

"We're not in New York City, we're not a Columbia, we're not in Washington, D.C., we're not a Georgetown. People may not immediately think of us. They know we're an Ivy League school but we're not in Chicago or Los Angeles, these metropolises⁴. How can we still draw really talented and excellent students? And I think financial aid is a wonderful way..."

Dartmouth's top official for admissions and financial aid said the school's move will influence the world for many years.

Lee Coffin⁵ said: "The students enrolling⁷ today will have lives and careers that stretch into the 2070s and beyond...We're announcing to the world...that international citizens are full and equal members of our applicant⁸ pool and ultimately our student body."

Students who have applied⁹ to attend a school are often described as the applicant pool by admissions officials.

"Different lived experiences"

Rakin, the future medical student, gave an example why it is valuable for Dartmouth to have students from many countries and different economic levels. One of his future goals, he said, is to help prevent women in his home country from getting cervical cancer. This form of cancer is limited in the U.S. because many young women get a vaccine¹⁰.

But, the vaccine is not widely available in Bangladesh. He said the medical community is not invested in caring for women in the same way that it is in the U.S. He was able to share this information with his American classmates during public health discussions at Dartmouth.

"Having international students and having students who have had different lived experiences outside of the U.S. enriches these conversations further and the need-blind policy certainly makes it easier and I would say creates more of an opportunity for international students to consider Dartmouth as a strong option."

Both Rakin and Chu said the true result of Dartmouth's decision and the schools that follow may be in how international students see U.S. universities. Are universities welcoming to students? Do schools value what international students bring?

Chu noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder for international students to come to the U.S. Rakin agreed, noting that government offices that process visas for students reduced their hours. Also, he said he knew students from Bangladesh who chose to apply to universities in Canada and Australia because of the political environment in America.

Chu and Rakin said the move by Dartmouth shows that it is worth the extra effort to come to the U.S. Rakin called the move toward need-blind admissions for international students "a refreshing¹¹ change for the better."

Will other universities follow Dartmouth?

Chu said other universities may want to, but change comes slowly in higher education.

"Universities are big, they're bureaucratic¹². It just takes time to change and consider these factors. Now Dartmouth has been added to this very short list of schools, to me, that's a positive thing."

Words in This Story

graduate – n. a person who has received a degree showing they have finished studies at a school, college or university

significant – adj. important, noticeable

challenge –n. an issue or problem that is difficult to deal with or solve

realm – n. an area of activity, interest or knowledge

talented – adj. having a special ability to do something well

enroll⁶ –v. to enter something, such as a school, as a member or student

option –n. something that can be chosen; a choice or possibility

refreshing – adj. pleasantly new, different, or interesting

bureaucratic – adj. using or connected with many complicated rules and ways of doing things; relating to a bureaucracy

factor – n. something that helps produce a result

1 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

2 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 metropolises   

n.一国的主要城市（不一定是首都）( metropolis的名词复数 )；中心；大都会；大城市

参考例句：

• That season, you ride it, all metropolises achieve what one wishes! 那时节，您骑上它，一切都会如愿以偿！ 来自互联网
• Carl has carried the banner in infernal metropolises. 卡尔曾经在那些地狱般的大都市流浪街头。 来自互联网

5 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

6 enroll   

v.招收；登记；入学；参军；成为会员（英)enrol

参考例句：

• I should like to enroll all my children in the swimming class.我愿意让我的孩子们都参加游泳班。
• They enroll him as a member of the club.他们吸收他为俱乐部会员。

7 enrolling   

v.招收( enrol的现在分词 )；吸收；入学；加入；[亦作enrol]( enroll的现在分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They lashed out at the university enrolling system. 他们猛烈抨击大学的招生制度。 来自辞典例句
• You're enrolling in a country club, Billy. 你是注册加入乡村俱乐部了，比利。 来自辞典例句

8 applicant   

n.申请人，求职者，请求者

参考例句：

• He was the hundredth applicant for the job. 他是第100个申请这项工作的人。
• In my estimation, the applicant is well qualified for this job. 据我看, 这位应征者完全具备这项工作的条件。

9 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

10 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

11 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

12 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。