Intead’s Top 10 Blog Posts of 2024: As Chosen by Readers?

Here we go again. Entering a new year with a certain trepidation. Recent headlines warning of mass deportations and reeking of transnational skepticism harken back to a pre-pandemic era of not so long ago. The difference this time: we come prepared. This is a road we’ve traveled. So, lace up your long-distance sneakers and let’s get going.??

Despite our wariness of upcoming policy changes that are sure to impact our international students, we are looking forward to 2025. One big change, a resolution if you will, is to change the cadence of this blog.??

We’ve been publishing Recruiting Intelligence since 2012, on a weekly basis. Our goal has always been, and continues to be, to provide you with deep industry insights that are practical, highly actionable, and meaningful to your day-to-day work. We report on markets, tech tools, recruitment trends, marketing strategy, you name it. If it can improve your enrollment management, we are writing about it.??

This year we are shifting our output slightly by moving to an every-other-week schedule. This shift in cadence is born out of our digital strategy analysis and watching your engagement. Turns out, given our long form content format, not everyone has time to read our posts every week!!!???

OK, obvious, right? What this means in simple terms: our efforts to disseminate meaningful content to as many people as possible is not as effective as it could be with each post.??

By shifting to an every-other-week schedule, our digital team can use social channels more effectively to promote the content we produce. There will be more time for the social algorithms and your clicks and shares to do their work.??

In the meantime, a quick look back at 2024 through this blog’s top 10 posts as chosen by you, our readers. We were not at all surprised at #1…?

#10 NAFSA 2024 Reflections??

4 key takeaways from NAFSA 2024 conference conversations we found valuable: visas, budgeting, staffing, and strategic planning. Plus, downloadable decks from UMBC SIO David Di Maria and Intead’s Iliana Joaquin on the realities of using AI in enrollment management, and from Intead CEO Ben Waxman and UC Davis SIO Dr. Joana Regulska on new data highlighting the value of a US degree.??

#9 EdUSA Forum 2024 Reflections???

This short news series dives into the most valuable discussions we took part in at this year’s EducationUSA Forum.?Part 1: the consistently stale STEM offerings found at institutions and why it matters now more than ever.?Part 2: the challenges inherent to the student visa approval process. Our EdUSA Forum international recruitment budget slides are available to?Intead Plus?members.?(That very full session was truly engaged!)??

#8 Are You Ready for an International Alumni Strategy????

This?8-question self-evaluation?is a quick way to see just how prepared your team is for leveraging an effective international alumni network. Our online form provides instant counsel on tactics you can deploy to move forward. We offer more valuable counsel in the chapter we co-wrote with Dr. Gretchen Dobson for the new Star Scholars’ publication, Entry Points to US Education: Accessing the Next Wave of Growth.???

#7 Why We Travel: Making the Most of Student Recruitment Trips???

Jet-setting itineraries and photos might make it hard for some of your travel-hungry colleagues to see your grueling business trip as anything other than a junket. But a junket it is not.??In this post?we share 8 points of contact to incorporate into your next recruitment trip abroad to help prove your worth (as a business traveler with purpose).???

#6 Student Recruitment Markets Worth Considering???

Over the past year we’ve offered insights into regions we think are well worth watching – China, India, Vietnam, Tanzania, Guyana. Each of these countries offers something interesting for international student recruiters to think about. All won’t be right for every institution, but each are right for some.?Find our overview here.???

#5 New to WhatsApp Business? Yup, we got you!???

Setting up a WhatsApp Business account is easier than you think. We concede that it can be time consuming, but there are just so many benefits to having a verified account on behalf of your institution that we think it’s worth your while.?Read part 1?of this series for the quick 11-step account set-up process. And?part 2?on how to put it to work for you. We had so many colleagues write effusive thank you notes to us following the publication of these two posts it made us blush.???

#4 Yes, You Should be in Vietnam, But Here’s the Thing…???

With the very real concern of declining domestic enrollment numbers, US institutions are right to diversify their recruitment source countries. Thinking beyond traditional student markets, like China and India, is old news by now.?You’ve diversified your draw and Vietnam has been on your list, right? We share 3 big reasons?why Vietnam is a top student source?for markets around the world.???

#3 KYN 2024 Report: How will the US election shape international student decisions????

A thought-provoking comparison of today’s international student perspectives to those expressed back in 2016 and 2017 on the precipice of and in the wake of the 2016 US presidential election. You may recall who won that one. Our latest Know Your Neighborhood (KYN) report lays bare undeniable shifts in priorities of international education-seekers, including their current perspective on choosing to study in the US based on the winner of the 2024 US presidential election. Read more?here.????

# 2 Slides: Groundbreaking Data on International Student Employment After Graduation???

How valuable is a US degree for international students? No,?really, how valuable is it? NAFSA and Intead gathered international student alumni data from 12 US higher ed institutions to find out. Telling research on OPT/CPT outcomes and how these graduates contribute to the US economy.?What we learned will have a direct impact on international student recruitment and offer perspective on US immigration policy. Learn more?here.????

…and the TOP POST from 2024 surprises no one reading the international student tea leaves because it has everything to do with students’ #1 motivating factor for studying abroad…??

#1 Career Success for US-Educated International Students????

Career opportunity is the primary motivating factor for international students. If you can demonstrate that your degrees pave a beaten path to positive career outcomes, then you’ve got your prospect’s ear. Not many institutions can back up their promises with data...until now.?Get the full scoop here.??

2024 was so much about career pathways for international students. Ready to see what 2025 has in store. Are you ready? We are. Be in touch at [email protected]

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