• Number International Graduate Students in U.S.: About 197,000

• Number of Kent State International Students: 2,249

• Number of Kent State International Graduate Students: 779

• Number international graduate applicants spring 2012: 534

• Number international graduate students accepted spring 2012: 150

• Number international graduate applicants spring 2013: 781

• Number international graduate students accepted spring 2013: 188

All of the above information was received from David Di Maria, associate director of the Office of Global Education and from the Council of Graduate Schools.

The Council of Graduate Schools reported about 197,000 international students enrolled in American graduate programs in 2012. About 14.5 percent of U.S. graduate enrollment comes from international students.

Included in the national numbers are the 779 international graduate students who attend Kent State.

David Di Maria, associate director of the Office of Global Education at Kent State, said both the number of enrolled international graduate students and applicants increased in 2012. He said each year, the university admits roughly 24 to 25 percent of the international graduate applicants, so it’s still selective.

“The graduate program only has so many seats available,” Di Maria said “An adviser can only take on so many advisees . . . there are only so many assistantships to go around.”

The College of Arts and Sciences saw the largest increase in international graduate student numbers with a 71.4 percent application increase, said Di Maria. However, the College of Nursing saw a 55.6 percent decrease in international graduate applications.

Of the international graduate students at Kent State, China logged the highest numbers with 220 of the 779 international graduate students coming from there, said Di Maria. This is consistent with national numbers, as the Council of Graduate Schools reported 37 percent of all international graduate students in the U.S. come from China.

Ang Li, graduate in hospitality and tourism management, is one of the 220 international graduate students from China. Li said she chose Kent State because it focused on both hospitality and tourism, instead of just hospitality. She said the university’s application was tough.

“My boss wrote me a recommendation, and I had to write a personal statement,” Li said.

She said she also had to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) exam and a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which test an individual’s ability to use and comprehend English in an academic setting, before applying to the university.

Jonathan Prenosil, international student advisor in the Office of Global Education, said the following are the top countries that Kent State’s international population comes from:

1. China

2. India

3. Saudi Arabia

Di Maria said the following are new countries represented at Kent State this year:

1. Liberia

2. Finland

3. Gambia

Emily Komorowski is the graduate affairs reporter for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact Emily Komorowski at [email protected].