After 9/11, enrollment of international students in U.S. colleges dropped for the first time since the 1970's. The fear of terrorism was the economic hardship placed on applicants who had to jump through several legal and bureaucratic hurdles in the hope of cracking open a book in the U.S.
Some students have been hampered because of their country of origin. The U.S. naturally prefers those coming from countries we have good relations with. While the government may make these students' lives harder, we would like to see AU double its efforts in helping these students in getting visas.
At a school that brags about its international enrollment and perspective, it only makes sense to actively seek to increase our numbers of students from outside our borders.
Once students get to AU, they often revert back to their comfort zones and form friendships among people they relate to. This is understandable, but in order to get the most out of their four years in college, students should go out on a limb every now and then, and meet people from opposite cultures and faiths.
Being in Washington, D.C. affords us much more opportunity to experience diversity, and we hope that soon more students from abroad will be able to have the same chances that we have, but often take for granted, every day.
