Linden Tour Report: Middle East Fall 2014

Overview

The Fall 2014 Linden Tour to the Middle East was a 16-day tour, from October 11 – 27, 2014, to six major cities: Amman, Jordan, Kuwait City, Kuwait, Muscat, Oman, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Doha, Qatar with an optional seventh stop in Manama, Bahrain. The tour was planned to place representatives from U.S. colleges and universities in direct contact with students and parents, high school counselors, and advisers in those locations. The group was comprised of 20 tour members and two additional universities participating in the fairs. Our group included public and private universities as well as institutions specializing in aeronautical engineering, business and the arts. During the tour, we saw over 3,000 students and met with more than 75educational professionals.

Our fairs were well-attended and the fairs in Kuwait and Doha had the largest turnouts with a good mix of undergraduate and graduate candidates at these events. With regard to the fields of study sought, engineering and business continue to be the most popular career choices followed by computer science, but there was more also interest in biology and biomedical science as well as design and the social sciences. We also had the honor of having many of our events officially opened by members of the US embassy and, at the Kuwait fair, we were especially proud to have Ambassador Douglas Silliman cut the ribbon and welcome the students.

The fair in Muscat, Oman was affected by a last minute decision made by the Ministry of Commerce, not to issue Linden the University Fair permit. Linden decided to hold an educational seminar and reception and promoted the event as such. The event consisted of a series of presentations on fields of study in areas such as STEM, Business, Engineering, Arts and Communication, OPT/ CPT followed by a reception. During the latter part of the program the university representatives spoke to the candidates and their parents in informal conversation pits about their universities. This format was well received by all who attended producing opportunities for longer more in-depth dialogues between candidates and university officials.

It is important to mention that the event in Doha was a joint program offered in conjunction with USEG and that this fair, held at the Diplomatic Club, was promoted extensively in this city as a mega fair with over 50 US universities offering US study opportunities to interested students. The event was very well received by the local Qatari and expat communities and 450 students plus their families attended to meet the universities and inquire about studying in the USA.

Linden held the Third Educational Forum in the Middle East, this year in Abu Dhabi, UAD. We hosted the professional development and networking event with secondary counselors attending from Morocco and Saudi Arabia. In addition to those guests, 12 high school counselors from leading internationalschools and other educational entities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai joined us for the workshop along with the EducationUSA advisers from both cities. Among the program’s highlights were the following points: a discussion on how social media affects college admission, a reverse fair, cross cultural dialogues to review in small groups and a panel presentation on majors and career opportunities. One of the key themes presented throughout the day at the Forum was networking, and we are looking forward to continuing our conversations with all the counselors we met during this very productive, fun day.

This tour offered several cultural activities. The opportunity to spend some time visiting the city sites is an important part of the Linden Tour. One cultural opportunity came in Muscat when some of the group spent the morning on an Island Excursion, watching dolphins, viewing corals and snorkeling. In Abu Dhabi, another group visited Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This white marble mosque is especially majestic at sunset when its facade turns bluish grey in the moonlight. As always, opportunities for crafts shopping and bargaining were available.

Student Market

Middle East: The countries in the Middle East represent a solid market for international student recruitment. According to IIE’s Open Doors 2013 data, there were 71,170 students from the Middle East studying in the USA. This is a 26% increase from the previous year.

The academic level breakdown is as follows:
44% undergraduate
33% graduate students

20% non degree

3% OPT

Students from the Middle East are often sponsored to study abroad by government supported scholarship programs. It is important for the US Universities recruiting in this region to understand the processes involved in each country and seek approval to get on the list of endorsed institutions.

Amman, Jordan: According to Open Doors, the number of students from Jordanstudying in the USA increased by more than 2.3% in the 2012-13 academic year, to 2,109. Currently, 52% are studying at the graduate level, 32% are studying at the undergraduate and 16% are pursuing other (ESL/OPT).

Kuwait City, Kuwait: According to Open Doors, the number of students from Kuwait studying in the USA increased by more than 37% in the 2012-13 academic year, to 5,115. Currently, 60% are studying at the undergraduate level, and 40% are studying at the graduate level/other (ESL/OPT).

Approximately 75% of the 8,000 Kuwaiti students are offered scholarships from the Kuwaiti Government to attend colleges and universities in the USA. A new head of the MOHE was named in January 2014 and this is expected to impact the programs: the list of approved institutions may be revised again and more art programs will be incorporated over the next two years. The Kuwaiti government is also willing to fund up to one year of English Language study in case students do not meet the language admission requirements of the university. However, the college/university and the program that the student applies to must be on the approved list of the Kuwait Culture Office in Washington, DC.

Oman: According to Open Doors, the number of students from Oman increased by 82.2% in the 2012/13 academic year to 980. Currently, 45 % are studying at the undergraduate level, and 46% are studying at the graduate level/other (ESL/OPT).

The Ministry of Higher Education has a list of preselected Institutions. The universities for the Thousand Scholarships for Post-Graduate studies are listed at

Abu Dhabi/ Dubai, UAE: According to Open Doors, the number of students from UAE studying in the USA increased by 7.6% in the 2012-13 academic year, to 2,256. Currently, 75% are studying at the undergraduate level, and 25% are studying at the graduate level/other (ESL/OPT).

The Ministry of Higher Education provides lists of the recommended higher education institutions abroad.The MOHESR website provides information about the application conditions, required documents, approved countries and areas of specialization for all scholarships that they support. Visit

Doha, Qatar: According to Open Doors, the number of students from Qatar increased by 1.5% in the 2012/13 academic year to 994. Currently, 78 % are studying at the undergraduate level, and 22% are studying at the graduate level/other (ESL/OPT).

The Higher Education Institutes’s (HEI) scholarship office is responsible for administering scholarship programs which enable students to be supported in under-graduate and post-graduate studies at the best higher education institutions in Qatar and around the world. This office is also responsible for following up on scholarship recipients’ financial and administrative affairs, and monitoring their academic progress by communicating with their respective universities, guardians and students themselves via e-mails, phone calls, letters or visits.

The Supreme Education Council Announces The New universities list (2014-2016)

The HEI has announced a list of the best universities and colleges from around the world. The list, which is updated every two years selects the best universities for scholarship recipients based on international ranking criteria.

The scholarship office administers scholarship programs based on the following geographic distribution:

1.Qatar

2.Arab region and Australia

3.United Kingdom & Europe

4.United States & Canada

Visit the scholarship portal for more details:

Manama, Bahrain: According to Open Doors, the number of students from Bahrain studying in the USA increased by more than 4.8% in the 2012-13 academic year, to 459. Currently, 72% are studying at the undergraduate level, and 28% are studying at the graduate level/other (ESL/OPT).

The Crown Prince's International Scholarship Program (CPISP) was established in 1999 and the program awards 10 fully funded scholarships each year. The brightest secondary school graduates have been selected on merit to receive this scholarship. The selection criteria include SAT and IELTS scores, Grade Point Average (GPA), and results of training programs organized by the CPISP. Over the years the program has grown to also provide scholarships to Masters and Ph.D candidates. All students choose their own accredited university as well as their desired field of study. For more details visit:

Competition from other countries, including, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and other Arab countries is keen therefore it is important for US universities to visit annually, participate in major recruiting events, be included on the approved scholarship lists and establish good working relationships with the scholarship authorities.

Tour Review

Based on the written evaluations, the tour members would like us to:

  • Incorporate more parents events during HS visits, ie: funding presentations
  • Include as many multi-school college fairs as possible, these programs are extremely valuable in maximizing time and seeing students, parents and counselors
  • Include more presentations during school visits, ie: How to select a US university, How to prepare a winning application, how to write a college essay, especially at first time visits or when younger students are included
  • Prepare presentation on studying Medicine and Law in the USA
  • Prepare a handout or presentation comparing different HS curriculum and how US universities view them
  • Provide opportunities for universities to meet with Ministry of Education Scholarship department heads to discuss “ getting on the lists”
  • Consider the following cities for Fall 2015 tour:

Kuwait, Muscat (school visits only) Dubai, Doha, Manama

Other city options: Sharjah, Amman

What tour member’s liked about this trip: Thoughts from for the tour evaluations:

“Visits were strong, great to have other schools join us. I think adding presentation format at some of the schools worked well! Overall very I am pleased with this tour.”

“ All the cities were worthwhile and the quality of connections I made was great. The visits and fairs continue to be compelling. I thought everything went very smoothly, well done!”

“The Forum is a very valuable event on this tour, I appreciated having the chance to meet counselors from not only the UAE but also the scholarship entities and Morocco and Saudi Arabia. This day is a real plus.”

Appreciation

First of all, I want to thank the tour members. You were thoughtful, cooperative and overall professional. You combined interest, knowledge, and fun in this tour throughout the Middle East and I want to thank you for an extraordinary trip.

I also want to thank our colleagues in this region. We relied on them for help with advertising, registration and promotion of U.S. education before, during and after our tour. I particularly want thank our friends and colleagues at the AMIDEAST and EducationUSA offices in the region as well as other centers that assisted us;their support and help were instrumental to the success of the tour. Again, thanks to all the teams for your competent and enthusiastic work for Linden.

I also want to thank the members of the US Embassy who joined us at the fairs, spending their time with students and sharing important information about the US study opportunities with them adds a great deal to the events.

I want to thank everyone at Linden: Liz Theal for her work in handling countless logistic issues andmaking certain that gifts and boxes were handled with efficiency for us all and Leah Baines for the PR efforts, her hard work in getting all the publications and social media out in a timely and efficient matter.

Lastly, thank you Kathy Harrington, for being the “best tour assistant” any tour leader could ask for! Her amazing organizational skills, steady manner in the face of constant surprises and travel expertise guaranteed this tour to be a success. I am honored to have shared this tour with her.

The Middle East is a land of warm friendly people, extraordinary sights, and enchanting places to discover. We are privileged to be able to visit it.

Respectfully submitted,

JoBeth Brudner

November 2014

Amman, Jordan

October 11-13, 2014

11 universities

Linden US University Fair / Sheraton Amman Al Nabil Hotel / 88
School Visits /
  • International Academy Amman
  • Mashrek International School
  • Amman Baccalaureate School
  • American Community School
/ 50
45
70
100
Total Students seen in Amman / 353
Other Activities
  • Newcomers Meeting
  • Intro Meeting
  • King’s Academy- Counselor meeting with Ms. Sonya Bahn

*Registered students – the vast majority of undergraduates attend the Fairs with their parents and siblings and often graduate-level students bring at least one family member, so the total number of participants in the ballroom is much greater than the number registered.

Attendance at the Fall 2014 Fair*

Of the 88 registered students at the fair, we learned the following:

  • Gender: 65% were male, 35% female
  • Degree sought: 42% want undergraduate study, 46% master’s degrees and 12% PhDs
  • Field of Study: 24% want a degree in engineering, 24% in business management and marketing, 8% in computer science, 5% in biology and biomedical science, and 7% in design
  • TOEFL Score: The average TOEFL score of those who had taken the exam was 485
  • Intended year of entry: 65% plan to begin their studies in 2015, 17% in 2016
  • Citizenship: the predominant citizenships in this event was: Jordanian: 60%, Kuwaiti: 7% , Indian: 6%
  • * Any data discrepancy is due to non-disclosure on behalf of the attendees

Amman Highlights

  • Meeting up with old friends and starting new friendships as the tour got underway
  • First time visit to International Academy Amman, the students and administration were excited to host the Linden tour.
  • Warm welcomes at Mashrek, Amman Baccauleaurate School ( Kay was a gracious host as always and over fed us) and Amman Community School. These students are all well prepared so conversations about their career choices and study options are very focused.
  • Good meeting with Kings Academy’s new counselor, Sonja Bahn, learning about what is happening on their campus and sharing university highlight. Looking forward to visiting the school next time the tour in in Amman.
  • Quality of students and parents and excellent questions at the public university fair, strong presence of undergraduate candidates.

Kuwait City

October 13-15, 2014

14 universities

Linden US University Fair / Marina Hotel / 185
School Visits /
  • British School of Kuwait
  • Kuwait English School
  • Al Bayan Billingual School
  • American School Kuwait
  • American Creativity Academy (Girls)
  • American Creativity Academy (Boys)
  • Universal American School
  • American International School Kuwait
/ 20
100
25
40
55
25
22
15
Total Students seen in Kuwait City / 487
Other Activities
  • AMIDEAST Country Briefing, RolaFadalla, Placement Coordinator
  • Education USA Meeting with Maya Maki, adviser
  • Welcome dinner at Café Blanc

Attendance at the Fall 2014 Fair

Of the 185 registered students at the fair, we learned the following*:

  • Gender: 66% were male, 34% female
  • Degree sought: 71% want undergraduate study, 22% master’s degrees and 4% PhD’s.
  • Field of Study: 29% want a degree in engineering, 24% in business management and marketing, 11% in biology and biomedical science, and 5% in architecture and urban planning , 5% in design and 5% in law
  • TOEFL Score: The average TOEFL score of those who had taken the exam was 503
  • Intended year of entry: 13% plan to begin their studies in 67% in 2015 and 18% in 2016
  • Citizenship: the predominant citizenships represented in this event were: Kuwaiti: 36%, Egyptian:21%, Indian: 8%,

Kuwait Highlights

  • The country briefing offered by AMIDEAST, which covered country information, important educational data and the scholarship program. Meeting with EdUSA and learning about their robust outreach program.
  • The official ribbon cutting ceremony to start the university fair with the presence of Ambassador Douglas A. Silliman and his wife.
  • Warm welcome at the International Schools where students had good questions and solid conversations with the university representatives. Special thanks for the counselors at these visits for making the group feel very welcome.
  • Visit to Universal American School was truly meaningful for the Linden Group because of their new high school counselor Mrs. Ingrid Al Sattam( former Linden employee.) We could not be more delighted.
  • Great number of students and parents and focused conversations at the public university fair, strong presence of undergraduate candidates.
  • Welcome dinner hot and cold mezze anda traditional grill,a perfect way to start the tour.

Muscat, Oman

October 15-17, 2014

13 universities

Linden US University Fair / Grand Hyatt Muscat / 75
School Visits /
  • The Sultan’s School
  • American British Academy
  • The American International School of Muscat
  • The International School of Choueifat
  • Knowledge Gate International School
/ 55
180
70
30
35
Total Students seen In Muscat / 445
Other Activities
•Country Briefing, EducationUSA Adviser, Laila Kabbash
•Cultural Excursion: Dolphin Watch, Island Excursion
  • Due to a policy by the Ministry of Commerce in Oman, the Linden event was not granted its permit to hold the US University fair. In lieu of this situation, we were allowed to hold an educational seminar/reception. This dramatically affected the turnout of our program.

Attendance at the Fall 2014 Seminar/Reception