How Korean International Students Manage Successful College Life in the US: Recommendations to Prospective Korean International Students

There were 72,295 Korean international students in the United States during the 2011-2012 academic year. How can educators and institutions in the US and Korea best provide culturally appropriate campus and community programs and services to help Korean international students adapt and achieve their academic goal or success? Programs for Korean international students must be provided within a context of cultural appropriateness and in-depth understanding. This paper provides an overview of valuable information on educational, cultural, social, and financial concerns of studying in the US. The article also notes several key issues that international students often deal with: college selection, application process, major study guide, financial issues, campus life tips, and next steps after graduation. This paper also offers several strategies to achieve learning goals, practical approaches and programming suggestions to help collaborative efforts among the campus and local Korean community serve Korean international students more effectively throughout their preparation and beginning phase as well as on-going college life and future plans after graduation.