Linden Tour Report: Asia Fall 2014
Overview
The fall 2014 Linden Tour to Asia was fast paced and productive. On the tour, we visited nine
cities in 22 days: Yangon, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Taipei,
Hong Kong and Seoul. We were joined on the tour or at our fairs by 63 university representatives
from a wide range of institutional types from all over the country. Over the course of the tour we
 Interacted with over 100 counselors, educational advisers and placement agents.
 Participated in 6 public university fairs and 54 visits to secondary schools, universities
and agencies;
 Held reverse fairs in Bangkok, Taipei and Hong Kong and hosted a counselor event in
Yangon.
 Saw more than 5,000 students as well as numerous parents throughout the tour.
The Linden fairs were attended by high quality candidates who frequently arrived with their
parents. Our group was diverse and the evaluation of the school visits was just as diverse.
However, after tallying the evaluations for the visits, it is clear that overall the group felt most
visits were definitely worth repeating. It was wonderful to return to Taipei and Seoul after a two year absence. Our turnout in these two cities was excellent and the quality of the students very
high. Everyone felt both cities should be repeated.
In contrast, the group was very disappointed in the IIE Fairs. Most tour members will not sign up
for them again. Tour members expressed dissatisfaction with both the quality and the quantity of
students. Overall the group appreciated the pace of the tour and the smaller size of the group in
Southeast Asia. Some felt the group was a little large at the end, but recognized the draw and
excitement the numbers and diversity created in Taipei and Seoul.
Economic Outlook and Student Market
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the outlook for Asia is one of steady growth.
GDP growth is forecast to improve slightly in 2014 –2015 to 5.5 percent. The regional growth will
be helped overall by the more advanced economies and healthy labor markets. The region also
faces some risks from within such as financial sector vulnerability in China and political tensions
and uncertainty in some places such as Thailand and the Philippines as well as tensions between
neighbors such as China and Japan and North and South Korea.
Again, it comes as no surprise that Asia continues to be the largest sending region in the world of
students to the U.S. According to Open Doors, China alone increased its numbers by 21% and
with the exception of Singapore and Myanmar; all of the countries visited on the tour are among
the top 25 sending countries.
On the road, it was clear that parents and students continue to place great importance in saving
for higher education and researching and choosing the right university. We also saw first hand
that parents are increasingly aware of other opportunities that exist in places like Canada and
elsewhere in Asia. Again and again, we saw how crucial it was for parents and their children to be
able to talk face-to-face with U.S.-based representatives—an important reminder of the need for
universities to maintain their presence in Asia. Full city-by-city report follows this section. All
enrollment statistics quoted for specific countries come from Open Doors. Additionally, we
received only numbers from IIE. No other information was provided to us.
Tour Review
Through written evaluations and the Tour Review Meeting, we learned that the tour members
especially liked:
 School visits especially in Taipei and Seoul
 Reverse Fairs especially in Hong Kong
 Linden fairs
 The flexibility of the tour and the possibility to craft an individual tour.
 The organization of the tour
 Cultural events
 Welcome and farewell dinners
They would like us to consider:
 Not coinciding with IIE, so we can go to Asia earlier in the season
 Visiting some secondary cities such as Penang
 Rethinking the visits in Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City
 Registering students in Yangon
Appreciation
First and foremost, our thanks go to all of the tour members for their dedication and commitment
to international education, and as a group, for their patience and good humor especially during
the long days. It is a joy and a privilege to travel with all of you.
Thanks also go to our colleagues in Asia: for their help with publicity, registration and advocacy of
U.S. higher education in the region. Our public fairs and school visits would not have been a
reality without their ongoing support and collaboration. In particular, I want to thank our friends at
MACEE in Kuala Lumpur and the Korean American Education Center in Seoul.
Finally a heartfelt thanks to the Linden staff: Brandy Fransen, Liz Theal and Leah Baines for all
their help with office tasks in preparation for the tour. Leah did a great job getting out all the
brochures and flyers out for all the tours - and Liz made sure that we had hotel rooms and event
space around the world. A special thanks to Leah for organizing the cultural options and for
assisting on this tour especially with all the flights, boxes and the myriad other details that came
up along the way. She was an enormous help and a great addition to the tour.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Harrington
November 2014
Yangon, Myanmar
September 22 – 24, 2014
Fairs:
Seminar/Fair at EducationUSA
300
School
visits/
Other:
University Foundation Program
International School of Myanmar
Yangon International School/International School of Yangon
100
20
140
Total Attendance in Yangon:
560
Current Market/Trends
Currently there are almost 1,000 students from Myanmar studying in the U.S. This represents an
increase of more than 18% over the previous year. 70% study at the undergraduate level; 16% at
the graduate level and the rest are in non-degree programs or in OPT.
Yangon Highlights
 Very strong, productive visits
 Students are very open to study at a variety of institutional types
 The people are very welcoming, and the city was fantastic.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
September 24 – 27, 2014
Fairs:
Linden University Fair at JW Marriott Hotel
School
visits/
Visit to International School of Kuala Lumpur
Visit to UCSI University – A levels
Visit to Methodist College
Visit to Taylor’s ADP
Visit to Help ADP
Visit to INTEC Education College
Visit to Alice Smith School
Visit to INTI Subang Jaya
Visit to Sunway University College
Visit to Inti International University Nilai
Other
Visit to Batu Caves
Welcome dinner
Total Attendance in Kuala Lumpur:
207
50
50
19
50
30
200
50
40
60
40
796
Current Market/Trends
In academic year 2012-13, 6,791 students from Malaysia were studying in the United States, with
68% studying at the undergraduate level. It was the 21st top place of origin of international
students.
Fair Statistics
Of the 207 registered students at the Fair:
 70% want undergraduate study; 20% want graduate study; the rest did not stipulate;
 66% want to begin in 2015, 14% in 2016, and 8% in 2017;
 The most popular majors students indicated were Business, Engineering, Computer
Science and Communications and Biomedical Sciences
 More than 80% were Malaysian citizens
Kuala Lumpur Highlights
 Improved school visits at ISKL and Alice Smith
 ADP visits
 Quality of students at the Linden Fair
 Welcome dinner and visit to the Batu Caves
Singapore
September 27 – 29, 2014
Fairs:
Linden U.S. University Fair
184
School
visits/
Other:
Visit to United World College East
Visit to Raffles Institution
Visit to ISS International School
Visit to Singapore American School
Visit to Overseas Family School
Visit to United World College
Visit to NPS International
60
100
10
35
100
Total Attendance in Singapore:
489
Current Market /Trends
The number of Singaporean students attending U.S. universities in 2012-13 increased slightly to
4,558. Close to 50% of those students were at the undergraduate level.
Fair Statistics
Of the registered students at the Fair:
 74% want undergraduate study; 23% want graduate study; the rest did not specify
 51% want to begin in 2015, 26% in 2016, the rest 2017 or later
 20% of attendees indicated they wanted a degree in Business, Management and
Marketing. The next most popular intended majors were Biological and Biomedical
Sciences, Engineering and Architecture. There was also an increased interest in the
Humanities and the Arts.
Singapore Highlights
 School visits at SAS and NPS
 Quality of the students overall
Jakarta, Indonesia
September 29-October 1, 2014
Fairs:
Sekolah Pelita Harapan Fair
400
School
visits/
Other:
Visit to Springfield International School
Visit to INTI College Indonesia
Visit to Jakarta International School
Visit to Sinarmas World Academy
Visit to Santa Laurensia
150
Total Attendance in Jakarta:
75
25
650
Current Market /Trends
In academic year 2012-13, Indonesia was the 18th leading place of origin of students coming to
the U.S. Enrollment increased this year by 7.6%. 7, 670 Indonesians are currently studying in the
U.S. The majority (65%) study at the undergraduate level.
Jakarta Highlights
 Sekolah Pelita Harapan Fair
 Visit to Jakarta International School
 Possibility of developing visits at Springfield International School
Bangkok, Thailand
October 1 - 5, 2014
Fairs:
IIE University Fair, Landmark Hotel
183
School
visits/
Visit to Ruamrudee International School
Visit to International School of Bangkok
Visit to International Community School
Visit to New International School of Thailand
Reverse Fair
Excursion to Ayutthaya
60
100
20
40
Other:
Total Attendance in Bangkok:
403
Current Market /Trends
Thailand dropped from the 17th to the 20th leading place of origin for students coming to
the U.S. in 2012-13. The total number fell from 7,626 to 7,314. Although there are still
more graduate students (46%) the number of undergraduates has risen by 4% in the last
year to 35 % of the total.
Fair Statistics
From IIE:
Desired Degree: Associate 10, Bachelor 79, Master 85, Doctorate 9
Bangkok Highlights
 School visits
 Reverse Fair
 Excursion to Ayutthaya
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
October 5 – 6, 2014
Fairs:
IIE University Fair, REX Hotel
330
School
visits/
Other:
Visit to American International School
Visit to Saigon South International School
Visit to American Academy of Vietnam/International School of Ho
Chi Minh City
100
80
75
Total Attendance in Ho Chi Minh City:
585
Current Market/Trends
Vietnam is the eighth-leading place of origin for students coming to the U.S. In 2012-13 there was
an increase of 3.4 % over the previous year. In total, there were 16,098 students from Vietnam,
with close to 75% studying at the undergraduate level.
Fair Statistics
From IIE :Desired Degree: Associate 20, Bachelor 134, Master 131, Doctorate 19, Other 26
Ho Chi Minh City Highlights
 The school visits
 Exploring Ho Chi Minh City on a rare evening off
Taipei, Taiwan
October 6-9, 2014
Fairs:
Taichung Schools Fair at Evergreen Hotel
100
School
visits/
Other:
Visit to International Bilingual School
Visit to Taipei American School
Reverse Fair
160
95
Total Attendance in Taipei:
355
Current Market/Trends
Taiwan is the sixth largest sending country for students in the U.S. In 2012/2013, the number of
students decreased by almost six percent. Currently there are 21,867 students from Taiwan in
the U.S. Almost 50% are at the graduate level, 27% are studying for undergraduate degrees and
the rest are in non-degree programs or in OPT.
Taipei Highlights
 The great school visit in Taichung
 The reverse fair
 Excursion to the top of Elephant Mountain
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
October 9-12, 2014
Fairs:
IIE University Fair, JW Marriott
School
visits/
Other:
Visit to Hong Kong International School
Visit to Chinese International School
Visit to Canadian International School
Visit to Victoria Shanghai Academy
Visit to The ISF Academy
Visit to South Island School
Visit to International Christian School
Visit to Hong Kong Academy
Reverse Fair
Total Attendance in Hong Kong:
323
30
20
25
60
40
7
505
Current Market/Trends
Hong Kong is number 17 for sending students to the U.S. In 2012/2013, the number of students
remained steady with almost no change except for a slight increase in undergraduates. Currently
there are 8,026 students from Taiwan in the U.S. 72 % are at the undergraduate, 13% are
studying for graduate degrees and the rest are in non-degree programs or in OPT.
Note: This is a difficult year to evaluate Hong Kong due to the proximity of the protests. The main
site was at the Admiralty where the university fair took place. While the protests did not affect the
school visits, it may have affected the attendance at the fair.
Fair Statistics
From IIE: Desired Degree: Associate 23, Bachelor 188, Masters 63, Doctorate 9, Other 40
Hong Kong Highlights
 A well-attended reverse fair
 An improved visit to South Island School
 Visits to the peak and to Kowloon to see the skyline lights show
 The fabulous city of Hong Kong
Seoul, Korea
October 12-14, 2014
Fairs:
Linden U.S. University Fair
149
School
visits
Visit to Yongsan International
Visit to Korean International School
Visit to Asia Pacific International School
Visit to Chadwick International School
Visit to Dwight School
Visit to Seoul Foreign
175
100
100
100
5
25
Other
Farewell Dinner
Total Attendance in Seoul:
654
Current Market /Trends
South Korea is the third largest sending country for students in the U.S. In 2012/2013, the
number of students decreased slightly mainly at the graduate level. Currently there are 70,627
students from South Korea in the U.S. More than 50% are at the undergraduate level, 28% are
studying for graduate degrees and the rest are in non-degree programs or in OPT.
Fair Statistics
Of the registered students at the Fair:



65% want undergraduate degrees; 35% want graduate degrees and the rest did not
specify
49% want to begin in 2015; 35% in 2016 and the rest 2017 or later.
Business, management and marketing were the most popular majors followed by biology
and biomedical fields and the social sciences
Seoul Highlights
 Great school visits
 Quality students at the fair
 Farewell dinner
 Returning to Seoul