Penn State has more than 4,000 international students from 120 countries -- 686 of whom come from India alone.
On Friday, 12 guidance counselors from India's branch of the International Development Program (IDP) got to experience what is almost a right for American Penn Staters -- a tour of campus. In India, guidance counselors must be sought out at private firms, and an international student would not have the opportunity of going on a Penn State tour.
Cornelia Vieira of Mumbai said the guidance counselors were here to acquire details on admission requirements, internships and what will be offered to students once they leave for the United States. Penn State was the fifth stop on the counselors' tour of American universities.
The Penn State tour included a PowerPoint presentation, a Lion Scouts-led tour of campus and a meeting with Arvind Rangaswamy, the associate dean of the Smeal College of Business and the co-chairman of the Penn State's India strategic planning committee.
Rangaswamy said Penn State wants to become a global university.
"Our students should understand what it means to be a part of the global marketplace," he said. "We want good students no matter where they're from."
Mathew Ulmer, IDP's manager of communications, said an American education is the gold standard, adding that Indian students are obsessed with brand names.
The United States is a dream destination for an Indian student, Kunal Malhotra said, "for the quality of education and a degree that is globally acceptable."
"I think it's fabulous," Harmeet Pental said of his tour. "I'm very excited about being here. It's very big but well-organized."
Pental believes that Penn State's history of success, credibility, strong alumni connections and research will appeal to Indian students.
"What sticks out," he said, "is the sheer skill of different faculties, each of which is in its own university.
Pental also said many students in India are engineering and business majors and that Penn State allows them the opportunity to take other courses unrelated to those fields and to change their majors.
"When Indian students come here, they invest the life savings of their parents," said Amit Malhotra, one of the guidance counselors. "It's a huge campus and a nice experience for students studying here. It will make you a global citizen -- meeting people, gaining knowledge and the ability to adapt to any culture.
The guidance counselors, who will be in the United States for two weeks, will also go sightseeing and receive formal class training by the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, Ulmer said.
