In theory, America's colleges are open to anyone who chooses to apply. But students from abroad are not eligible for federal and state loans, so those who enroll tend to come from families that can pay the full freight. He adds that there is sometimes a sense that wealthy foreigners band together in cliques. Indeed, on campuses in New York, Washington, Boston, and Los Angeles, the cities that attract the most students from abroad, there have long been tales of scions of shipping and oil fortunes tooling around in sports cars-and rarely deigning to drop in on class. There may have been some truth to that, but today students from overseas are not slackers on a joy ride in America,'' says William Cooper, president of the University of Richmond in Virginia, where financial aid packages have lured students from 61 countries.
Colleges say the cross-border recruiting creates true diversity.
But not everyone is thrilled. When we have so many good students who can't get in to top colleges, Yale's news should be of concern to Americans,'' says Phyllis Steinbrecher, an educational consultant in Westport, Conn., who helps students during the frenzied search for a college. World Report Inc. All rights reserved. Read our information page . Whether you're a wallflower or a wildflower, you can find the type of college that's right for you.