Morrill Professor Don Sakaguchi takes a selfie with high school students during an I-FiT presentation in Goiania, Brazil, in 2023. About 70 students attended the event. Photo by Don Sakaguchi.
Jorge Calderon traces the current success of Iowa State's international recruiting team to 2020, when the office of admissions and enrollment management moved from student services to academic affairs.
"The provost's office identified international recruitment as one of three priorities. Our budget and staffing expanded, allowing us to do several important things," said the director of international recruiting. Things like more in-person interactions and more admitted student receptions around the world.
Iowa State went from two full-time international recruiters to five -- two based in India -- and now has 32 recruitment partners – recruiters not employed by the university – across the world. Calderon spent eight months recruiting internationally last year, and two full-time staff members each spent at least six months abroad. Recruiting took place primarily in Africa, Asia, Middle East and South America.
"We are one of the universities that travels the most to recruit students," Calderon said. "We are at every big event that makes sense for us as an institution."
International undergraduate admission offers have gone from 1,160 in 2020 to 2,423 in 2024 while enrollment nearly doubled, from 132 to 254, over the same period. Calderon expects both numbers to increase for fall 2025 with student admission acceptance in January up 123% over the same time a year ago.
The international recruitment team uses different events and approaches to pitch Iowa State to prospective students. The Association of International Enrollment Management recently recognized the team with the 2024 Institution of the Year award for its recruitment efforts and admitted student events.
I-FiT challenges
Innovation Fellows in Training (I-FiT) challenges first occurred during the pandemic to attract students to Iowa State when virtual interaction was the only option. Calderon expanded the idea and held the first in-person challenge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2021. The ninth was completed this month in Seoul, South Korea. High school students attend the two-day innovation workshops with a theme -- ranging from animal health to business concepts focused in STEM -- and include an initial presentation by faculty or other ISU experts. Students who complete the workshop receive an innovation certificate and T-shirt.
"We host two to three of these a year in various countries around the world," Calderon said. "We don't run these events on themes that are highly popular, for example computer science or mechanical engineering. When we go to these large student fairs, 50% are interested in computer science, 35% in engineering and we might meet one or two students looking for design or life sciences at these fairs."
Calderon uses time in front of students and their families to promote entrepreneurship, animal science, life sciences, design and more. The university still receives interest from dozens of students pursuing the more popular majors.
High school students taking part in the I-FiT challenge earlier this month in Seoul, South Korea, where Morrill Professor Don Sakaguchi presented "Healthy Animals, Healthier World." After his presentation, students worked on a project. Photo by Don Sakaguchi.
Connecting with students
Judi Eyles, Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship director, has led virtual and in-person I-FiT programs. She traveled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2023 for an in-person event. Eyles focused on team building, problem solving and pitching with students.
"The problems students face in Kuala Lumpur are the same problems our students face," she said. "They are worried about sustainability, mental health and social media. We talked about how to innovate and problem solve, with fun activities sprinkled in, and by the end of the second day they pitched a presentation."
Eyles said Calderon sat in the back of the room. During a break, one by one students approached him to sign up for admission to Iowa State.
"During one of our stops, we went into an admissions office where there were banners hanging of universities from across America. It shows how these students are inundated with literature and brochures every day," she said. "When you can connect them with people and show them an experience they can have at Iowa State, they become active and start to see what they can do."
Don Sakaguchi, biology and genetics undergraduate program director and Morrill Professor, led the I-FiT in Seoul this month, his third in-person event. ISU students who work in his lab interact virtually with the high school students during his presentation.
"Many of these students haven't had the opportunity to interact with professors before, and they really enjoy interacting with the Iowa State students," he said. "They learn what it's like to be a college student and what kind of experiential learning opportunities our students are involved in."
Sakaguchi praised Calderon for his behind-the-scenes work to set up events, making the experience easier for the presenting faculty and staff.
"The international recruitment team's organizational and planning skills, along with their energy, just make it something I'm happy to be involved in," he said.
Admitted student receptions
The additional resources for international student recruitment also made Iowa State a national leader in admitted student receptions hosted across the world. Forty-seven events will be held in 18 countries this spring, giving international students another chance to meet faculty, staff and potential classmates.
"We don't compete just with other universities, we compete with other countries for students, and most universities only host these events in their top markets," Calderon said. "It's so important that we are present so students will consider us as an option."
About 65% of students who attend a reception commit to Iowa State, Calderon said. He said the post-pandemic trend of colleges and universities making admissions exams optional led to students submitting more applications -- from two or three to as many as 20.
"Instead of just being one of many to send an email or letter, this is our extra bit to get into a room with the student," Calderon said. "If you are not there when the student comes with their parents, then you are not on their list."
Members of a 2022 familiarization trip pose with Cy while visiting campus to learn more about Iowa State and central Iowa. Submitted photo.
FAM trips
Yearly familiarization trips (FAM trips) bring 15-20 guests from across the world for a week at Iowa State and surrounding areas, giving them a better idea of what is available to prospective students.
"These are key people from recruitment partners and high school counselors and advisors," Calderon said. "Some of these people have never been to the U.S. What they know is East Coast and West Coast, not the Midwest."
Visitors have opportunities to speak with representatives from the undergraduate colleges and also experience central Iowa culture, for example, Ames restaurants, bowling at the Memorial Union or the National Balloon Classic in Indianola. They learn about campus job and internship opportunities for students.
"FAM trips are important because these people are talking to and advising the students we hope to recruit," Calderon said.
