Speaking Their Language: Insights from International Graduate Student Focus Groups

Please provide a one-paragraph overview of the session.‎ (200 words or less): Graduate education leaders spend significant time refining recruitment and admissions processes, yet one perspective often underrepresented is that of international students themselves. This session presents findings from new focus groups with international graduate students, highlighting their experiences and reflections on applying to U.S. institutions. Attendees will hear directly from students through quotes and video clips, illustrating both challenges and opportunities unique to international applicants. Building on our prior work with domestic graduate students, this new project reveals how cultural differences, communication barriers, and logistical hurdles (such as credential evaluation and visa requirements) shape international students’ journeys. Through group dialogue and case examples, we will surface common patterns, identify institution-level gaps, and consider actionable strategies to better support international applicants from inquiry through enrollment. Participants will leave with concrete takeaways and next steps to improve their processes by integrating the authentic voices of the students they seek to recruit.

Session Agenda/Outline (200 words or less): I. Introductions & Context (5 min)
a. Presenter introductions
b. Why – Students are the reason why we are here
c. We built our systems and processes of us, not them
d. We recruit students when they see we understand them

II. Why the International Student Voice Matters (10 min)

III. Focus Group Highlights & Student Clips (20 min)
a. Thematic areas (communication, application logistics, cultural navigation)
b. Small-group reactions and large-group reflection

IV. Themes & Takeaways (15 min)
a. Common patterns across institutions
b. Tactical strategies GEM can adopt

V. Next Steps & Q&A (10 min)