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If you are an international student trying to choose a university in the United States, one school that might be an excellent choice for you is Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts. It can be a very difficult task to pick the right college or university. The United States has thousands of universities that each offer something unique and different. To determine which school is best for your needs, it is important to consider a variety of factors. These include academic programs offered, location, and student population.

If you are an international student who wants to come to the United States, there are additional factors to consider. Does the school enroll students from many diverse backgrounds? Are there any new student orientation programs to help first year international students adjust to the new culture and environment? Does the school provide housing? These questions can make choosing a university very hard for international students.

U.S. News Global Education recently named Western New England University as one of its International-Friendly Universities. With small class sizes, many career opportunities, and a friendly student body, this medium-sized university is a great school that helps ease the transition that international students face when coming to study in the United States. Here are 7 reasons why you should consider applying to Western New England University.

Medium-sized student population

Western New England University has just under 4,000 students, which makes it a medium-sized school. If a school is too small, it may not offer a wide variety of academic programs and resources. If a school is too large, students may have trouble getting into contact with professors or may feel lost within the student population. A medium-sized school, such as Western New England University, offers the best of both worlds. In fact, Western New England University boasts a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 20 students. This means that students get to learn in a comfortable environment in which they can ask many questions. It also means that students get to spend a lot of time engaging with their professors.

“My favorite thing about Western New England University is the personal connection that I am able to develop with the professors,” says Amanda Schoen, a senior at Western New England University who is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. “The majority of the engineering professors I have had have taken the time to know my name and have introduced me to internship and career opportunities. I don’t believe that these personal connections develop solely because the class sizes are small, but rather because of the caring and engaged atmosphere of the university as a whole.”

Wide variety of academic programs

Western New England University offers five different academic programs in which students can enroll. Undergraduates can select between the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, and the College of Engineering. For graduate students, Western New England also includes a School of Law and a College of Pharmacy. Students attending Western New England University can earn a bachelor’s, master’s, or a doctoral degree.

The school offers 84 academic programs in total, with nearly 50 majors and several five-year accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s dual degree programs. It also offers a unique 3+3 Law Program that allows students to earn both a Bachelor’s and a J.D. in six years. These combined programs allow students to save money and earn their degrees more quickly!

The city of Springfield offers everything a student could want

University students need to get off campus at some point over the four years. Western New England University is located in Springfield, the third largest city in the state of Massachusetts. It is not hard for international students to get to Springfield because it is located just 19 kilometers away from Bradley International Airport. One you arrive, you can enjoy everything that the city has to offer. With a population of 153,000 people and plenty of restaurants, stores, bars, clubs, musical venues, and cultural events, Springfield has everything a university student could possibly want!

Springfield is located along the Connecticut River, which connects Springfield with the nearby city of Hartford, Connecticut. This region is known as the “Knowledge Corridor” because it includes over 40 universities and over 215,000 students. Because there are so many young people in the area, it is very easy for students at Western New England University to make friends and build professional networks!

In addition to the networking opportunities it offers, Springfield is also a very fun city! Every year, Springfield offers many cultural events, including the Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the Hoop City Jazz Festival, and an annual attempt to earn the Guinness Book of World Records title for the World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast. Located in the heart of New England, Springfield offers four distinct seasons, allowing everything from swimming in the summer to hiking in the fall to skiing in the winter to bike riding in the spring! One last great thing about Springfield: it is only 140 kilometers from Boston!

Affordable and low-cost, great financial aid

Another great reason why Western New England University is an excellent choice for international students is that it is affordable and low-cost. Undergraduate tuition is around $34,000 per year, which is significantly lower than many other top private universities in the country.

In addition, Western New England University offers generous financial aid for low-income students, as well as many merit based scholarships. In fact, the university even offers a special scholarship just for international students of up to $21,000 per year!

Collaborative opportunities for innovative students

On December 6, 2017, Western New England University students competed in the 3rd Annual Product Innovation Showcase. Each year, engineering students and business students team up to develop and promote their own original inventions. The engineering students design and build the products while the business students create marketing plans for them.

The students pitched their designs to judges who played the role of investors. The judges each had a million fake dollars to “invest” in the students’ projects. Students were judged based on the quality of their products, how successful the judges thought their business plans would be, and how cohesively the teams worked.

The Product Innovation Showcase is just one example of how collaborative the environment at Western New England University is. The school’s atmosphere encourages students to work together, and this helps to unite the community as one. This results in many great opportunities for students to build connections and network with other students. In addition, it allows students to acquire valuable new perspectives and learn important information from others.

Kendra Desroches, a senior at Western New England University majoring in Marketing Communications & Advertising, is one of the students who was on the team that invented the Hot Headed Showerhead, which won first place in the Modern Living category of the competition. “It was interesting to get input from people that have different styles of learning. As a marketing student, I learned a lot about the engineering aspect of developing a product from my team that I wouldn’t get in my business classes.”

Many career and internship opportunities

Students at Western New England who are looking for jobs and internships have a lot of options. Springfield is a prosperous economic center that includes many employment opportunities at local companies. The city features many thriving industries such as medicine, law, retail, manufacturing, and entertainment. Lots of large companies are located in Springfield, including Merriam-Webster dictionaries, the American Hockey League, Peter Pan Bus, and Baystate Health (the third largest employer in the state of Massachusetts, employing more than 10,000 workers). Students who want to work in healthcare or perform research can choose between three great hospitals: Baystate Health, Mercy Medical Center, and Shriners Hospital for Children.

For students looking to work on their career skills, Western New England University offers a career center and peer advisers. Alumni mentors help connect students with employment opportunities and provide professional assistance throughout their entire academic careers. Combined with the Innovation Showcase, these resources are just a few examples of how Western New England University is committed to helping students achieve their career goals.

Welcoming community and friendly people

One thing that is special about Western New England University is how friendly the community is. Because of the small student population, students get to know each other quite well. The campus has 10 residence halls and seven academic buildings, giving students the opportunity to spend a lot of time together.

Western New England is famous for a phrase that is popular around campus: “We hold the door open for you.” All over the school, people will go out of their way to hold the door open for others. Even if they are in a hurry, people will stop to hold the door open. This small sign of respect serves as a reminder for students and faculty to take the extra step to help somebody whenever possible.

“The professors are very hands on and willing to lend a helping hand whenever it is needed,” says John Clark, as senior at Western New England University majoring in finance. “Regarding the ‘We hold the door open for you’ phrase, it is really evident in the way that the faculty leads you into your profession. They do a great job at helping you find what you want to do with your education. This makes the transition into the work force really natural and easy.”

Western New England University is a great school for international students who want to live in a diverse community. It offers a varied group of students from 31 states and 27 countries. In addition, the school has more than 70 clubs and organizations that undergraduates can get involved with. This makes it very easy to connect with other students. The Western New England community is truly one like no other.

Learn more about Western New England University

Western New England University is listed as one of the top international-friendly universities by U.S. News Global Education. Click here to learn more about Western New England University, and fill out the form to have more information about the school sent to your email inbox.

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