International Students Issue

Colleges and Universities A-Z Reed College
1

Having seen quantities of posts on how Reed provides an overwhelming experience, I’ve started to question the situations which international students have to face. Will they actually be accepted by/so well fit into the surroundings of the Americans—people who ever since their early years have been sharing a familiar cultural background? Besides, Reed College International Students Services strikes me as something more of an isolation—students there don’t really seem to get mixed together with the rest (Americans), instead the internationals somehow prefer a separate group of their own. Is this kind of thing prevalent?

Moreover, racism appears kind of perplexing. Reed holds a international student rate pretty much lower than that of the other LACs, so as Asian and African American ones and some blogs even claim that Reed hasn’t yet put too much effort into African American research, which serves as a perfect example on how the racism exists (sounds a bit weird…

One thing for certain is that issues related to such topics as International Students and Racism cannot be conquered in any college in the US, but Reed might stands out as some very unique one—considering even the native people think so. Therefore, will such sensitive cases be shown in a more aggressive way? I’ve also heard that students don’t talk on topics as these openly, so to what extent will they behave?

I’m currently in Senior 2 and am very much interested in and appreciate Reed College, which offers an excellent academic pursuit and wonderful campus environment (e.g. Reed Canyon, the owl and the otter…), yet (minor?) problems as these are sort of troubling factors. Students in Reed seem mostly indeed enjoy their campus life (more of Americans I suppose). So could you please provide some advice very effective or experiences related to such issues?

I’d appreciate a lot. Thank you.

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No. We blend in quite well, and my nationality and my international background are quite irrelevant whenever I make friends. Um, racism is called out very frequently and I’ve never felt discriminated against here, neither have my other international friends. Reed is a traditional institution, and the problems associated with it have to do with more than just ‘African American research’; I disagree that this field should be the sole example of what defines /not-racism/. I am quite sure that our international student rate is quite consistent with many other good LACs.

I am baffled by your claims; our student body is incredibly leftist and would never actively be racist to people of color. They would get kicked out immediately. Racism operates in very subtle, different ways in schools like Reed, mainly in terms of representation and # of people but it doesn’t mean that the student body or the administration is violently toxic to people of color. These problems beleaguer a lot of LACs and are not unique to Reed.

3

Thanks!! Just to make sure such thing won’t at all bother… BTW I really consider Reed’s diversity pretty agreeable :slight_smile: , though many (never mind, just stuff in other blogs…) complain about the major white student body. For an elite LAC such low key, I’d definitely apply for ED this year… Ahh finally!