Nihao China and Hong Kong!

Nihao China and Hong Kong! Nihao! Now that fall recruitment travel has wrapped up, Id love to tell you about my last trip abroad. I was able to spend around 2.5 weeks in Hong Kong and China last month and, let me tell you, it was such a great trip! Packing for 2.5 weeks can be hard, but I managed to fit everything I needed in these 2 bags. It had been a few years since Illinois has visited most schools in Hong Kong and China and the welcome back reception was more than I could have ever asked. Hong Kong was the first stop on the trip. I was traveling with one other institution, a small, highly-selective liberal arts college for this trip, so it was fun to provide a large school and small school perspective to the students, families, and counselors as we presented. We visited 10 schools in Hong Kong over the span of 2.5 days. We did a variety of presentations, table visits, counselor meetings, and essay/application workshops. Hong Kong was fun because of the variety in our visits. One of the craziest things that happened during our time in Hong Kong was our encounter with boarzillas on the way to a school visit. They dont prepare you for what you are supposed to do when you see a boarzilla on the way to a school visit in training. Actual footage of me: But in reality, here is a picture of us with the boarzillas: Dont worry, by the end of our encounter, I had convinced the boarzillas to apply Early Action to Illinois ?? Needless to say, our 2.5 days in Hong Kong were filled with a lot of excitement. I loved meeting with all of the the prospective students and their families while there and look forward to returning for future visits. After 2.5 days in Hong Kong, we decided to drive to China and start our visits in Shenzhen. This was the first time I had experienced driving into China, so this was a fun new adventure for me. The process was super easy and right after our trip, they made it even easier. There is now a train that connects Hong Kong to China in 20 minutes! It took us 2.5 hours to leave Hong Kong and get to our hotel in China. Ill definitely be checking out the new high-speed train on my next trip! The majority of our trip, as you can see, was spent in China. We traveled to 6 different cities over the next 2 weeks. What are some things students can ask or talk about when Admissions Counselors come visit? • How do I apply? • What are the application requirements? • What majors do you have? • What is it like to be an international student on your campus? • What is there to do for fun? • Internships, research, involvementhow do I do those? These are just some ideas for students who are nervous about what to ask when we come visit. We are there to help you, so be sure to ask whatever questions you might have! There are no silly questions. We understand it is a tough decision to move thousands of miles away from home to studyâ€"sometimes without even seeing the school. We want to make sure that you feel comfortable with your decision regardless of what you are studying or where you are coming from. Here are some other frequently asked questionsyou can check out as you explore if Illinois is a good choice for you! After 2.5 weeks in Hong Kong and China, we visited over 35 high schools, attended 6 college fairs, hosted 5 workshops, and met with thousands of students, parents, and counselors. To say this trip was successful would be an understatement. I really enjoyed my time in both Hong Kong and China and cannot wait to return in the spring to continue to build relationships with schools, students, and counselors. Counting down the days until my next trip106 Days until Im back in Asia. You might ask yourself, Thats so long! How can I get my questions answered until then? No worries! The Office of Undergraduate Admissions, as well as I, are happy to help answer questions in a variety of ways. Make sure to check out our contact informationat the bottom of our homepage and reach out to us with any questions. I look forward to meeting many of you during our spring travels! But until then Go ILLINI! Jess Jess International Recruitment Coordinator, Undergraduate Admissions I work with international students throughout the admissions process. My biggest piece of advice for anyone going through the college search process is to ask questions. There are no questions too small. That’s why we're here!