Why International Retention Starts Long Before Arrival
Target Reader:
Student services, retention offices, or enrollment leaders concerned with international student drop-off.
Summary Points:
Most retention work starts too late — after orientation.
Many Chinese students struggle with unmet expectations and unclear cultural support.
Honest pre-enrollment messaging = stronger long-term outcomes.
You don’t build trust in orientation week. You build it months earlier.
Retention problems among international students often come down to one core issue: expectations vs. reality.
When a Chinese student applies, what are they told — and who’s telling them?
If it’s an agent motivated by commission, they may get a version of the story that leads to confusion, stress, or regret.
At AMB, we help colleges align their messaging before the application, not after enrollment. That means:
Honest family conversations (in Chinese)
Student-facing content that reflects your true culture
Pre-arrival info that feels like a welcome, not a warning
If you want to retain international students, start before they even commit.