Access to internet may impede recruitment of Chinese students

The internet is restricted more in China than any other country in the world, a condition that may make it difficult for prospective Chinese students to get information they need about higher education opportunity outside the country. The "Great Firewall of China" stands in the way of both students and their families who seek opportunity elsewhere when the number of seats in Chinese institutions does not match the demand.

With 520,000 Chinese students presently studying in the U.S.A., 68% of the top-25 institutions that host them have blocked recruitment/admission content when prospects conduct their internet searches. The blocks have driven some institutions to move their recruitment messages to Chinese specific web sites and social media, often providing text in local languages (especially useful for family members). With the ambivalence created by the Trump administration, reaching Chinese and other international students through social media is essential.