Setting the stage for success: Essential pre-arrival tips to optimise the international student experience

The International Student Barometer has over 4 million responses from international students from around the world and we can justifiably call it the global voice of the international student. Each year the survey utilises more than 150 questions covering the student experience, including their decision-making and post-study plans.

Over the next few months we thought we’d deep-dive into some of the individual questions so you can see the granularity/detail of our data, but more importantly give some examples of best practice from the institutions we work with globally, and get a real sense of how to respond to the issues that are important to international students.

Since 2006, arrival questions have expanded in the Barometer since we know how much a successful arrival can affect a student’s overall experience and successful integration into the institution. (Feedback from institutions has expanded this area and the survey is intelligently routed so only 1^st Year students are asked about their arrival.)

Let’s start with Pre-Arrival information – The question we ask is:

How satisfied are you with the information you receive from your institution before you started?

In 2024/ 2025 global satisfaction with pre-arrival information was at 92% (students who were both satisfied and very satisfied):

It is especially pleasing to see incremental improvements in satisfaction rates from 89% to 92% as institutions focus on this area.

This is especially important since we correlate all our individual indices with our Net Promoter Score (NPS) - the likelihood of students recommending your institution to others. This indicates what is important to students and what institutions need to focus on. Pre-arrival information has the second highest correlation with NPS, just below orientation.

What’s most important in arrival ‘derived importance’ globally?

Some of our participating institutions do really well and we have collated some best practice in this area - here are the eight top tips:

Use simple and straightforward language to accommodate varying levels of English proficiency.

Ensure all communications are free from jargon and technical terms and especially avoid university acronyms.

Include details about visa processes, accommodation options, health insurance requirements. And how to open a bank account. Don’t make the assumption that these will be the same for every nationality and ensure you keep this up to date since regulations can change and there may be different policies for each country.

Provide an overview of university services, academic expectations, and cultural integration resources.

Send information well in advance of their arrival. A timeline that includes key dates (applications, orientation, semester start) is helpful.

Provide reminders for important deadlines and highlight any changes.

Acknowledge cultural differences and provide resources that assist with cultural adaptation.

Include information on local customs, etiquette, and community resources to support their transition.

Use multiple formats to share information, such as emails, PDFs, webinars, and videos.

Ensure materials are accessible on different devices and platforms.

• Tailor messages to specific groups (e.g., undergraduate, graduate, or specific countries) to address their unique concerns.
• Encourage students to reach out with specific questions or concerns.

• • Include information about orientation programs, social events, and student organizations they can join.
  • Offer virtual meet-and-greet sessions with current students or faculty to help build connections before they arrive.

1. • Encourage students to provide feedback on the information provided to continuously improve the process.
   • Establish contact points (e.g. dedicated email addresses or chat services) for questions and support.

Book your meeting to chat with the Etio team about all of the above at the APAIE 2025 conference.