Chinese undergraduate Tianyi Zhang had seen plenty of movies and TV shows about the U.S., but nothing could quite prepare her for what she would encounter on a North American campus.

"There are lots of differences in our living habits – the food, the lifestyle," says Zhang, a rising senior and computer science major at Purdue University—West Lafayette. "What really shocked me is the use of the metric system. We use centigrade – so when someone talked to me, they would say, 'It's going to be 100 degrees.' I was really shocked."

Zhang is one of the increasing number of Chinese undergraduates enrolling at U.S. colleges. In 2013-2014, more than 274,000 Chinese students came to the U.S. to study – the most from any country and an 18 percent increase at the undergraduate level, according to the most recent Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.

Many Chinese undergraduate students, who make up slightly less than half of Chinese students in the U.S., arrive in the country with poor English speaking skills and little understanding of how to operate within the U.S. higher education system. To bridge the gap, U.S. colleges are starting a variety of programs aimed at making transitions like Zhang's a little easier.

Learn more about international students coming to the U.S. ]

One way U.S. colleges and universities are adapting to the influx of Chinese undergraduates is by hiring additional employees, including academic advisers and staff to handle immigration paperwork. Some schools, such as Purdue University and Ohio State University—Columbus, have hired Mandarin-speaking counselors to address the mental health needs of Chinese students.

Some schools, such as Purdue, Ohio State, University of Iowa, Indiana University—Bloomington and the University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign, have also started to host pre-departure orientations in Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

At the pre-departure orientation offered by Indiana University, for example, students and parents have a chance to pepper college staff with questions on their own soil. Parents are addressed in Chinese, while students are spoken to in English, giving them a taste of the U.S. classroom experience.

"It makes them feel comfortable with Indiana University and gives them the opportunity to ask question after question about food and transportation and the libraries and tutoring," says Dennis Groth, vice provost for undergraduate education.

At Purdue, school officials also see the pre-departure orientations as a chance for staff cultural training, says Michael A. Brzezinski, dean of international programs. A variety of people have gone on the trips, including employees from residential life, food services and academic advising.

Some schools, such as the University of Iowa, are also helping instructors address language challenges. Professors in the business school, where most Chinese undergraduate students are enrolled, can bring their class lists to a native-speaking tutor who can help them pronounce Chinese student names.

"It helps professors feel more comfortable calling on students if they can pronounce their names," says Pamela Bourjaily, director of the Judith R. Frank Business Communication Center, ​which offers the service. "We really want to show students that we respect who they are and that we respect them enough to learn their names."

Since Chinese and other international students tend to stick together, schools are also creating programs that encourage them to mix with domestic students, including forming buddy programs, being more purposeful about student housing and carefully selecting groups when assigning students projects. At some schools, such as Texas Christian University, international students can even get an introduction to football so that they can better relate to U.S.​ students.​

Schools are also encouraging Chinese students to share and celebrate their cultures. At Bryant University, for example, the school has a Chinese dance troupe open to all students and an annual extravaganza where international students can share their cultural costumes, songs and other traditions. The campus celebrates Chinese New Year as well as other festivals, says Bryant President​ Ronald ​Machtley.

"If you are going to bring them over and you want them to be successful, you have to let them celebrate who they are," he says.

Many schools are offering formal English language training to international students and casual discussion groups where they can practice their English. Others have adjusted the food in their dining halls to cater ​more to Chinese tastes.​

Prepare for additional fees as an international student. ]

At Bryant, international students are required to come to campus before others freshman year for orientation – in part because officials noticed Chinese students were jet-lagged and exhausted by the time classes were set to start.



If there is a downside to these extra programs and services, it's that someone has to pay for them. And in recent years, fees and tuition for international students – who often pay full price – have been increasing.