Chinese Students From ACT Program in China Visit The University of Iowa and ACT in Iowa City

新闻链接：http://www.act.org/news/releases/2008/02-04-08.html

February 4, 2008

IOWA CITY, Iowa—In September, 2007, ACT Education Solutions opened a Global Assessment Certificate Center in Qingdao, China, one of nearly 30 in the country. February 7th and 8th, a group of 30 program students and prospective students from that center is visiting one of the program's Pathway Universities—The University of Iowa—and ACT's corporate headquarters in Iowa City.

"We're thrilled that this group of students is able to visit not only the colleges and universities they're interested in, but also our home office," said Dick Ferguson, ACT Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Past GAC graduates have been very successful. The program and visits like this are important tools to helping increase foreign student enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities."

The Global Assessment Certificate (GAC) is an ACT university preparation program, taught and evaluated in English. The program gives international students the skills they need to enroll in and succeed at English-speaking colleges and universities. Growing rapidly, the program is currently offered at over 65 locations in 12 countries.

The GAC certificate is recognized at more than 100 Pathway Universities in the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Fiji, Mexico, and New Zealand. Students complete The ACT, the most widely accepted U.S. college admissions exam, at the conclusion of the GAC program.

Some U.S. Pathway Universities allow college credits and offer scholarships based on student GAC grade point averages. The University of Iowa is one of the major Pathway Universities. The University has already enrolled 19 GAC graduates from China and South Korea. Based upon the graduate's GAC grade point average and scores on the ACT exam, The University of Iowa has granted up to 28 credits, with a scholarship award of up to $11,000.

"The success of the GAC program in preparing students for admission to The University of Iowa has been very gratifying," said Michael Barron, The University of Iowa's Assistant Provost of Enrollment. "It is rare that international students get to tour U.S. colleges and universities before making their decision on where to apply or enroll. That GAC is making this possible for these students is unprecedented."

In addition to The University of Iowa, these GAC students will visit Harvard, MIT, Dartmouth, West Point, Columbia, NYU, Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and the University of Southern California. Their trip will familiarize them with these colleges and universities, immerse them in American culture and lifestyle, and create a better understanding of what they can expect when they commence their undergraduate studies.