Read the details here.  

View the video here.  

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is the web-based tool that the Department of Homeland Security uses to maintain information on F and M students in the United States. This data includes the students' country of citizenship, what U.S. school they attend, what they study and more.

Mapping SEVIS by the Numbers provides an interactive map that illustrates trends and information on international students studying in the United States using data from the quarterly SEVIS by the Numbers reports. Information can be viewed at the continent, region and country level. The map also includes information on the gender and education level breakdown for students from each geographical area.

Use the directions below to start using the map.

How to use the interactive map

1. Scroll over the map and refer to the header on the top left of the map to select and determine which geographical level you are viewing
2. Use the zoom in and out buttons (+/-) to alternate between continent, region and country level
3. Use your cursor to explore different areas on the map
4. Click on a specific area to see additional data for gender and education level information from that specific region
5. To view historical SEVIS data, click on the reporting period drop down box above the map to change and view data from previous reporting periods. 

To view the map, click here.  

According to the latest SEVIS by the Numbers report, more than 1.13 million F and M visa students study in the United States. Who are these 1.13 million students? Read more.

WASHINGTON – “SEVIS by the Numbers,” a quarterly report on international students studying in the United States, was released Wednesday by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The report highlights February 2015 data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a Web-based system that includes information about international students, exchange visitors and their dependents while they are in the United States.

CHECK THIS: New this edition, users can also visit the Study in the States website to review international student data from “SEVIS by the Numbers” via an interactive mapping tool.

A Summary of the Data

• Based on data extracted from SEVIS Feb. 6, 1.13 million international students, using an F (academic) or M (vocational) visa, were enrolled at nearly 8,979 U.S. schools. This marked a 14.18 percent increase in international students when compared to January 2014 data. The number of certified schools remained relatively static, increasing just more than one percent, during the same time period.
•  Seventy-six percent of all international students were from Asia. The top 10 countries of citizenship for international students included: China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Mexico and Brazil.
•  In February, only 30 SEVP-certified schools had more than 5,000 international students enrolled. The University of Southern California, Purdue University, Columbia University, the University of Illinois and New York University ranked one through five among U.S. schools with the most international students. More than 10,000 international students were enrolled at each of these schools.
• Thirty-seven percent of international students studying in the United States, equating to more than 400,000 individuals, were enrolled in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) coursework in February. Eighty-six percent of international students pursuing STEM studies were from Asia.
•  In the past five years, the total number of female international students studying STEM fields increased more than 68 percent, from 76,638 in February 2010 to 128,807 in February 2015. Sixty-two percent of these female international students were from China and India. Also since 2010, the number of female international students pursuing STEM-focused master’s degrees increased 114 percent. Thirty-four percent of all female students pursuing STEM studies were enrolled at schools in California, New York and Texas.
•  76 percent of SEVP-certified schools had between zero and 50 international students; 73 percent of international students were enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programs; and California, New York and Florida had the most SEVP-certified schools. A school must be SEVP-certified before it can enroll international students who are in the United States on a student visa.

Read the entire article here.      

Read the entire article here. 

Just an FYI…Blessings, Julie


From: Will Goldstein [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2015 8:53 AM
To: Friend
Subject: Free Church Service Sheet Music PDF Songbooks

Check out and download for free some new Christian sheet music pdf songbooks for your church worship services at The King’s Court. 
These songs are registered with CCLI. The King’s Court received reports of 334 usages in churches worldwide from US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Ireland, and Southern Africa in the last bi-annual statement from CCLI.

Currently, you can download 3 free pdf sheet music songbooks online - 78 songs. Approximately 500 more songs will be added to The King’s Court catalog and placed in in more volumes soon. For those interested, please bookmark site for future downloads.

Current free pdf download songbooks:
1) Christ, Our Savior Songbook
2) Old Testament Bible Heroes
3) The King Is Here

Link - http://www.thekingscourt.com/sheet-music-pdf-songbooks.html

On the homepage - http://www.thekingscourt.com - you will find links to: CD’s & Digital Albums, Sheet Music (Pdf songbooks), Jango Online Radio, Facebook Store, CCLI , Photos and Bio, Divine Light Ancient Timeline, Music Review Indie Music

Will Goldstein
email: [email protected]
707 823-0419    

Click here for more information. 

Read the entire article here.   

By Aubrey Way

In East Asia, there is a phrase frequently used by college students as they anticipate graduation and the job hunt: zou hou men (走后门). Literally, it means “go in through the back door.” It refers to using relational connections (guanxi) to gain some advantage in a situation. For instance, these connections can help one find a job. While in the U.S. we might say, “It’s not what you know; it's who you know,” that phrase is exponentially truer in East Asia.

Zou hou men can certainly have negative connotations, but at its root the phrase belies a difference in values between the cultures in the U.S. and East Asia. Americans often prioritize laws at the expense of relationships. Asians often prioritize relationships at the expense of laws. These are broad generalizations to be sure, but they are not completely without merit. The prevalence of zou hou men in East Asia is a prime example of favoring relationship over law (the law of the meritocracy).

When we talk about the gospel in the U.S., we almost always talk about it as an issue of law. God gave us the rules, we broke them, Jesus kept them, but he still subjected himself to the penalty on our behalf, so that we could be freed from the penalty. It is no surprise that many of the most influential figures in Western theology, at one point were, or were on their way to becoming lawyers (Tertullian, Luther, Calvin, etc.). For a culture whose dominant paradigm is the law and rights, this seems appropriate. How might this be different for a culture with a different dominant paradigm?

Read the entire article here.