GVSU recruiter in India able to give first-hand knowledge of university to prospective students

College recruiters are known for covering a lot of distance but Kirthi Kondapalli could win all bragging rights.

Kondapalli recruits for Grand Valley in India and also Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. His efforts played a large role in why Grand Valley had 400 international students enroll this year.

Kondapalli said COVID-19 restrictions are easing in south Asian countries and most embassies have reopened to issue visas, both issues that limited many international students from studying in America last year.

"We are now able to have in-person recruiting events, while still doing a lot of virtual events," he said. "And, I'm now working more with high school counselors, which will also help with the 2022 fall class of students."

Chris Hendree, associate director of Admissions, said of the 400 international students, 176 are new to Grand Valley (a record) and 107 are graduate students, also a record. There are 67 students from India.

"Having Kirthi in the country for us is really paying off," Hendree said. "We had a presence in India before but it was never full time. There are 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. and he's been great at helping students make informed decisions about the colleges and programs they choose."

For nearly two years, Kondapalli has worked for Grand Valley, connecting with students and study abroad agents in India. He visited the university in January 2020.

"I had a chance to see the campus, meet with faculty members and then take that experience back with me when I speak with students, parents, agents and high school counselors," he said.

Students from south Asian countries who want to earn master's degrees are typically looking for STEM programs with a good return on their investment, job and internship opportunities. Undergraduate students are interested in campus life, co-curricular activities, athletics, city life and safety, Kondapalli said.

Hendree said Grand Valley has a lot to offer international students and cited employment opportunities at top health care and tech companies in West Michigan and beyond.

"Our graduates have had great success in landing phenomenal jobs at Facebook, Dell, Groupon. There's really no limit on where graduates can go after earning Grand Valley degrees," he said.