Northwestern’s international recruitment student group Global Wildcats spoke Thursday with potential international students as part of its Spring Skype-a-thon.

The group is comprised of current international students who aim to introduce life at NU to incoming students. Global Wildcats contacts Early Decision admitted students in mid-February and Regular Decision students in April.

The group uses Skype to make phone calls to admitted students around the world. It aims to contact every international student who was admitted to the Class of 2018, the University’s most academically talented class yet, University officials said. Calls range from five minutes to more than 20 minutes long.

Weinberg freshmen Ilayda Ustunel and Mahera Walia became the newest student coordinators for Global Wildcats this spring.

Ustunel, an economics student from Turkey, received a phone call from Global Wildcats last spring and said she is excited to now share her experiences with prospective students.

“We are here to answer questions that an admissions officer couldn’t really answer,” Ustunel said. “The prospective students like to hear about the balance of social life and academics.”

Aaron Zdawczyk, associate director of undergraduate admissions, oversees international student admissions. He created Global Wildcats three years ago to help build the international student population and enthusiasm for the school on campus. Since the inception of Global Wildcats, the percentage of applicants, admission and attendance has increased in international students. This year, NU admitted students from almost 100 countries.

“These students are making tough choices. We’ve absolutely made a difference … in helping them really understand and be comfortable saying ‘yes,’” Zdawczyk said.

Global Wildcats aims to broaden its volunteer base and have a stronger presence during International Student Orientation, which occurs before Wildcat Welcome in the fall, Zdawczyk said. The group also organizes Take Northwestern Home, a program in which international students volunteer to promote Northwestern to their former high schools. Upcoming project NU-in-translation plans to create videos about NU in different languages. During Wildcat Days, held on campus for prospective students the first three Mondays in April, Global Wildcats hosts Wildcat Days Dinner for admitted international students.

Though language confusion may arise during phone calls, both current and prospective students are excited to talk about NU, Zdawczyk said.

“The students are so receptive,” he said. “They don’t get many other calls from universities, especially one that’s peer-to-peer … Students tend to be a more powerful voice.”

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