A “cacophony of sales pitches” for overseas university study has emerged in India, the Chronicle of Higher Education reports, noting that this “distinctly modern phenomenon” may have mixed benefits for U.S. universities working to attract Indian students:

“At first glance, this new market [in India] might be considered a boon to American colleges. The United States has been the favored destination of international students for decades: American colleges are far ahead of their foreign competitors in skimming the cream of the crop abroad, particularly to populate top graduate programs.

“But India has become a mass market for a different kind of student: undergraduates. They are far less informed than older students about where to study. And while the United States remains a top choice, they are more likely to consider places like Canada, Australia, Britain—even Singapore—for their degrees.

“Combine that attitude with competition that is more coordinated—and aggressive—than ever, and American colleges are discovering just how hard it is to stand out in the crowd.”

The Chronicle also recently featured an interview with Meghan J. Pace, international student services advisor at Texas Tech University and the only full-time employee at the school dedicated to international student recruitment. Pace briefly discusses the challenges of recruiting for a school that is not well known abroad, as well as her strategies for making the most of her recruiting trips.

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