As universities in the United States see a continuous increase in enrollees from China, school administrators have taken the initiative to visit China's mainland cities to conduct orientations to give the students - and their parents - an idea of what they can expect academically and culturally.

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On average, about 1 million students travel to America to study. In April, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported that there are at least 290,000 enrolled Chinese students, the largest group by far among the reported 1 million international students.

Northwestern University's international office director Ravi Shankar said that data collected from surveys suggest that majority of international students are "not prepared for their journey" and that there is a need to "look for different ways to deliver orientation materials."

Meanwhile, associate director of the University of Southern California's orientations program Melissa Turk said that aside from the usual orientation seminar, they will also offer students the opportunity to register for classes, a program that other universities have yet to offer.

Students and academic advisers who are currently in China for the summer will be participating in the orientation programs to help students adjust from one country to another. Turk said this will also help incoming freshmen feel more confident since they would come in already knowing some enrolled students.

The school will be holding its pre-departure program in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong this year for the third time.

Another participant, Ohio State University, said that the orientations will help the students better understand what to expect in terms of academics, school resources, fundamental skills, and the city in general.

Incoming Ohio State University freshman Peter Zongrong says he is worried about reports of higher crime rates in the U.S. compared to Chinese schools. He also cites differences in culture and habits as well as the language barrier.

Jingan Zhou, an incoming senior at Ohio State and a volunteer at last year's program, believes that the orientations will be beneficial for incoming students. He added that the program would also help parents feel at ease since there will be a lot of support sources available to the students in America.

"If I had these orientations then it would have helped me get used to life in America," he said.

Ohio State will be holding its orientations from June 14 to 20 in Beijing and Shanghai. About 350 students and 500 parents are expected to attend.

Similarly, Michigan State University - which has been conducting on-site orientations since 2009 and expects 1,000 students this year - believes that the programs are not just for the students, but for the parents as well.

"Not only does (the program) help them get started here, but it has also been giving some comfort to the parents and it has been very popular for that," said office for international students director Peter Briggs.

TagsU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, studying abroad, University of Southern California, Michigan State, Ohio State, Northwestern University, student orientation, university, freshman orientation, Hong Kong, exchange program, international studies