Universities in many countries now recruit a large proportion of their students from overseas.
A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan, ideas you can use, and the vocabulary that fits this topic.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Universities in many countries now recruit a large proportion of their students from overseas.
Is this a positive or negative trend?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
How to read this question
The strongest analysis notices that international recruitment is not primarily an educational policy but a financial one: where domestic fees are capped, overseas students cross-subsidise the whole institution. That reframing explains the scale of the trend and produces a verdict about dependency rather than about diversity, which is where most answers stop.
Paragraph plan
Introduction — Paraphrase, then give the verdict: positive in itself, but negative in the form it has taken, because it has become a financial dependency rather than an academic choice.
Body 1 — The positives — funding that sustains courses and research, plus genuine academic and long-term diplomatic benefits.
Body 2 — The risks — revenue concentrated in a few countries and subjects, admissions pressure, and services that have not scaled with numbers.
Conclusion — Positive in principle; the danger is that universities have become dependent on a volatile income stream they do not control.
Model essay
Band 8.5–9.0 model essay
332 words
Universities in many countries now recruit a substantial proportion of their student body from overseas, partly driven by declining domestic birth rates in many developed economies. In my view, this is predominantly a positive trend, although it can create certain challenges for domestic students if left unmanaged.
To begin, the presence of international students enriches the academic and cultural environment of universities considerably. To clarify, when students from diverse backgrounds share classrooms, discussions naturally incorporate a broader range of perspectives, better preparing all students for careers in an increasingly globalised workforce. Moreover, overseas students typically pay higher tuition fees than domestic ones, and this additional revenue enables universities to invest in improved facilities, research funding, and scholarships that benefit the entire student body. In addition, overseas students frequently bring valuable international networks that can benefit domestic graduates seeking employment abroad after graduation. Furthermore, exposure to classmates from different countries often improves students' language skills and cross-cultural communication long before they enter the workforce. For instance, several leading universities have used international tuition income to expand laboratories and libraries accessible to all students.
However, this trend can also create difficulties, particularly regarding access for domestic applicants. This is attributable to the fact that universities, motivated by the higher fees overseas students generate, may allocate a disproportionate share of limited places to international applicants, thereby reducing opportunities for qualified local students, especially in competitive fields such as medicine. Furthermore, cultural and linguistic differences can occasionally strain campus resources, as universities must invest in additional support services to accommodate international students effectively. Moreover, rapid growth in international enrolment can also drive up local rental prices near campuses, indirectly disadvantaging domestic students who rely on affordable housing. Consequently, in some countries, this practice has fuelled public resentment and calls for stricter quotas to safeguard domestic access to higher education.
To conclude, while recruiting overseas students brings valuable cultural diversity and financial benefits to universities, I believe this trend remains positive only if institutions maintain a fair balance that does not compromise opportunities for domestic students.
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to read the rest of this essay and unlock every model on the site.
This is a positive or negative development question. The essay above shows you what a strong answer looks like when it is finished. What it cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in forty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the essay is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Introduction: Paraphrase universities recruiting large numbers of overseas students and state the opinion that this is mostly positive if access for domestic students is protected.
Body 1: Argue that international students enrich campus diversity and provide extra tuition revenue that funds better facilities and scholarships for everyone.
Body 2: Argue that universities motivated by higher overseas fees may crowd out qualified domestic applicants, especially in competitive fields like medicine, and raise local rents.
Conclusion: Restate that recruiting overseas students is beneficial only if institutions maintain a fair balance protecting domestic students' opportunities.
Word or phrase
Meaning
Used in a sentence
enriches
improves the quality or value of something
the presence of international students enriches the academic and cultural environment of universities considerably
globalised workforce
a labour market that operates across national borders and cultures
better preparing all students for careers in an increasingly globalised workforce
tuition fees
the money charged for instruction at a school or university
overseas students typically pay higher tuition fees than domestic ones
cross-cultural communication
the exchange of ideas and information between people of different cultural backgrounds
exposure to classmates from different countries often improves students' language skills and cross-cultural communication
disproportionate
too large or too small in relation to something else
universities... may allocate a disproportionate share of limited places to international applicants
strain
to put pressure on resources beyond their normal capacity
cultural and linguistic differences can occasionally strain campus resources
resentment
a feeling of anger or bitterness at being treated unfairly
this practice has fuelled public resentment and calls for stricter quotas
quotas
fixed limits on the number or proportion of something permitted
calls for stricter quotas to safeguard domestic access to higher education
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to see the ideas and vocabulary for this topic and unlock every model on the site.
Answers checked here may be published on this page, without your name, to help other learners. Nothing else about you is stored.
Common questions
How do I find a fresh angle on a familiar topic?
Ask why the trend is happening rather than what its effects are. Here, noticing that recruitment is driven by a domestic funding decision explains its scale and reframes the verdict. Cause-based analysis is consistently more distinctive than effect-listing.
Can I be positive about something while criticising how it is done?
Yes — it is one of the most useful positions available and it demonstrates the qualification Band 8 descriptors describe. State the distinction clearly in your introduction so the examiner never has to work out whether you are for or against.
Is it safe to write about immigration-adjacent topics?
Yes, provided you argue about systems rather than making claims about nationalities. Keeping the analysis on funding, incentives and risk keeps the essay both stronger and entirely uncontroversial.
