“One of the biggest barriers to international students attending Marlboro College is the high proficiency in English needed to engage in academic scholarship,” says Maggie Strassman, director of international studies. That is changing, following a new partnership with the International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI), a Northampton-based, not-for-profit language school promoting intercultural understanding through language instruction.

Through an agreement signed by Marlboro and ILI in March, international students from around the world who need an English-language intensive program can start at ILI and then continue on at Marlboro to complete their education. Marlboro requires a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 90, among the highest proficiency requirements of cohort colleges, and ILI will make this more accessible.

“This is a perfect match,” says Brigid Lawler, dean of admissions. “ILI’s well-deserved reputation for excellence in teaching English skills as well as the nuances of U.S. academic culture assures that our students will have a better chance at success.”

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Marlboro College as the 12th partner in our University Pathways Program,” said ILI executive director Caroline Gear, who extolled Marlboro’s beautiful rural setting. “It is an ideal spot for international students seeking degrees in the United States from a very reputable college, and who also want to experience U.S. culture outside of large urban areas.”

ILI’s University Pathway Program includes a range of selected colleges and universities, each of which offers academic courses that are of interest to international students. Other partners include Bay Path University, Boston Architectural College, Elms College, Greenfield Community College, Lasell College, Paul Smith’s College, School for International Training, Springfield College, Western New England University, Westfield State University, and University of Massachusetts-Amherst Graduate School. Marlboro is the smallest partner institution, and as such shares many characteristics with ILI.

“We have a lot in common with ILI, in terms of our campus culture and educational philosophy, and this will be a very natural progression for many students coming to us from overseas,” says Maggie. “Not only does ILI provide international students with the kind of language training that can help them succeed in a challenging liberal arts curriculum, it also provides an introduction to the academic culture of an American college experience, which is so crucial for success here.”