“I want to be that somebody,” she said. “Instead of an e-mail address, I want to be a person they’ve talked to.”

Gjersvig said MSU also is focusing more on community colleges, which are seeing growing numbers of international students as well as growing numbers of so-called “new immigrants.”

“That’s been generating more interest in applications,” Gjersvig said.

MSU also has gotten some help from agents who help international students find an institution.

“We don’t enter into any agreement with them,” he said, “but we know from what we’re hearing that some of these agents are referring students to MSU because they know the students are having satisfactory experiences here, and they want satisfied customers.”

Other factors helping push MSU’s numbers upward include:

n The weakness of the U.S. dollar — While it may be a nightmare for students to study abroad, it makes it easier for international students to come here.

n The addition of doctoral programs — MSU has traditionally had high numbers of international students in its graduate programs, and the addition of the doctoral programs will only add to the appeal.