Eight students were "separated" — meaning expelled — from the U.S. Military Academy and more than 50 students must repeat a year following a cheating scandal, academy officials announced in a statement Friday.

The academy, also called West Point for its location on the Hudson River in New York, will also end its willful admission process that allows cadets who admit to violating the honor code escape expulsion. The program, in place since 2015, was used by 55 cadets in this matter.

The incident occurred in May 2020, when 73 students allegedly violated West Point's honor code by cheating during a remote calculus exam.

"Of the 73 cases investigated by the cadet honor committee, six cadets resigned during the investigation, an additional four cadets were acquitted by a board of their peers, and two cases were dropped due to insufficient evidence," the statement said. "Of the resulting 61 cases that were fully adjudicated, eight were separated, 51 were turned back one full year, and two were turned back six months."

The superintendent of the academy, Lieutenant General Darryl A. Williams, in October "elevated the decision for cadets to represent the academy to his level," the statement said. With this policy change, cadets were allowed to conduct public affairs activities, travel, and participate in clubs and sports until final adjudication.

Prior to the final adjudication, 16 cadets were competing for the academy on sports teams. No one found guilty is now representing the academy.

The cheating scandal is the worst West Point has seen since 1976, when 153 cadets resigned or were expelled after cheating on an electrical engineering exam, VOA noted in a previous article.

The service academies are highly competitive, and in return for a selective education without paying tuition, graduates are funneled into naval or military roles in the U.S. or their home country government. The academies take up to 60 international admissions each year. The first international cadet to graduate was Antonio Barrios, a Guatemalan, in 1889.

It’s tough to gain admission to Yale University, and it’s getting even tougher for international students as standout students from around the world set their sights on Yale.

The Yale Dale News, the campus newspaper, takes a look at the situation here.

Read the full story here.

Ruth Chane, a computer science major from Ethiopia, writes about her experiences settling into student life at Whitman College in the U.S. state of Washington.

"The community at Whitman College made sure I felt welcomed even before I stepped foot on campus," she says.

Read her essay here.

In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.