International Reality TV Series Featuring Ohio Wesleyan Begins Airing June 30
‘College Hunt, USA’ stars Cuckoo Gupta (left) and Shashank Sharma (right) met with Ohio Wesleyan admission counselor Steven Johanson during their weeklong visit in April. The six-part series debuts in India on June 30.
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University is one of three universities in the United States featured in a six-part international reality television series that will begin airing June 30 in India. The OWU episodes will be broadcast July 14 and July 21 on Channel V, which boasts up to 25 million viewers for its youth-oriented programming.
“The students get to interact with the faculty, students, and even participate in day-to-day events of student life in the U.S.,” Channel V states in advance publicity for the series. “In other words, ‘College Hunt, USA’ becomes a one-stop shop for everything one wants to know about pursuing undergrad education in the U.S.”
Reality television star Cuckoo Gupta met the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishop during a men’s lacrosse game in April at OWU’s historic Selby Stadium.
The series, including visits to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the State University of New York at Geneseo, was produced jointly by the U.S. Consulate General Mumbai and Channel V, an international TV network owned by Star TV and Fox International Channels.
A promotional video for the series is available now on Channel V’s YouTube page. Full episodes of “College Hunt, USA” will be posted on YouTube and at http://startv.in one day after their successive Sunday broadcast premieres.
The series features students Cuckoo Gupta and Shashank Sharma, chosen from more than 1,000 applicants to visit the United States and share their college search experiences with the world.
“I believe if you have your head firmly on your shoulders you can enjoy life here and excel in your studies,” Sharma said in an interview with Rediff India Abroad. “And this is what I will be telling my friends in India to encourage them to apply to American universities. You become a world citizen here in no time.”
During their Delaware, Ohio, visit, Gupta and Sharma spent a week interacting with Ohio Wesleyan’s professors and 1,850-member student body, learning first-hand what it would be like to attend the private, nationally acclaimed, liberal arts university.
Ohio Wesleyan’s ties with India date back to the 19th Century, when the university enrolled its first student from the Republic of India. Today, those ties are stronger than ever. In 2010, Ohio Wesleyan was one of 10 U.S. colleges and universities selected to take part in a new international initiative to increase the number of academic partnerships among higher education institutions in the United States and India.
As part of the initiative, a group of Ohio Wesleyan students, administrators, and faculty traveled to India in spring 2012 to participate in a joint study at Lady Shri Ram College for Women in New Delhi. Together, the group explored the topic, “Gandhi Today: Perspectives and Possibilities.”
“Ohio Wesleyan is excited to be part of the ‘College Hunt, USA’ series,” said President Rock Jones, Ph.D. “We are committed to providing our students with a globally focused curriculum, and we are fortunate to have students from around the world enrolled on our campus. Each brings cultural and educational experiences that enrich the living and learning environment for all of us.
“I enjoyed meeting Cuckoo and Shashank, and discussing their futures with them,” Jones said. “They will be wonderful ambassadors – sharing valuable information about studying abroad with peers in India and sharing their vibrant culture with U.S. classmates. They will be welcomed additions to any college campus, no matter where they continue their journeys.”
Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s curriculum, campus, and admission process at https://www.owu.edu.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities. Ohio Wesleyan offers more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. OWU combines an internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that connect classroom theory with real-world practice. Located in Delaware, Ohio, OWU’s 1,850 students represent 41 states and 45 countries. The university is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.