“Our university is very reputable,” a Korean student informs me as I grill the galbi. “The prof wanted me to tell you that.” Everything clicked in my head with that statement. It was strange that I had been invited to dinner out of the blue, but her statement brought refreshing clarity. It turns out our professor was worried about the school's reputation after hearing that some students from my university in the same exchange program had declined their slots here in the university in favor of extending their stay elsewhere.