Facts that prove that America is still welcoming
The trend of pursuing higher studies in the US has been steadily increasing over the past decade. As many as 1,65,918 students from India chose to study in America in the academic year 2015-16 which makes up to 16% of the total students registering in all the american university sites.
[Source: The Hindu April 2017]
As mentioned earlier, India and China are the top two nations that send their students to America. This very progression is being shaken by the rise Donald Trump to the white house.
We had already discussed this in our previous blog. As said earlier, a lot of students have turned hesitant in choosing the country as their destination for higher studies.
This blog focuses on giving valid data as to why America is still a prospective destination for opportunities to study and work. At the very outset, American universities are still among the best in the world. The atmosphere of the universities brings out the best in students. Being among the few handpicked brains from their native countries, the students have a chance of measuring themselves against international standards.
Secondly, No major university in the US encourages discrimination of any sort, rather they welcome students with open arms. One reason why students may find it tough is that the colleges usually have a cap on the intake of number of international students. With the increase in the number of applicants, the competition gets tougher.
Next, considering the employment scenario, the students can be categorised into two. Students who study to work and the ones who study to study in the US. The scale has always been tipping in the direction of the former. Majority of the students pursue masters in the US to find employment there while the others are required to find employment somewhere at some point of time for their education. Students have a one-year period under OPT(Optional Practical Training) during when they can work in the United States of America. They can also apply for the H1B visa during this time.
Now the students who pursue STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) are granted two year extension to the OPT, in this case students get to work for a minimum of three years. H1B also works under the same lottery based system as earlier with the exception of six month premium processing. This suspension has been termed as a step to manage the huge number of applications.
American education still holds its head high in Trump’s America. Trump has not yet proposed any change that affects international student community. While trump may spew a rhetoric of Anti-immigration sentiments, if you have ambitions in line with higher education in the US, you will certainly find great opportunities.