It’s still a welcoming America for students

[JANASENA]

American dream: An inclusive environment   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

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For Indians keen on studying in the U.S., there is no cause for worry. Prospects are as good as ever under Trump’s rule. Dispelling some myths.

Walking home along the Manhattan Bridge, I stopped as usual to take in the breathtaking view of the New York skyline. The city with its tall buildings such as the Freedom Tower, the Chrysler building, the Empire State building, the New York Times building and others, seemed to be touching the stars. I tried to imagine what thoughts such sights will provoke in the young minds getting ready to apply to the universities here in the coming year.

However, on reaching home, I was greeted by the agitated outburst of my roommate who was working closely with the admissions department of the New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering — the number of applications from the Indian students showed a sudden, unbelievable drop! A few minutes later, I received a call from my friend in India, Thomas, asking me a question I had never been asked before but have been consistently asked since the end of last year: “Should I withdraw from pursuing my higher education in America considering the rise of Donald Trump?”

The trend in India of pursuing higher studies in America has been steadily increasing in the last decade. As many as 1,65,918 students chose to study in the United States in the year 2015-2016 making up 15.9% of the total number of students registered in all American universities. India ranks second after China in the number of students it sends to America. This progression is being shaken by the rise of Donald J Trump to the White House. With the rhetoric of the U.S. President Trump and the news of crises and rising instability in America, prospective students have turned hesitant in choosing the country as their destination for higher studies. Let us analyse the situation to help prospective students take an informed decision.

Still among the best

At the very outset, let me dispel any worries about the quality of education. American universities are still among the best in the world. More often than not, the vibrant academic atmosphere of the universities brings out the best in the students. Being one among the handpicked brains from many countries offers the students opportunities to measure themselves against international standards.

Second, no major university in the U.S. supports discrimination in any form. Universities still welcome international students with open arms. The primary reason why Indian students have a tough time getting into American universities is that universities usually have a cap on the number of international students, and, with the increasing number of applicants, the competition is getting tougher.

Third, let us consider the employment scenario after studies in America. I would prefer to classify students into two categories — students who study to work in America and students who study to study in America. The scale has always been tipped in the direction of the former. A majority of students pursue higher studies to find employment in the U.S., and even those students who study out of love for the subject require employment somewhere and at some point after their education. As far as working in the U.S. after education is concerned, there is no change in the scenario from the era of former U.S. President Barack Obama. Students have a one-year period under OPT (Optional Practical Training) during which they can work in America as part of their education. They can also apply for a work visa (H1B) during this time.

The students who pursue STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are granted a two-year extension to the OPT. Such students, therefore, get to work for a minimum of three years. H1B applications also work under the same lottery-based system as before with the exception of a temporary six-month suspension of Premium Processing. This suspension has been reported to be a step to manage the huge number of applications and not in any way meant to deter applications. There are no laws that have been proposed or considered in the House of Representatives or the Senate that threaten this system.

American education still holds its head high in Trump’s America and holds students of all races, genders, sexual orientation and nationalities close to its bosom. Trump has not yet proposed any change that affects the international student community, and if you have ambitions in line with a higher education in the U.S., you will certainly find the same opportunities in America that I found in this country three years ago.

While Donald Trump may spew a rhetoric of intolerance and anti-immigration sentiments, remember that the plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty will always read: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Those golden doors are still open to Indian students to prove to the world that they are a challenge to the best anywhere in the globe.

The author works at Amplify Education Inc. in New York as a Software Engineer in the Centre for Early Reading Department.