More Indians going to US universities: Survey

[OhioChick]

Apr 16, 2011, 04.45am IST

CHENNAI: The number of Indian applicants to US graduate programmes has increased by 7% this year, according to a preliminary survey by the Council of Graduate Schools in the US. This follows a 1% increase the previous year, while China, which saw a steady increase in the number of applicants to US universities, registered a 2% dip in 2010-11.

Expressing satisfaction, United States-India Educational Foundation (USIES) executive director Adam Grotsky said, "The United States welcomes all qualified Indian students to study in America. Indian students are a vital element of graduate schools on hundreds of American campuses. This educational exchange brings our two great democracies closer, and lays the foundation for greater cooperation and understanding."

Overall, graduate applications to US universities from overseas students rose by 9% over the previous year. International students account for 15.5% of the total graduate student population in the US, said findings from phase 1 results of the 2011 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey.

Rajalakshmi Anathraja, manager, India initiatives, enrolment management, University of Dayton, said, "We will only know the final figures in August, but in the preliminary stages we have seen a good number of applications from India and China. There is roughly a 5-10% increase in the number of students hoping to do their masters' in the US."

More: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/More-Indians-going-to-US-universities-Survey/articleshow/7995158.cms

Thought we had lousy universities?

[BillyJack]

1. Why do so many Indians come to the US for their education? Seriously.

Aren't there any good/great schools in India?

I would THINK that there would be, considering their history (former British Colony) and a lot of other factors.

What's going on here?

:shrug:

[exboyfil]

3. They do have good schools in India

but they cannot keep up with the demand. The numbers of engineers that will be coming out of China and India will take your breadth away. I think part of the reason that so many Indians come to U.S. for schooling is because it is a great deal for them. In engineering most have assistantships that cover tuition with a stipend. It is a tight life, but after getting a U.S. degree they stand a much greater chance of staying in the U.S. and making a whole lot more than they will in India (but this is changing). In general in engineering schools we really only care about getting the answers so racism is not an issue (maybe an Indian would disagree with this statement - I don't know). I have gone to school and worked with hundreds of Indians.

At most engineering universities the faculty looks like the United Nations. It has been a wonderful experience. One of my best friends in college was my roommate from Hong Kong.

On the other hand I think we should have many more engineers from the U.S. going into graduate school. Since many engineers can start making $60K after graduation, it is very difficult to retain them. Many eventually get their Masters degrees through online or night programs (that is how I did it).

When I was going back to graduate school in 1992 I tried to obtain an assistantship from both of our public university engineering programs, but I was unsuccessful. I went back anyway after getting laid off, and I admit that I had a very negative view as to all the assistantships held by foreign students when I, as a U.S. taxpayer with seven years experience, was unable to obtain one. The years have kind of mellowed me on that experience. It worked out ok for me, and the department did come with an offer to me after two semesters, but, by that point, I had made other arrangements.

I would strongly recommend any U.S. citizen after getting a B.S. in Engineering to go immediately into the workforce instead of starting an M.S. program. Most employers will pay for the M.S., and you are killing up to two years of earning potential.

[BillyJack]

6. Thank you for that insight/explanation.

:-)

[damntexdem]

4. I taught in a masters program in Kansas wherein 75% of our students were from India.

Indian students had first come to study engineering, so formed a local community. Then, first their relatives started coming to our program; then others came as they heard about the established community, and of the relatively-low cost of living in the area. Then more came as word got back about our program itself. Ao, there were multiple pull factors that began to build upon one another.

[exboyfil]

8. Most universities I have been associated with

usually have assistantships available along with some sort of stipend for the M.S. candidates (and of course the PhD ones). When evaluating for these assistantships is any additional consideration given to U.S. citizens over those from other countries. I could not get an assistantship when I wanted to go back for my M.S. in 1992, and I thought that was odd given I had seven years work experience. The vast number of assistantships in my engineering department when I did go back on my own dime were held by foreign nationals.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. World rankings of 'best' universities are still dominated by American ones

The ranking methods aren't universally agreed on, but here's an example:

http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2010/subject-rankings/technology

The top Indian one is at #47. There are 15 US universities above it.

[czernobog]

9. Dothead here

I'm from India. Yes, the education here is of poor quality. Teaching is practically nonexistent in the majority of institutions after class 10 (the equivalent of your high school sophomore or something). You either study the bulk of your course material yourself, or take extra classes elsewhere. And even those classes only teach you how to beat the test, not the subject. The situation is worse in rural areas.

I checked out a few US universities about 11 years ago too, when I was a teen. The idea was quickly abandoned after taking a look at the yearly expenditure at the average US university. So maybe you can console yourself with the fact that they're bringing some money into the country through payment of tuition fees and the like.

[pscot]

2. Somehow I knew

this wasn't going to be about the Navaho or the Lakotas.

[BillyJack]

7. Yeah, that was my very first thought/HOPE THAT IT WOULD BE about Native American Indians

as well.

:-(