Scholarship for USA » Miscellaneous

India Sends Record Number of International Students to the US

Scholarship for USA — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:30:19 +0000

India has sent the most number of students to study in colleges and universities in the USA, as found in a study conducted by the Institute of International Education (IIE), a not-for-profit educational and cultural exchange organization in the United States. The report called Open Doors was based on a survey conducted on international students studying in the USA during the 2008/2009 school year. I.I.E. conducts this annual survey with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Below are the major findings of the survey. It interesting to note that Business and Management remains the most popular major for international students, even though this is not considered a STEM major and is ineligible for the OPT extension. The completed findings from Open Doors can be assessed from their website at www.opendoors.iienetwork.org.

The top eleven countries to send the most students to the US were:

India
China
South Korea
Canada
Japan
Taiwan
Mexico
Turkey
Vietnam
Saudi Arabia
Nepal

The report also found the top ten most popular majors that were chosen by international college students:

Business and Management (21% of total)
Engineering (18%)
Physical and Life Sciences (9%)
Social Sciences (9%)
Mathematics
Computer Science (8%)
Health Professions (5%)
Fine & Applied Arts (5%)
Intensive English Language (4%)
Humanities (3%)
Education (3%)
Agriculture (1%)

Universities and colleges with the most number of international students were:

University of Southern California (7,482)
New York University(6,761)
Columbia University (6,685)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (6,570)
Purdue University (6,136)
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (5,790)
University of Texas – Austin (5,703)
University of California – Los Angeles (5,590)
Boston University (5,037)
Michigan State University (4,757)

States with the highest population of international college students were:

California (93,124)
New York (74,934)
Texas (58,188)
Massachusetts (33,838)
Florida (30,386)
Illinois (29,887)
Pennsylvania (27,529)
Michigan (23,617)
Ohio (20,725)
Indiana (17,098)

3 Tips to Save Money

Scholarship for USA — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:33:28 +0000

Attending college in the US is an expensive affair. This is more so for international students because they are unable to accept regular employment outside of college to support themselves. Therefore, it becomes necessary for international students to save money in any way they can. While the cost of tuition and insurance are fixed, there are a number of ways in which international students can save money. Given below are three ways in which international students can make the most savings, with some careful planning and determination, while attending college in the United States.

Live off campus and share a room

This will probably save international students the most money. Although living in the dorms is a great experience (even if only for a semester), it can be very expensive at most colleges. Renting an apartment off campus is usually a much better option if saving money is one of your top priorities. There are many properties around most colleges that only rent to college students. These places are much cheaper than renting a dorm room. You can further save money by sharing a room with a friend.

Learn to cook

A meal at your campus cafeteria will cost anywhere around $5 to $7. A meal at a restaurant costs upwards of $10. You can make significant savings if you cook your own meals. Students have busy schedules, so you might want to cook a lot of food and store in your refrigerator. How much you spend on groceries really depends on what you eat, but you will probably spend much less than if you bought a meal plan at the college cafeteria.

Buy used textbooks online

Never buy textbooks from your college bookstore. These places usually charge through the roof. You can usually get used textbooks online at half the price. Another option would be to buy older editions of the book that you need. I have bought older edition textbooks for $2 to $3 when the required edition was upwards to $70. I have found that going back one edition does not cause much trouble in the classroom; the only thing different are the page numbers. Don’t hold me to this though, because your experience might be quite different.

There are many other ways that you can save money. But the above three methods will usually make you the most savings. Feel free to add your ideas to the comments.

International Students Leaving the US in Greater Numbers: Most Think Best Jobs Are at Home

Scholarship for USA — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:17:45 +0000

Do you take it for granted that international students will stay back in the United States to work after completion of their studies? There is a popular belief that the US has the best jobs and therefore must be the number one choice as to where international students want to live and work after graduation. Well think again. According to a research called “Losing the World’s Best and Brightest” funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, most international students would like to return to their home countries after graduation.

The research was conducted in October, 2008 based on a survey of 1,224 foreign students enrolled in US institutions of higher education. The main intention of the study was find the factors that influenced an international students’ decision to stay in the US or move abroad. Traditionally, many international students have stayed back in the US and contributed to the economic and technological advancement of the US. However, this study shows that there is a new trend emerging that is seeing more and more international students returning to their home countries after the completion of their education. Some of the more interesting findings of the research are listed below:

Students want to return home

Very few international students want to stay in the US and make it their home. Only 6% of Indian, 10% of Chinese, and 5% of European students would like to stay here permanently. Many would like to work for a few years if given the opportunity, before returning to their home countries. Most students would like to return home within five years.

Most are worried about visas

The majority of students that would like to stay and work for a few years before returning home are worried about obtaining work visas. This concern is not unfounded because the number of applications for H-1B visas in recent years has exceeded the quota for number of visas allowed. Also, new regulations have made it difficult for TARP companies to hire international students. The survey found that this concern over work visas is greater than the concern of obtaining permanent residence.

Jobs and opportunities

Majority of respondents to the survey think that the best job opportunities lie in their home countries, as opposed to the popular belief that the best jobs are in the US. Chinese and Indian students feel the the best days of their respective countries’ economies lie ahead. It is not surprising that international students are disillusioned with the US job market because of the economic downturn and subsequent job cuts in US companies.

Why are students leaving?

The primary reason for students leaving the US is to be with their family and loved ones. Another reason is that students perceive the economic conditions in the home countries as better than those in the US.

Why do you think international students are leaving the US in greater numbers? Do you think it will be good for the US to lose these bright young minds to other economies of the world? Share your thoughts below.

14 Tips For Starting College in the US

Scholarship for USA — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:30:42 +0000

There is an excellent article posted on Back to Bangladesh titled “Starting College in the US“. The writer was an international student at Cornell who after completing his formal education worked in the US for almost three decades before returning to his homeland in Bangladesh.

In this article the writer pens down fourteen tips for his friend’s daughter who is soon to begin studies in the US. While there are many articles, tips and resources out there for freshmen starting college in the US, this particular article is geared towards international students. Number one and number fourteen on the list specially struck a cord with me. They were “Achieve you goals” and “Please come home after you achieve your goals”. I could not agree more with the writer on these points.

All in all, this is a must read for all current and prospective international students in the US. What is your opinion on this list? Do you have more to add? Please comment below.