Mumbai: With the application deadline for most universities beyond India's borders normally set in mid-October, city students gathered to quench their thirst of queries and explore higher education opportunities at the EducationUSA fair on August 27th organised at the city hotel.
Scholarships, Courses, Affordibilty
With over 615 students interested in studying in the US registered for the event, which featured in-person discussions with university representatives, EducationUSA advisers, and U.S. Consulate visa officials.
The majority of candidates' questions concerned scholarships, English language requirements, visa applications, and availability of funding.
Bishal Roy, a Class IX student of BD Memorial International School, was there with his father to learn more about pursuing higher studies in the US. “I visited the School of Visual Arts, New York City and the University of Arizona. I really liked the School of Visual Arts. I got to know the procedures, scholarship details that I have to prepare for in future. I want to study physics, visual arts or data science in future.’’
Among the 40 accredited universities that participated in the event were the University of Houston, the University of Utah, the University of Arizona, Columbia University, and Berkeley College, all of which offering a range of academic programmes at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level.
In-person interactions are in high demand.
In an exclusive interaction with the Free Press Journal, Rob Anderson, the Public Engagement Unit Chief at the US Consulate General, Mumbai, opined that this is the season where we find a lot of interest and see real hunger among students for in person engagement which is why we have planned this massive eight-city tour of India.”
Visitors to the fair enquired about the nitty-gritty of pursuing higher education in the US | Official
US to aim for 500000 Indian students by 2026.
While discussing how the US State Department issued approximately 125,000 student visas to Indian students in FY2022, Anderson told the FPJ that "we are now targeting approximately 500000 Indian students over the next three years, but the goal is really about helping students find the next best fit."
In terms of the state from where the majority of Indian students move to the US, Anderson says, "I know a lot come from Maharashtra and Gujarat. The number is large since most Gujarati students tend to have relatives in the United States. We also get a large number of students from Karnataka."
While not mentioning the reasons for the recent deportation of 21 Indian students from the US port of entry due to visa-related concerns, Anderson clarified it was not a biased decision. "It wasn't aimed at Indian students, but rather at how our system works. When you acquire a student visa, it truly gets you from here to the port of entry in the US, so the departments of homeland security and customs protection all assess the entrance to the US with their own procedures. In most cases, it works out, but at times for whatever reason, they identify a problem that we did not see here.”
Anderson remarked about the growing popularity of the U.S.-India educational partnerships. He said that offline events such as this fair were important to help students and parents make informed choices about U.S. higher education options, learn about the U.S. students’ visa application process, and become aware of other aspects of studying and living in the U.S.
The event saw the participation of several US universities, which included University of Houston, the University of Utah, the University of Arizona, Columbia University, and Berkeley College, | Official
Increased demand for STEM courses
As more students along with their parents walked in as the event progressed, there was a noticeable increase in the number of inquiries for STEM courses.
The advisor for international recruitment at Berkeley College in New York, Greg Barattini, stated, "We can see a lot of demand in STEM Courses specifically for courses like computer science, Engineering, Business Analytics, and Finance."
Barattini, who has been recruiting Indian students for the past 20 years, says, "I've seen a noticeable difference in student quality over the last 20 years. Previously, it was more about the number of students, but now I notice that the quality aspect has improved."
The attendees included not only school and college students but also working professionals who came to enquire about PhD courses. Salim Awalkar, a working professional, came to the event with a similar purpose. “I am planning to get a PhD in Water Resources. I have a specialization in Water Resources with a major in Geography. I’m planning for the January intake,” said Awalkar.
Parents who accompanied their children took part in the discussions with equal zeal. Minti Shah, a parent of a graduate student from Mumbai, appreciated the importance of such events in helping young students choose the right career path. “This is a very good opportunity for those wanting to pursue higher studies abroad. My daughter wants to study computer science. The US is a far better option than Canada and Germany in terms of job prospects and good quality courses. It's anyway going to cost us a fortune to send our child abroad, why not choose the best.”
The universities that appealed the most to the students are those with a flexible curriculum that allows them to pursue academics and simultaneously develop vocational skills to help start their careers. Frederick Sloane, an alumnus of Cornell University, said, “I think that people should focus on developing the skills that they need. I completed my Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Economics in 2011. I really enjoyed the fact that I could combine different fields and have an interdisciplinary approach to my studies.’’
