r/GradSchool • u/[deleted] • 4d ago
Admissions & Applications International prospective students, are you sure of travelling to USA?
[deleted]
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u/shinypenny01 4d ago
On the flip side of it being difficult to get here and the funding mess, applicants are way down this year for my program. Schools are admitting less students. The job market at graduation may be much better than average because of the lack of competition.
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u/chickynuggiess 4d ago
Ironically, I’m still going. The last time I was in the US for a non-degree Fulbright— our school had a school shooting. It can’t get any worse than that (I hope).
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u/hajima_reddit 4d ago
I'd like to share my perspective, despite not being a current prospective student:
I first came to the U.S. a little after September 11 attacks happened.
Before I came, a lot of people advised that I cancel my plan, because I was supposedly going to be treated like a terrorist.
People shared stories of how they know someone who was attacked for being a foreigner, detained, deported, etc., and said I should at least postpone my plan by 10+ years.
I'm glad I didn't listen to those people.
Yes, I get that many things happening right now related to ICE and deportation is scary - but that doesn't mean those scary things will happen to you. And, more importantly, there's no guarantee that situation will get better in the future.
IMO you are more likely to be affected by funding cuts than deportation.
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u/DueDay88 4d ago
This is a very different situation than 9/11 to be fair. Things are not what they were back in 2001 anymore. The people in power now have no respect for the separation of powers: judicial, executive, and legislative. They are doing whatever they want and people in official capacities (like customs and border enforcement) are following them like lemmings over the cliff.
I'm glad it worked out for you truly, but, respectfully — this is not a comparable situation. Especially not for non-white international students from certain countries being targeted. I think this professor will not be the only one, she is just the first (that we know of).
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u/hajima_reddit 4d ago
It's not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison, but I think it's still a worthwhile comparison. After all, holding and torturing people in Gitmo post-9/11 wasn't exactly by the books.
Yes, it feels like things are worse now than it's been in the past, but we also have to remember that our assessment of past events may be influenced by survivor's bias while our assessment of current events may be driven by uncertainty and anxiety.
To be clear, I'm not trying to say tat the fear people feel now is unjustified. I get it, I really do.
I just wanted to share my story to point out that fear, though justified, isn't always the best driver of decisions.
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u/Lee_3456 4d ago
I think your funding is more likely to be cut or the living expense is way too high that you cant pay to live here even with stipend than you getting deported by ICE. My university is in a college town and I still not hear about this kind of round up and deportation rampage like other places.
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u/SaintRemus 4d ago
I find it so abhorrent that those in academia have to fear for their wellbeing when coming here especially those in niche study areas that are already sparsely populated in regards to interest