40 p.c. increase in U.S. student visa applications from India

The demand from Indian students to enter universities in the United States just keeps growing. The U.S. saw a 40 per cent increase in the number of student visa applications from India to study in American universities in the last fiscal, with growing interest in undergraduate courses, U.S. Consulate officials said.

On the sidelines of an interaction on ‘Education in USA’ here on Wednesday, Phillip A. Min, Consul General of the U.S., said the increase was inclusive of numbers from all the consulates in India as well as the Embassy in New Delhi. Traditionally, Indian students, who form the second-largest cohort of foreign students from a country in the U.S., have opted for postgraduate courses.

On competition

Asked about being faced with competition from other countries that promise more affordable education and easier entry, Mr. Min said, “We encourage students to take the best fit for them. America thrives on competition. It is our national make-up,” he added. Though there are no new offerings when it comes to easing the visa application process, it is already user-friendly, he said.

Endowments

Throwing light on the “generous endowments” in many institutions, while addressing a group of students and parents, Mr. Min advised them to look beyond the Ivy League universities.

Kasturi Pananjady, a student from the city who has qualified for a course in Brown University this year with a full scholarship (tuition fee and accommodation) with a “need-based application” (stating that her family’s annual income is under $ 60,000 a year) also shared her experience with the students.

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