Trump's rhetorics leads to sharp drop in Indian students appying in US universities

It looks like the Donald Trump rhetoric has had a major impact on students from across the world. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers while announcing the preliminary findings of a survey of 250 colleges said that nearly 40 per cent of US colleges are seeing a decline in applications from international students.

International student recruitment professionals report a great deal of concern from students and their families about visas and perceptions of a less welcoming climate in the US, the association said while quoting the survey.

Several students from India and China have stopped applying in US universities . They have raised concerns and anxieties about the travel ban apart from stating that there is concern about the less welcoming of foreigners after Trump took over as President of the US.

The survey stated that large drops were reported from India and China who together comprised 47 per cent of the international students. There was a 26 per cent drop in the applications from India for the undergraduate courses. From China the number was 25 per cent. For the graduate courses there has been a decline of 15 per cent from India and 32 per cent from China. From the Middle East the drop was at 79 per cent. Asia and Latin America reported a drop of 36 and 34 per cent respectively.

Reasons for the drop:

• Perceptions of a rise in student visa denials at US embassies and consulates in China, India and Nepal.
• Perception that the climate in the US is now less welcoming to individuals from other countries.
• Concerns that benefits and restrictions around visas could change, especially around the ability to travel, re-entry after travel, and employment opportunities.
• Concerns that the Executive Order travel ban might expand to include additional countries.