Crackdown on Harvard triggers concern among US-bound students & their parents
Some study-abroad counsellors said they have had cases where parents, whose wards received admission offers from the US, have opted to switch to Singapore.
They also mentioned that they have been fielding numerous questions from concerned parents regarding the uncertainty. Meanwhile, some parents said they had adopted a wait-and-watch approach.
An Indian student who received offers from 17 US colleges and ultimately chose Stanford, said, "While Stanford has not issued any email yet to the student body, I did see an informal online post by the Stanford president condemning the action against international students.
Parents are concerned and worried about our well-being, the job market, etc," he said.
However, some institutions like the University of Pennsylvania have reached out to international students, telling them not to panic and assuring them of its support.
Ronith Lahoti, who completed his schooling at the Indus International School, Pune, would be going to the US in August to pursue an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
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"Two days ago, we got an email from the university. This was an email appealing to all international students not to worry or be anxious, stating that the university will support us. They have also given contact numbers in case we need to reach out to them.
I will be paying for my education there, and there is some worry about the uncertainty regarding international students. But since the university's email two days ago, we are feeling much better," said Lahoti.
The political showdown between Trump and Harvard, the higher cost of studies, uncertain job market, all coupled with media headlines, had caused parents to worry, said Nikhil Jain, founder and CEO at ForeignAdmits.
"We are getting calls from anxious parents whether it is worth the risk to send the students to the US now or they should opt for another country. For low-risk appetite parents, the worry is real not just because of the Harvard incident, but also considering the high cost of education coupled with a fragile job market scenario.
We recently had a case where, despite getting an offer from a US university, the parent decided to opt for Singapore due to the uncertainty about the US student visa policy.
Parents are also writing to the universities asking them to either delay their admission by a term or for support. The US has also made Harvard an example because the wider message is, if they can block the entry of foreign students at Harvard, which is one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, then they can do so anywhere," said Jain.
Some students and parents have adopted a wait-and-watch attitude. "Whatever happens is not in our hands. So, we are not worried. We are following the developments in the US on the news as well as from a relative who lives in the US. There is no point in worrying anyway. We are not exploring any alternative options at this time," said Abiya Syed, who secured a berth at Columbia University, where she will study biology and gender studies.
Dilip Oak, who runs a study abroad consultation firm in Pune, said that while he has no students going to Harvard, there is no panic among parents or children who received offers from elsewhere.
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