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Question from international applicant about the upcoming admissions cycle

Brian Leiter

MOVING TO FRONT FROM SEPTEMBER 2–PROBABLY A MISTAKE TO HAVE POSTED TIHS ON THE HEELS OF LABOR DAY (IN THE U.S.) AND MY SUMMER BLOGGING HIATUS, SO TRYING AGAIN TO SEE IF ANY READERS WANT TO WEIGH IN

A non-U.S. student writes:

As an international applicant planning to apply in the coming years, I am concerned that there may be hidden policies or informal biases that disadvantage students from outside the U.S., particularly given the ongoing uncertainty surrounding visa policies under the current administration and the recent changes to the I-20 process.

I am also curious how departments are approaching this application season in general—for both domestic and international applicants. While you have previously raised the issue of hiring freezes for faculty, prospective PhD students often feel left in the dark about how such constraints may affect admissions in the months ahead. Last year’s cycle already seemed highly unusual, with reduced spots, rescinded offers, and budget cuts affecting many applicants.

Faculty, what can you advise this student and others similarly situated?  Signed comments preferred, but you must include a valid e-mail address (which will not appear) if you do not post with your full name.  Current international students in PhD programs may also post, with the same rules (valid email address essential).

UPDATE:  A reader sends along this news, which has to worry foreign students (and their departments).

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2 responses to “Question from international applicant about the upcoming admissions cycle”

  1. AnonProf

    I think any foreign student should think very hard about whether there are not alternatives to studying in the U.S. Things are already bad for foreign students here, with the uncertainty and bad behavior by customs officials at the airport, and they are almost certainly going to get worse. I would seriously consider alternatives in the UK, Canada, Australia etc.

    Reply
  2. Bill Bristow

    The MA program in Philosophy at UW-Milwaukee has benefitted enormously from the numerous international students that have gone through the program over the years, and we like to think we've mostly done right by them as well. Our international students now have a much harder time of it, in many ways, almost all of which stem from Trump's policies. As a consequence, we are more hesitant to bring in international students than we have been in the past, though we continue to do so. I advise our international MA students, when applying to PhD programs, to apply to more programs outside the US now, given the environment. I hope that programs and universities circle the wagons around their international students, so to speak, and provide them additional support in these hard times. I believe that what is true of our MA program is true of higher education in general: the relationship with international students is too valuable, important, mutually beneficial, to give up on in the face of Trump's malign and destructive actions. I advocate for that within my own university.

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