The U.S. is a popular destination for international graduate students, especially those pursuing degrees in fields like engineering and business.
But that interest may be waning. In fall 2017, international applications to U.S. graduate schools and first-time international student enrollment both declined for the first time in more than a decade, according to a survey of 377 U.S. institutions from the Council of Graduate Schools. Applications were down 3 percent from fall 2016, and new international student enrollment dropped 1 percent.
Despite these dips, international students still make up a sizable portion of U.S. graduate programs. In fall 2017, about 24 percent of first-time graduate students at the schools participating in the CGS survey hailed from abroad.
International students are often drawn to programs in business; computer science and math, which counted as one category in the survey; and engineering.
U.S. News asked experts from three U.S. graduate schools to offer tips and insights for prospective international students interested in applying to some of these popular programs.
MBA
Prospective students should make sure they are applying to a U.S. MBA program with strengths or specialties that are in line with their career goals, says Paul North, director of admissions and marketing for the full-time MBA program at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad Graduate School of Management, where international students made up around 41 percent of the full-time student body in 2017-2018, per U.S. News data. Doing so will help boost their chances of admission and, ultimately, employment.
Admissions committees at schools such as Michigan State look at resumes to gauge both academic potential and postgrad employability. North says this includes looking for evidence of skill sets, such as certifications in digital marketing or project management, and other qualities employers value, like innovation and creativity.
“We’re scrutinizing applications to ensure that the candidates that we bring in have a high probability of landing that job post-MBA,” says North, whether their goal is to stay in the U.S., return to their home country or work elsewhere abroad.
[Learn to avoid common mistakes as an international MBA applicant.]
Computer Science
In addition to proof of academic performance and English language proficiency — usually demonstrated through standardized tests such as the GRE and TOEFL, respectively — prospective international students applying to master’s programs at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science should demonstrate that they’ve had actual programming experience, says David Garlan, associate dean for master’s programs.
“That may seem obvious, but it’s not always the case,” says Garlan, who is also a computer science professor.
In fall 2017, 81 percent of the computer science master’s students and about 60 percent of Ph.D. students in the field at CMU were international, per data from the university.
Garlan says examples of pertinent experience include an internship or project done at the undergraduate level, and international applicants can highlight this information in their statement of purpose.
Students may also have work experience they can point to, which was the case for Japanese national Kenji Yonekawa, a master’s student in software engineering at Carnegie Mellon.
Yonekawa recommends prospective international students start thinking about their statement of purpose early. “You have to plan ahead because it kind of takes time to organize your thoughts,” he says. Before writing the statement, he brainstormed for about two months.
And putting in this extra effort can pay off.
“Most statements of purpose, unfortunately, look quite the same,” says Garlan. “There’s nothing distinctive about the person in it,” he adds. Applicants who write about their personal characteristics, experiences and specific computer science interests will stand out, Garlan says.
Engineering
Domestic and international applicants need to demonstrate essentially the same qualities when applying to graduate engineering programs at the University at Buffalo–SUNY, says Liesl Folks, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In 2017-2018, the engineering school’s full-time graduate student body was around 85 percent international, per U.S. News data.
[Learn about applying to U.S. grad schools with foreign credentials.]
Folks, who is also an electrical engineering professor, says her school looks for prospective students to show evidence of academic achievement as well as noncognitive skills.
“What do we mean by noncongnitive skills? We mean all of those attributes of the student that are more likely to help them to succeed than not,” says Folks. This includes grit and determination — evidence that students have been able overcome challenges in their studies or other parts of their lives.
This type of information doesn’t usually come through in a resume, Folks says; it’s more likely to turn up in a personal statement or essay.
“What we’re looking for,” she says, “is information that will make us feel confident that yes, you’re going to be fantastic here, you’re a great fit — let’s go.”
Searching for a graduate school? Get our complete rankings of Best Graduate Schools.
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Tips for International Students Applying to Popular U.S. Graduate School Programs originally appeared on usnews.com
