Anxiety from Chinese students studying or planning to study in the United States has increased in the past few years. Many have cited unfavorable conditions and policies as the root cause of these fears
There has been a growing fear about what the future holds for Chinese students who opt to study in the US. This has been caused by the uncertainty being experienced in the US regarding their place, acceptability, security, the rising cost of education in the US and the ever-changing international student policy.
Recently, there was a seminar that had been organized by Amherst and Williams Colleges in Shanghai this summer which included Chinese high school principals, one of them raised questions about the welcoming gestures of US to Chinese students.
Concerns cited by Chinese students for their anxiety
Concerns of whether Chinese students are still welcome in the US may seem extremely naive but the recent policies would say otherwise.
Some of the major concerns of these parents include the anti-immigration rhetoric from the Trump administration. This has put parents on edge about sending their kids to study in the US. Students also have grown concerned about this issue.
The H1B1 visa has also been a major concern for these parents and education stakeholders, and rightly so. The Trump administration rolled back an Obama era visa policy that granted Chinese students the ability to stay in the US 5 years after they complete their education. This has been reduced to one year in this administration.
The high number of deportations is also another issue of concern. This uncertainty about where one will be tomorrow has also contributed to Chinese students becoming more fearful of traveling to the US.
There have also been warnings in all major universities about Chinese students and workers stealing US technology and sending it back to China. This has resulted in the profiling of these students, a sad situation to think of if you are considering being one of the students in such a system.
A survey from the international admission team at Amherst College directed at 54 school-based college counselors in China found that 78 percent of parents were more concerned about the safety of their kids. A further 65 percent was due to the uncertainty of remaining in the US.
However, the study also found that over 70 percent of students viewed the US as the best option to study abroad. They pointed to a better education system in the US, a more diverse community of student leadership, rich academic and research resources and competitiveness of colleges and degree from the US.
