In the wake of surprising US election, there have been massive speculative reactions, both within the United States and abroad. For Indian students looking to study in the US, there might be many questions and many concerns about policy changes to the visa process and cultural responses to the new regime.
Trump's platform, makeshift as it was, rested on fear-baiting techniques and xenophobic language, and now concerns about the cultural implications this could have in the United States seem bigger than ever before. While no one can say for certain what will happen in the next four years, here are a few things that should put your mind at rest if you are concerned about studying abroad.With a large amount of speculation regarding the negative fallout of a Trump presidency, but students in top liberal arts colleges and universities are going to remain unaffected.
Students Visas policy
If you think that there will be any change in the student visas then you do have to know that there will not be any change as it's not something Trump's campaign dealt with over the course of the election, nor is it a hot-button issue for Republicans or Democrats. Most of the proposals mentioned during his campaign are illegal, and many of them would be difficult or impossible to pass even now, given his sure-to-be contentious relationship with senate and congress.
Mr Trump's antagonism of the majority leaders, even within his own party, will probably result in four years of inefficiency, something Indian applications should be more than familiar with, but very little change. But beyond the fact that Mr Trump's interest in student visas is negligible, if there was a proposed plan in place to change visa policies, which there isn't, it would take years to pass.
Scholarships
Many students who aspire to study abroad would apply for scholarships. With the recent changes in American policies has made many petrified on whether they will be able to avail scholarship. You have to know that both for Indian students, and international students in general, they apply to the college for aid, not the government, so if something does change in terms of government-provided student-aid that will not affect Indian students.
Employment
With a large amount of speculation regarding the negative fallout of a Trump presidency, but students in top liberal arts colleges and universities are going to remain unaffected. Those who will be affected are students who are attending poorly ranked institutions in the US, as the employment prospects for international students at these institutions take a hit.
A high-quality education from a top university remains valuable to employers and graduate schools alike. At Collegify, we conducted a survey across all our locations in the aftermath of the election: across a sample of over 400 students, not one indicated that they would like to change their decision to study in the US. If you inspire to get into the top Universities then its better you have already working on your essays and preparing for your test.
Will Trumps xenophobic speech affect Indian Students?
There is no one to guarantee for incidents, which will take place against Indian students. However, if you consider Ms. Clinton's popular vote then you have to accept that half of the country voted for her and her social policies of inclusion and cultural diversity. College students, intellectuals, and urban centres all overwhelmingly voted for and campaigned for Ms. Clinton. With a little of Mr. Trump's political rhetoric seems to be specifically targeted at Indians. Frankly, if you consider the UK to be a safe place in a post-Brexit reality, you can consider the US in the same terms.
At the end of the day, people are not their government, something Indians should know all too well. What Donald Trump says or feels which does not reflect the views and actions of millions of Americans, any more than every policy or opinion coming out of the Indian government reflects every person living in India. And as all, you aspiring political science majors know, democracy is all about checks and balances. So apart from his terrible Hindi pronunciation, Indian students have nothing to fear from President-Elect Trump.
Rohan Ganeriwala
Rohan Ganeriwala is the Co founder of Collegify, a college consulting firm, which was founded in 2012. It was established with a vision that in education lays the power to unlock potential in every individual and move towards a better society.
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