China, Mexico and Brazil Lead Gains in US Graduate School Applications
VOA News 조회 수 441 추천 수 0 2012.05.09 06:03:14
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Graduate schools
in the United States are reporting a nine percent increase in applications from
international students this year. The increase is the same as two years ago.
Last year's gain was eleven percent.China, Mexico and Brazil showed the biggest
increases in applications to enter master's and doctoral programs this
fall.Engineering is the top area of study for international students and had the
biggest increase in applications. Gains in business and physical and earth
sciences were close behind. Life sciences showed no growth in the latest survey
by the Council of Graduate Schools.The survey includes the top five countries
that send graduate students to the United States, plus Mexico and Brazil. The
top five are China, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Canada.Applications from
China climbed eighteen percent this year. That was down from last year. India's
number increased just two percent. Applications from South Korea and Taiwan
decreased by one to two percent.Applications from Africa were down five percent,
while the Middle East and Europe showed growth. Council President Debra Stewart
says final results will not be available until the summer.She pointed out that
applications do not necessarily convert to enrollment. About forty-seven percent
of all international applications to U.S. graduate schools come from students
from China. But the share of the applicant pool that actually ends up enrolling
in U.S. graduate programs is lower. Ms. Stewart says last fall, for example,
twenty-nine percent of all international graduate students were from China. This
year is the seventh year of big increases in applications from China, where Ms.
Stewart points out that more and more students are finishing college.There is
tremendous growth in the undergraduate population in China. But she also notes
that more people apply to graduate school during difficult economic times. "So
it certainly is possible," she says, "that these very exceptionally strong
numbers could be a reflection of recession experiences in China, as well."George
Ofosu from Ghana is working toward a doctorate in political science at the
University of California, Los Angeles. He says he was attracted to UCLA's
coursework, libraries and other resources, including financial aid he would not
have had at home. He says it was an ideal opportunity for him to, one, get
training and, two, get some funding to pursue his studies. He calls his
experience "really phenomenal." For VOA Special English, I'm Alex Villarreal.For
more stories about studying in the United States, go to voaspecialenglish.com.
You also follow us on Facebook and Twitter, find our podcasts on iTunes and
watch our captioned videos at the VOA Learning English channel on YouTube.
(Adapted from a radio program broadcast 12Apr2012)
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