American Graduates, UT-Austin Wants You

by Sharon Jayson
Austin American-Statesman
Sunday, September 30, 2001

The University of Texas at Austin is trying to lure more American students to graduate school to help offset the startling number of applicants pouring in from around the world.

In some fields, such as electrical and computer engineering, the disparities are staggering. International applications in that department for this fall totaled 1,499, compared with just 184 from U.S. students, graduate adviser Dean Neikirk said.

"We are constantly and desperately trying to recruit U.S. applicants. If we don't, we wouldn't get any," Neikirk said. "We have an obligation to make sure we are providing opportunities to our own people first in the state, second in the nation and third in the world."

Although students from the Middle East have received considerable attention in the wake of the terrorist attacks, the largest number of international students on U.S. campuses come from China and India, with most studying science and engineering, said Peter Syverson of the Council of Graduate Schools based in Washington, D.C.

Since the attacks, some Middle Eastern students on the nation's campuses have responded to hostility by withdrawing from school and heading home. UT's international office reports that one student from Kuwait has left the campus within the past two weeks. There are 217 students from the Middle East enrolled at the campus.

Those who monitor graduate education say the ratio of applications from international students to U.S. students has become more pronounced, largely because of the strong U.S. economy during the past few years.

Many undergraduates bypassed further education because a bachelor's degree was often all that was needed for a good job and salary. But with a worsening economy and layoffs across the country, officials expect a rise in graduate applications next fall.

Preliminary enrollment figures this fall reflect 10,561 students in UT's graduate programs. Of that number, 4,509, or almost 43 percent, are international students, with 3,120 of them in graduate programs other than law.

UT ranks fourth among the nation's top 10 research institutions for international enrollment, according to the most recent national data.

At the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, which ranks ninth, its graduate school for literature, science and the arts has seen foreign student applications increase 64 percent from fall 1995 to fall 2000, while U.S. applicants during that period dropped 25 percent.

At UT, the figures are less dramatic, said Rick Cherwitz, associate dean of graduate studies. "For all graduate areas together, international applicants are up substantially, and the U.S. students are probably flat to a slight decrease," he said.

It's a trend UT officials are trying to curb with two programs created during the past two years to entice American students to graduate school. Current UT undergraduates may save time and money by gaining early admission and reserving courses for graduate credit once they have 90 hours. Another program for juniors at Huston-Tillotson College, St. Edward's University, Southwest Texas State University and Southwestern University matches them with UT faculty and student mentors to give them a glimpse of life as a graduate Longhorn.

Shasheen Conroy, 30, was a UT undergraduate studying advertising last year when she was invited to take graduate classes. Conroy said she was "on the fence" about going to graduate school until the program came to her.

"It appealed to me because it was only one more year, and I knew I could stay focused for one more year and not for two," she said.

Because the United States is the "top destination country" for international students, what's happening at UT isn't unique, Syverson said.

International students seem most interested in the large research institutions, possibly because of improved possibilities for jobs as research and teaching assistants to help pay for their education.
At SWT, 391 international students sought admission to its graduate programs. Of the university's estimated 400 graduate students, 144 are from foreign countries. SWT's international enrollment follows the national trend, with most students from China and India and many of them choosing to study computer science or engineering.

At UT, in schools other than business and law (whose data are tallied separately), about 55 percent of the graduate applications this fall came from other countries.

"We are highly selective on the international students we admit," said Pat Ellison, associate director of admissions for international and graduate admissions.

This fall, UT admitted only 22 percent of its foreign applicants, including Bin Li, 27, of China. He applied to several schools, including Northwestern University and the University of California at San Diego, but chose UT.

"The graduate program fits my interest," said Li, a research assistant working on a doctoral degree in materials science and engineering.

Koichi Sato, 32, of Japan also is working on his doctorate in engineering. He came to UT in 1998 to earn a master's degree and said the school's reputation and relatively low tuition cost compared to graduate programs at other U.S. universities affected his decision.

Tuition and fees for nine hours of full-time graduate study at UT costs international students about $8,538 a year. Add on estimated living expenses of $11,400 for 12 months, and a foreign student can expect to pay about $20,000 a year to study at UT. In comparison, at the University of Michigan, out-of-state tuition and fees for a full-time graduate course load alone could range from $23,163 in one program to $30,685 in the MBA program.

To qualify as an international student at UT, applicants must meet certain standards, including an undergraduate degree equiva- lent to one awarded by a U.S. university, pay for the university's student health insurance, pass an English proficiency test and pay any additional fees associated with being a foreign student.

International graduate students employed at least 20 hours a week in a job related to their major might qualify for a waiver to pay resident tuition even if they are from out of state or out of the country. Cherwitz said the extra efforts to recruit U.S. students shouldn't be viewed as "anti-international." "There's just a lot of concern in the state and the institution that we need to do a better job of keeping our best and brightest at the university and in the state," he said.

You may contact Sharon Jayson at sjayson@statesman.com or 512-445-3620.