I was seven years old the first time I ever set foot on an American college campus. It was a small community college in Oakland County, Michigan, where my father was taking night classes for a business degree. Even in that small, relatively humble institution, I marvelled at the resources available for students, such as the large library. My horizons were instantly broadened by clocks displaying different time zones over foreign city names such as “London,” “Paris,” “Moscow,” and “Tokyo,” as well as by the dozens of daily newspapers from cities around the world — including, most likely, ones from India.
A decade later, I began my studies at a bigger university in Washington, D.C., and the boundaries receded even further. During my first month at Georgetown, I was overwhelmed not only by the calibre of my fellow students, but also by the diversity of our community and the sheer independence we all felt in the shared pursuit of knowledge. Living on my dormitory floor were foreign students from India, Korea, Russia, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa, and Dubai, and I took classes with students from all over the world. It was the first time I ever understood that my life was part of a global narrative, and that I was truly part of an international community. Perhaps I should have expected this — after all, the English word “university,” just like the Tamil word palkalaikkazhagam , encompasses this diversity of thought and experience, as well as a mission to expose its students to artistic experience and scientific knowledge.
Multiple opportunities
More than 20 years later, the United States still opens its doors every year to more than a million international students, who come to study in universities, big and small, around the country. The U.S. student visa programme presents an invaluable opportunity for students from any country, especially from India, who tend to flourish in American educational institutions. Indeed, more than one out of every six foreign students in the U.S. hails from India. Every day, the U.S. Consulate in Chennai processes dozens, sometimes, hundreds of student visa applications; last year alone, we processed more than 9,000. These students find that American universities are dedicated to diversity and educating the individual as a whole. Students are able to choose classes across multiple disciplines and curricula to suit their individual talents and varied interests. Indeed, it is not uncommon to find a physics major opting for an elective in music theory, or a chemistry major dabbling in political philosophy.
More importantly, these students establish connections that last a lifetime. Two decades later, many students I met in college are now in positions of business or political influence, either in the U.S. or elsewhere around the world. After you return to India after completing your studies, you will be able to call upon this network of connections to enhance your business, consult on policy, or simply to catch up with an old friend. The decisions you make in college, and the network you build, truly echo across the ages.
While I am admittedly partial, I believe that the U.S. is the best place in the world to pursue higher education, due to its commitment to diversity of thought, free markets, human rights, and equal protection of laws. If you are interested in applying to U.S. universities or for a student visa, visit www.educationusa.state.gov or call EducationUSA at the U.S. Consulate Chennai at 044-28574134.
