BENEFITS OUTWEIGH UNCERTAINTIES
Overseas education consultants said the benefits of a US education still outweighed the current uncertainties.
Interest remained strong, with one agency, Crimson Education, citing a nearly 5 per cent increase in students applying to study in the US this year compared with last year.
“While broader statistics might show a slight decline, our data suggests steady, if not growing, interest among Singapore students,” Crimson Education’s Director of Asia Joanne Gao said.
She added that those who received offers from US universities have mostly gone ahead with their plans to study there.
Apart from academics, students cherished the broader experience of exposure to different perspectives, access to strong research environments and opportunities for networking, Ms Gao added.
“Many also understand that the landscape may change, particularly for those applying in a few years from now. So while they’re mindful of the risks, they’re also thinking long-term and weighing the opportunities that a US education can offer,” she said.
Dr Chan Khai Leok, managing director of theRightU, said that many Singaporeans felt immigration restrictions were targeted at other nationalities, and the prospect of going to a “very good school” outweighed their concerns.
He said that Singaporeans tended to return home after their studies, while students from other Asian countries envision themselves migrating to the US.
“So when the tide turns against immigrants – it’s not just education, but the immigration policy … I think all of these kind of disrupt their rationale for going to the US,” said Dr Chan, referring to Asian students who decided against going to the US for their studies.
“I think most Singaporeans would still be coming back to Singapore … So I think by and large, most Singaporeans are not concerned about any changes in migration policies.”
Both theRightU and Crimson Education have not seen substantial delays in visa applications, with the former describing a brief moment where visa applications were delayed earlier this year as “a small blip” in the big picture.
Dr Chan, however, cited a significant decline in interest in the US among Chinese students. While six out of 10 Chinese students would actively consider the US in the past, now only one or two students do so, and many have turned to Australia, he said.
