Is it still OK to study in the US?
A day has not gone by since January 20 where I haven’t fielded some form of that critical question from a student abroad, a university counselor at an international school, or – a few times –a politically-minded journalist.
Indeed, this is the most tempestuous stretch I’ve experienced in my 40 years working with university-bound students. Campus demonstrators have been detained, visas revoked, budgets slashed, DEI eliminated, the Department of Education shrunk. Many international families have told us, understandably, they are confused. Some have said they are flat-out scared to send their beloved children to the US.
As the core of our team’s work is to leverage our careers as educators to develop a clear plan to maximize a student’s chances at colleges that we have come to know deeply through years of visiting and research, we’ve added a pair of extra dimensions to our college counseling in 2025.
We’ve answered this “Should I still study in the States?” question two ways:
- Just as we consider multiple elements in determining the right college list – curriculum, geography, price, size, housing, alum network, extracurriculars, climate – we’ve now added an extra element to our research: we prioritize the cultural fit in order to recommend campus communities that synch with a candidate’s socio-political priorities. We prioritize – depending on the student and the family – political, religious and safety considerations to ensure the eventual campus match meets today’s more complex landscape. That means our entire team is researching the volatile, dynamic admissions universe on a daily basis: Where have revoked visas been re-issued? Which colleges have joined the 220-plus who’ve banded together to collectively counter what they see as governmental overreach? How much of this proposed reform will the courts block? Which regions of the US provide the best options in 2025-26 for our students from the Middle East, Europe, South America, Canada, Bermuda, Asia, etc?
- We are exposing students to terrific options in Canada, the UK, and Europe by leveraging our extensive experience working with English-speaking universities outside the US. In fact, we have consultants and offices in Europe. Just as we do in the States, we visit and know these international campuses and their different programs. And we give clear advice regarding the differing admissions requirements, essay formats, and application deadlines using our trademarked WISE Method. Are you best suited for a less expensive, 3-year BA in the UK? A small, liberal arts campus in a historic European capital or the Netherlands? Is a dual American-European degree right for you?
I rarely use financial analogies in education, but this one strikes me as relevant, and timely: Just as you should be wary of financial advisors who, faced with the current stormy economic conditions, cry “Sell all your US stocks immediately and reinvest in bonds… or gold…or international currencies,” you can mute the “You can’t study in the States right now.” Your financial portfolio’s realignment requires nuanced research and guidance. Likewise, your child’s educational journey needs to take into account a carefully curated list of US colleges appropriate for the current era, possibly diversified with an additional set of English-speaking and/or US-style unis in other countries.
Bottom line: We are more carefully scrutinizing choices in the US and adding the extra dimension of English-speaking universities abroad, providing our collective wisdom to help each student to navigate these bumpy waters. Historically, our experience working with students from over 65 countries since 1955 has helped prepare for 2025’s shock.
And though this educational landscape is unprecedented, we still maintain faith that, correctly chosen, the right American campus can provide your child the same qualities that have made US universities the gold standard of higher education (wait…there’s a second financial analogy) for internationals for decades: smaller, discussion-based classes, vibrant extracurriculars, 24-7 residential earning communities, alum networks that foster career growth, and the ability to study a range of subjects in the unparalleled liberal arts and sciences curricula. Because educating our kids should transcend politics. As C.S. Lewis pointed out, the “liberal” in “liberal arts” stems not from the political persuasion, but rather to the Latin word “liber,” meaning “free.” For, as Lewis portends, a liberal arts education makes one free by transforming the student from “an unregenerate little bundle of appetites” into “the good man and the good citizen.”
