<p>^ “Back in the late 60s and early 70s” so you are making a conclusion on anecdotal data from 40 years ago. Hmmm, OK.</p>
<p>Given the way the US law works, most international graduate students have to show they have fellowships to attend just to get a student visa. I agree with the previous poster that the idea that ALL international students are rich (particularly grad students) is mistaken.</p>
<p>^^^ Most graduate professional schools and Masters programs don’t have fellowships, (pharmacy schools, law schools,physical therapy, social work, flight school, business schools etc.) Yet many foreign students attend these programs. Are you telling me that they don’t have the proper visas?</p>
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<p>This is specifically for USC. They have a history of large foreign student population. Are you familiar with USC?</p>
<p>I never said all foreign students are rich. A poster said USC has the largest foreign student populations in the US and I am offering one reason, including undergrads and grads.</p>
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<p>From my experience, almost all of my foreign friends have come from fairly well to do families. When they’re from countries that are typically lesser well off they attended private school through college (likely with a year abroad in the US), and had more opportunities than the typical citizen of those countries would have.</p>
<p>Again, are you talking about graduate students or undergraduates? It is very different, most foreign graduate students are funded through the university or some scholarship from either private foundations or sometimes their government. Otherwise, they would probably not be able to receive a student visa to attend. The first document they ask for in the Embassy is proof of guaranteed funding. </p>
<p>You simply cannot assume a foreign graduate student is rich. Even if some are better off than the average in the country where they come from, the upper middle class kid in China is MUCH poorer than the average American.</p>
<p>Graduate. While they’re being funded for grad school, it was the extra availability of money/connections/better schools in the years before which allowed them to get to grad school. Many of the Chinese students I’ve talked to mention how the school system there is tracked from a very young age. You need to get into the top elementary schools to get into the top middle schools to get into the top high schools to even have a shot at the best colleges. Lots of times the best way to get into those best elementary schools is through influential parents. (It’s similar here in the US. I’m from a middle/upper middle class background and I’d say I’m still from one of the more modest backgrounds of all my domestic friends in grad school.)</p>