Is it harder to get into graduate school as an international student?

<p>I'm a Canadian citizen currently attending a U.S. undergraduate university. I am interested in applying to graduate school and I was wondering if it is harder for international students to get in compared with U.S. citizens/permanent residents. Any info would be much appreciated!</p>

<p>As far as I know, if you’re applying to grad school (as opposed to med school or law school), you’re on a level playing field. So, to answer your question, the fact you’re an international WILL NOT affect your odds. In addition, grad school support often is purely merit based, meaning that if you have high stats you’ll get financial support (typically a TAship) or a fellowship (if your stats are higher than most admitted applicants), without restriction to domestic vs. international, even in State schools.</p>

<p>I can’t speak for other fields, but in my own (mathematics) nationality does seem to make a difference - at least according to the professors who mentored me through the grad school application process. There was also one graduate program (UT Austin) who initially rejected my application because they thought I was a foreign student (I’m a citizen of Germany) and later admitted me with a fellowship when they realized that I had a green card. </p>

<p>That being said, foreign students applying from American universities are said to be in a much better position than foreign students applying from abroad.</p>

<p>Thank you both for your replies! That is very helpful.
At barium: Are international students applying from American universities at a disadvantage compared with U.S. citizens/permanent residents? I’m interested in grad school in biochemistry/biomedical sciences</p>

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In my own experience and according to my own professors, yes. However, I am not in a position to make generalizations to other universities or other fields of study. Just do your best and see what happens.</p>