International applicants to American graduate schools are on the rise for the second consecutive year.
The number of international applicants increased 17 percent from last year, according to a report released this week by the Council of Graduate Schools.
Despite the overall increase, applications are still down 27 percent from 2003, when the federal government implemented increased security measures for entering the United States.
Following those measures, taken in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, international applicants took a steep hit.
But with an 11-percent last year, and with an even larger rise this year, it looks like the numbers may be on the rebound.
Stuart Heiser, a spokesman for CGS, said improvements in the visa evaluation procedures, not increased academic reputation, are behind the recent trend.
"The [visa] process is becoming more efficient while maintaining security," he said.
Heiser also said that outreach programs with the State Department and foreign universities help dispel rumors that foreign grad students are not welcome in the U.S., which has played a role in the rise.
Penn has embraced this sort of outreach approach, which has led to increased international applicants at many of its graduate schools.
Rob Nelson, the associate director for education for the Office of the Provost, said the University is involved in the International Graduate Scholarship Council in Shanghai in an attempt to encourage more international students to apply.
For its part, School of Arts and Sciences graduate programs received 8,282 applications from abroad, comprising 44.3 percent of the pool.
Nelson noted that the number of international applicants has been increasing at SAS grad schools every year 2004.
Mae Jennifer Shores, the senior associate director of Wharton MBA admissions and financial aid, said international interest in the Wharton MBA program has remained relatively constant over the years.
About 43 percent of the 2006 entering class is international students.
"We have witnessed an increase in recent years," she said. "The percent of international students in our pool today compares very favorably to pre-Sept. 11th levels."
Shores added that visa restrictions have never been a problem for incoming Wharton MBA candidates.
"Our students have been quite proactive in applying for their visas early so that few are affected by these new visa regulations," she said.
