One country has been a hot topic for the last two weeks and everyone is waiting for some action to happen and results to be declared. This article talks about the United States of America and the education system. Answers to some of the questions that you might have about your dream of studying in the US will be provided by the Director of International Recruitment at Drake University, Patrick Bourgeacq Pinzón. Here, we are sharing valuable insights on pursuing education in the US, including an overview of the education system and essential do’s and don’ts to keep in mind throughout your academic journey. 

What is the most outstanding thing about Drake University?

Drake University does things very differently than traditional US universities. This medium-sized university has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, and this has been done intentionally because the university wants its professors to know their students by name. The average class size is 19 students, so the learning is not going to be lecture-based. Students at Drake University will never find themselves in a lecture hall filled with 400 students, scared to raise their hands. This way they will not feel highlighted in case they ask some questions.

This means the university provides an intimate learning environment for students. The university has over 100 undergraduate programmes across seven colleges and schools, all of which are accredited as part of the university. All these colleges are really good, while some of them maintain an exceptional reputation.

How is Drake University preparing students for the coming era?

We should invest in education in a field where demand will increase in the next four to five years. Several changes have taken place in the past half a decade, including in the way we used to do things, perceive them, or implement certain ideas. It is said that nine-to-five jobs will become obsolete in the future, and the study curriculum will have to change accordingly. 

What students are studying now and their first job will be much different from what they will be doing ten years from now. Here, STEM courses are important, and AI in particular is more important as it is set to change everything. Looking at the changing job market, Drake University has a very strong AI programme and it has the very first undergraduate major in AI in the United States. Drake University started admitting students to its AI programme around four or five years ago, so it is ahead of other universities. 

Drake University offers over 100 undergraduate programmes. How difficult are the entry criteria for students? 

Normally in India, we have two kinds of education boards, one is the central board such as CBSE, ICSE, or Ivy-league schools. The second group consists of schools that are affiliated with the state boards. Some universities have different admission criteria for students from central boards than those from state boards.

Drake University does not have varied admission criteria. The university admits students and later on, they can pick a specialisation. Students are not required to pick a major at the time of admission. There is an exception for the pharmacy programme, which is the best programme in the country, and so the university is a bit stringent. Students who want to pursue the Pharm D programme will have to go through a pre-pharmacy programme, which prepares them for the main programme. They are first admitted to the pre-pharmacy programme which is for two years, and after completing that they appear for an interview and apply to get admitted to the Pharm D programme.

Talking about the number of students, Drake University has a good number of students who are pursuing pharmacy programmes. Even though pharmacy occupation is a regulated profession it is not offered to every student, particularly in developed countries like the US. Drake University is an exception, as it admits international students to pharmacy programmes.

Are there tips or suggestions to help students face the US study visa interviews in a better way?

An interview is an important part of applying for and receiving a study visa for the US. However, many students are scared of appearing for the interview, although, it is mainly because they are not well prepared. 

Preparing for the questions they will get from the visa officer. First, students should have a clear understanding of why they selected their major and here they can take the assistance of overseas education consultants in Chandigarh. They can provide good coaching as they have a good amount of experience. Students should give a lot of thought as to why they picked a major, find out if it is a growing industry in India and that there are ample opportunities back home.

The second is to clarify why they selected Drake University for that particular major. They should also be aware of Des Moines city where Drake University is located, and how studying in this place can be safe for them. They should search and learn some good things about the city which makes it a good choice for studying

When selecting an institution for study, does ranking matter when pursuing higher education? 

The ranking is done with universities that are engaged in research at a higher level. The overall ranking of the university has little effect on the professional outcome. One should look at the particular major that a student wants to study. The best thing is to absorb all the information that is given on the website and read as much about the major you want to pursue. An important part of pursuing education in the US is going for optional practical training, which is an intrinsic part of the study. This is particularly important for students who are pursuing graduation in the STEM field, where students get OPT opportunities for two-year extensions. This is how a student can get real-world experience by doing the OPT. Sometimes students receive scholarships from the government to pursue OPT, and the criteria is to return to their home country once the OPT is complete. 

Another training option is the CPT, and many students are confused about whether to pursue CPT or OPT.

Any opportunity that a student gets to experience the real working environment should be taken up. At Drake University, many students take three to five internships by the time they graduate, and CPT often leads a student to the OPT. The fact that a student is already in the job market and working, it is easy to show the potential and develop a network which can help in pursuing OPT.

With Donald Trump coming into the picture, what does the future of immigration look like for students?

The last three-year record of the US says that it grew from 96,000 to 140,000 visa grants in a year. Earlier Trump indicated that he will create some provisions for STEM graduates, as he wants the talent to remain in the country. 

At the moment we can only speculate but no one knows exactly what will happen. History tends to be the best predictor and whatever Trump has said should be viewed in light of what he has said and done in the past. 

The Takeaway

Education overseas is a transition and not a resettlement. It is a transition to acquire a better education qualification and to move ahead in your life. The US has been leading in terms of visa approvals, and the last five years have been exceptionally good, particularly for students from India. For prospective students who are looking for a good university and study opportunity, this can be their chance to start their education in the US in the next intake.