Logging onto Instagram this fall, I’ve seen videos of college advisers telling American students that they have a better chance of getting admitted into a prestigious institution because of a major drop in the number of international students. I have heard it from my fellow seniors, too, some of whom believe their chances of admission may now be doubled. Considering how challenging the college admissions process is, I can understand how students might feel grateful that there are fewer people to compete with.
Even if it is true that a U.S. student might now have a better chance at admission into their dream university, it is crucial to consider what it would mean to lose international students as our peers in college and contributors to our country. Let’s not validate what the current administration is doing because we may be nervous about the college process, and instead, think about how to protect international students and our future.
What the Trump administration is doing is unlawful and nothing to celebrate. The number of international students has dropped 20% since 2024, only one example of the current attack on diversity in higher education. International students have been denied visas and are afraid to apply for visas in the first place, as they do not wish to join thousands of other international students already in the United States who have had their legal status revoked over actions like activism.
International students add so much to college campuses and make our country so much stronger. One of the greatest things about the United States is the global talent it attracts. For generations, international students have been the best and brightest in their fields and some of the primary drivers of innovation and scientific research in the United States. They are doctors, teachers, and engineers who have built industries that excel, helping America and its people prosper.
Most importantly, though, is that an essential part of going to college is expanding our perspectives by learning from people who are different from us. Interactions with international students help promote cultural competence and form global citizens. If we spent our entire lives surrounded by the same people, we would resign ourselves to having tunnel vision.
At this moment, it may feel hard not to wish for another edge to one’s application, but international students have fundamentally shaped the United States, and we have so much to learn from them. This is not us versus them; it is standing together for a better future.
