New visa policy a good thing for US universities: School administrators

Steve Boyd, director of International Admissions, with the University of Bridgeport. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Have you seen a growing number of Chinese students in the US in recent years?

Gibson: Recent figures indicate a decline in the overall number of Chinese students seeking graduate studies in the US. However, there is a continuing increase in the number of Chinese students seeking undergraduate degrees and secondary school studies.

What are the most popular majors with Chinese students in the US?

Gibson: The field of business has always been the area of study that most interests students from China. US institutions continue to provide excellent education for students seeking careers in all business fields, whether it is accounting, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, data analytics, management or other areas.

What are the advantages for Chinese students to study in US?

Gibson: Generally speaking, the US's higher education system is held in high regard, so many people look at the US as a good alternative. I also think that Chinese students are a good fit in the US system because they have a strong work ethic and are really willing to put in the effort to be successful.

China's developing and changing economy demands the training of qualified students and professionals to continue its growth and development in the coming years. I think the interest in studying business in the US will continue in the coming years.

Different from other business programs, the MBA requires applicants to have certain work experience, and students in the program come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds. How does this make the learning experience special?

Gibson: One of the things we are known for as a business school is that we have the most diverse student body in the US. About 50 percent of our students are international students from 45 different countries.

At the same time, we have students who came out of undergraduate school not long ago, and we also have students who have worked for seven years before coming back to school for an MBA. So we have people all across the board, whether it's cultural, ethnic or life experience, academic background or ages, which is a very important part of the MBA program.

Students often work in teams and get to learn from the people in the team. So they are learning in a multicultural and global environment right on the campus.