Meltdown aftermath: No takers for GRE?

In the last seven years, the most foreign students in the US were from India. That was a record 94,563 in 2008. But economic recession, bleak job prospects in the US and increase value of dollar against the rupee seems set to bring that down by more than 20 per cent.

Those taking the mandatory Graduate Record Exam (GRE) this year is down 22 per cent and in colleges that train students for GRE, the dip is more than 50 per cent.

Archana Kamalakar, MSc Microbiology Gold Medalist 2007 from Osmania University, took the exam last year hoping to pursue a doctorate degree in the US. Now she has changed her plans.

"Primarily because of the recession and there is a job crunch. So there was a lot of apprehension from my parents point of view whether I will be able to survive there in terms of paying my rent for the house, food all the expenses," she says.

A student on an average spends 60,000 to one lakh rupees to take the GRE and complete formalities for admission to a US university. College fees add up to anywhere between 17 and 21 lakh rupees.

Jaideep Chowdhary, National Programming Head GRE, says: "US education has become much more expensive because last year the dollar was around 40-42 rupees. Now it has gone up to 49-50 rupees. So in the immediate term the impact on the economic condition of the family also plays a role.''

According to a recent report of the Educational Testing Service in the US, the number taking the GRE in India has dropped from 74,000 to less than 58000. Some say it is not because the US has become any less attractive as a study destination.

Anoop Kumar of Visu Consultants says: "There has been a career shift among engineering and science students. Many are going for MBA and hence people are taking GMAT than GRE.''

Interestingly, in the last 7 years, India was topping the number of foreign students admitted in US universities.

Now it seems the grass is looking greener on this side as many now feel that India presents loads of opportunity in a more secure social and economic environment.