IQx.com – Colleges Information Online

Author: Gem

  • Ivy League Over Rated

    At this very moment, all over the country and potentially the world, high school students and their parents are planning and scheming to get into an Ivy League. Young people are groomed practically from birth to be attractive to mysterious and all-powerful admissions committees guarding the gates of the eight universities that comprise the “Ivy Leagues”.

    This is now so common, there is even a psychological malady known as “The Yale Syndrome”, a sort of obsession with college admission that creates an unusually proximate time horizon for a young person, the moment of college admission. Students who suffer from this affliction do not develop a plan for success in college, or in any aspect of their lives, beyond the arrival of that “fat envelope” detailing their acceptance. Oddly, they share many of the same concepts of time as terminally ill cancer patients.

    Parents view admission to one of these schools as a high grade on their parenting skills, and correspondingly view rejection as a low or failing grade. There is a great gnashing of teeth about the whole endeavor. But seldom does anyone really ask the question: “Are Ivy League schools over-rated?”

    How did this national obsession come about? First, let’s define what the Ivy League is. In one sense, the Ivy League is a collection of geographically proximate schools that formed a football conference in 1956. If you look at it another way, the Ivy League is a collective brand representing the pinnacle of American higher education. This is the Ivy League: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale. No other school is a member, in spite of what some alumni may claim.

    The Ivy League has not been a focus of fevered longing for very long. For most of this nation’s history, college was a local endeavor. The best and the brightest did not go far to go to college. Then, a convergence of societal trends in the late part of the last century quietly nationalized education, without anyone really noticing. The advent of cheap air travel–and the breakdown of regional differences due to television and the migration of educated workers throughout the country–combined to make bright young people look nationally for college choices. So this collection of venerable schools became a focus of their attentions. The problem is that young people and their families didn’t catch on to the level of competition that this change entailed.

    As college became a middle-class right instead of an upper-class privilege, a lot more students wanted in to what they perceived to be the most elite schools. One Ivy League school now rejects over 90 percent of the students who apply, and rejects over half of the students who apply with perfect SAT scores. Think about that.

    That’s where we are today. Everyone in the country wants into the same handful of schools. But what do you get with an Ivy League education, especially as an undergraduate? Is it really the best in the country? These are undeniably good schools, but there are also one hundred other schools that do as good or better a job at educating undergraduates.

  • Financial Aid – Premier Schools

    Stanford’s announcement came two months after Harvard publicized its expensive new financial aid policies and over a month after Yale and Dartmouth followed suit with their own. Since Harvard’s announcement in December (at which time it saw its application rate spike by 19 percent), other top ranked schools including Williams, Princeton, Swarthmore, Cornell, Northwestern, University of Pennsylvania, Bowdoin, Pomona, Cal Tech, Duke and Davidson have announced new financial aid policies in what some people consider an effort to “keep up with the Harvard’s.”

    Similar to Harvard and many other elite universities, on February 20, Stanford University announced a new financial aid policy dramatically increasing the eligible amount of aid for middle-income families. The announcement comes as the latest in a series of policy revisions over the past three years designed to ease the burden of paying a tuition averaging $47,000 a year and to ensure that no high school student considering applying to Stanford decides not to because of cost.

    In addition, the plan also calls for eliminating student loans. All students qualifying for need-based financial aid no longer need to take out the expected $4,000 loan before receiving money from the scholarship fund. Beginning in the 2008-09 school year, students are only expected to earn $2,500 from working during the school year and earn approximately $2,000 over the summer.

    Each fall, the financial aid program is reevaluated by the Financial Aid Office, the Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, the Budget Office, the Provost, and the President, with consultation from the Board of Trustees. Cooper added, “There are no specific plans in the works for more changes at this time. We will be evaluating the success of our current changes next fall.”

    The changes were made possible through an increase in the endowment payout and doubling the financial goal of the Stanford Challenge, an effort to increase fundraising for the university, to $200 million. The Board of Trustees approved the increase in endowment payout from 5% to 5.5%, or by $160 million, on June 14, 2007, at the time intending to fund capital improvement projects.

    The announcement follows the House of Representative’s passing of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, which aims to expose the allegedly corrupt relationship between expensive colleges and loan agencies and give greater transparency to the consumer. The Senate has put forth its own version of the bill. If passed, the law would require colleges to report financial information that Stanford University officials claim to be unproductive and difficult, namely revealing the rate of their endowment spending.

    Many people believe Stanford’s increase in endowment spending on financial aid from five to 5.5 percent this year is aimed to counteract the repealed provision of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act that would have required colleges to spend at least five percent of their endowment on financial aid. But the Board of Trustees approved the increase in endowment payout in June, nearly five months before the act’s proposal. As far back as 2003, Republicans had been discussing a bill that would penalize colleges that raised tuition significantly faster than inflation.

    These policy revisions have also coincided with and followed those of other top ranked schools. In 2006, Stanford eliminated educational costs for families earning less than $45,000. Harvard had enacted a similar policy in 2004 and Yale in 2005.

  • Racial Admissions

    You have a lot of bad luck if you were born into an Asian family. If one of your parents is white, then you should claim that you are white instead of Asian when you apply to a college. Better yet, if you can find a way to claim that you are x% of American Indian, you have many more ways to get financial aid. Some say Asian-Americans are being denied spots at top colleges to keep their numbers in check (Asians make up 5 percent of the population). The following are percentages of Asian undergraduates at selected colleges, according to the New York Times, Jan 7, 2007:

    Stanford: 24%

    Harvard: 18%

    Princeton: 13%

    M.I.T.: 27%

    Asian-Americans are the odd group out, lacking the racial preferences enjoyed by other minorities and the advantages of wealth and lineage accrued by upper-class whites. Asians are type-cast in college admissions offices as quasi-robots programmed by their parents to ace math and science.

    The UC system (the University of California) announced a new admission policy (effectively reducing the number of Asian student population). Currently 36 percent of those admitted to the university system in 2007-8 were Asian Americans. In contrast, white applicants made up 34 percent of those admitted in 2007-8. Applying the new admissions standards, that percentage for Asian would drop to 29-32 percent. Under the proposed reforms, white applicants would have made up 41 to 44 percent of the entering class. So is this the case of “good” students are being denied admissions in favor of “mediocre” ones? Is it fair for the Asian American students who worked so hard but have disadvantages at attending their dream college(s)?

    Well, quite simply, the world is not fair. Many who pay their mortgage on time year after year, will need to share the burden of other foreclosure expenses by other people. If you are rich, then you need to pay more tax. If you are smart in one social group, then you have disadvantages to your college applications. If Obama was not black, did he have a chance? Is the Obama Presidency the end of Affirmative Action?

    This is not a new problem as there were many law suits filed before. Yale’s freshman Jian Li has filed a federal civil rights complaint against Princeton for rejecting his application for admission, claiming the University discriminated against him because he is Asian. The complaint, which was filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on Oct. 25, 2006, alleges that the University’s admissions procedures are biased because they advantage other minority groups, namely African-Americans and Hispanics, legacy applicants and athletes at the expense of Asian-American applicants. However the most recent UC’s admission policies would legalize such practice and deny Asians’ chances.

  • How will schools help fund families?

    How exactly do all the schools start to help poor families, or even middle class?

    Harvard took the lead. Two years ago, Harvard implemented a policy in which students whose parents earn a $60,000 or less no longer pay for tuition or room and board. Stanford has just adopted the same policy, adding that students whose parents earn $100,000 must only pay room and board. Stanford Financial Aid has not provided a formula for evaluating aid for students who come from families with income over $100,000.

    Princeton has taken a similar approach in which it evaluates aid on a case by case basis rather than the more formulaic sliding scales that Yale and Harvard have decided to use. At Stanford and Princeton, students in the income bracket range between $60,000-100,000 can expect to pay $11,000 or less, approximately the cost of room and board.

    But at Harvard and Yale, students in the income range $60,000-120,000 can expect only to pay on a sliding scale between 1 and 10% of their income ($600-12,000), which is significantly less than students at Stanford. Students at Harvard and Yale from income brackets between $120,000 and $180,000 can expect to pay between $12,000-18,000. Cooper has refused to make comparisons between higher income students at Stanford and Harvard, saying she does not want to mislead them about their potential aid package. She cautioned that aid will be evaluated on an individual basis with a number of factors including home equity, other siblings in college, and cost of living taken into account.

    The new financial aid policy isolates the upper-middle class. Universities are increasing tuition fees for students who do not receive financial aid. It is called “Take from the Rich and Give to the Poor”. While the financial aid policies have made it less expensive than some state schools for students from households less than $100,000, colleges generally remains much more expensive for students from households with income well over $100,000. State schools also usually offer merit aid, which can often significantly decrease the expense for top students.

  • College Bills in this Economy

    With the economic downturn, how will you pay for the college bill?

    It could be either merit aid from the school or a simple federal financial aid. If you think your income is too high, you may not qualify the school’s aid. Of course you may fill out the federal application for financial aid, known as FAFSA. You may check the colleges’ websites to see whether there are additional requirements for merit aid; some scholarships require a separate application that may have an early deadline.

    You can use the 529 college savings plan to pay for the bill of a high school junior or senior has dropped 12.5% in value over the past year. Is your 529 in cash or stocks? If it is in stocks, with the stock market like today, it will not do much. If it is in cash, it depends on when you sold the stock and convert it to cash. If you sold at the low with panic selling, since most of the money in your 529 in cash or other fixed-income investments by now, a big surge in stocks won’t help you much.

    Could using 529 funds early hurt your chances of getting financial help later? Although withdrawals used to be treated as income, which is counted more heavily in financial aid formulas than savings, that’s no longer the case.

    You can get a home equity loan (if you home did not have the problem of the recent collapse in home values). You could borrow at a lower rate than for federal or private college loans, and the interest expense was often fully deductible. But many banks have frozen home-equity lines of credit, even for people with a good credit score. While the credit crunch threatened the availability of college loans last year, you’ll have no problems now, thanks to swift action by Congress to keep the federal money flowing. And while the rates aren’t as cheap as on a HELOC, they’re reasonable. The best deals are on loans made directly to students. Freshmen can take out up to $5,500 in Stafford loans this year (the limit rises to $7,500 for seniors), and the top rate is 6.8%. If you need to borrow more, getting a federal loan for parents, called a PLUS, is a snap. Just about anyone with a halfway decent credit history can get one and borrow up to the full cost of attendance, minus any aid received, at a maximum 8.5% rate.

    The recently passed economic stimulus legislation included a welcome provision for tuition-paying parents: an expansion of the Hope Credit for educational expenses — now called the American Opportunity Tax Credit — to $2,500, from $1,500. It will be available for the 2009 and 2010 tax years. Unlike the Hope, which could be used only for expenses in the first two years of college, this new credit can be claimed for costs over four years. And more middle- and upper-middle-income families will qualify; if you make $180,000 or less ($90,000 for singles), you’ll get at least a partial credit. (The Hope phased out if you earned more than $120,000.) You can even claim the credit if you fall under the alternative minimum tax.

    There are other breaks available, like the Lifetime Learning credit (up to $2,000) and a tuition deduction of up to $4,000. But you can claim only one tax break per child each year, and the American Opportunity is the best of the bunch. One other benefit you may be entitled to: You can deduct all or part of the interest you pay on college loans, up to $2,500, if you make $150,000 or less ($75,000 for singles). Finally, the new rules from Washington also expanded the kind of bills you can pay from a 529 account to include computers and related equipment if it’s required by the college, as well as Internet access.

  • Iraq Degree

    “James McLeod presently serving the US Army on his third term in Iraq, serves as a Mental Health Advisor for the troops. As the Mental Health Advisor, his position entails helping soldiers deal with stress: job stress, psychological stress and the stress of everyday living. Managing this stress is essential to being deployed in the field.

    While soldiers thrive on a certain amount of stress, too much can lead to health problems, causing weakness and breakdowns. His job is an essential one and the troops rely on him for help. So what does a Mental Health Advisor, whom soldiers come to for stress relief, do for his own mind?

    This brave soldier has found the time to pursue a college degree: a BS in Culinary Management through the Art Institute Online. McLeod got his associate degree in 1995 from the Art Institute in Atlanta, Georgia and wanted to complete his degree with a Bachelor of Science. The Art Institute Online provided both the flexibility and high-quality learning McLeod needed to pursue his passion in the culinary field, even while being deployed in Iraq.

    He began his classes in January 2006 to be more competitive and knowledgeable in his field. McLeod plans on opening a Meals on Wheels program for the poor and sick when he gets back to the states. “Working in health care has taught me a lot about people. One of the big reasons why I want to do this is because I love to help others that are in need. A lot of time the reason why most people die is because there is no one there to feed them. Having a program like this gives me an opportunity to help those that are in need of at least one good meal a day.”

  • Master Degrees

    In a recession, or economic downturn, what can you do if you are without a job?

    Since more and more people have bachelor degree, is it worth to get a master’s degree? We know for sure getting a master’s degree requires a considerable investment of time (i.e. at least one year), effort (may be full or part time), and money. The answer really depends on the job you want. Research conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies fields in which employees with a master’s degree earn a considerable earning premium over those with bachelor’s degrees. More information about college or universities can be found at IQx.com, in addition you may check the forum and heated debate at the IQx Forum

    Here’s a look at four jobs with high-earnings premiums:

    1. Financial analyst: 47 percent earning more for master’s over bachelor’s.

    With wall-street laying-off thousand people, the un-employment pool has a lot of people with bachelor’s degree. Financial analysts with master’s degrees are valued at a premium. A lot of companies are willing and able to pay a premium for intelligence, the ability for in-depth research, and detailed thorough analysis. While a bachelor’s in finance will provide a basis foundation, a master’s in finance will allow a worker to really dive into a specific financial specialty making it exceptionally valuable. Having a master’s in a financial role also provides you with credibility and pedigree.

    2. Tax preparer: 43 percent earning premium for master’s over bachelor’s degree.

    Master’s degrees are generally more valuable for professionals who work with clients with complex tax issues, such as big corporations. Tax preparers with a bachelor’s degree and/or CPA designation can usually handle run-of-the-mill tax issues. Bachelor’s degree is sufficient if it is just for an individual or the local small accounting firm, however a big firm who sells their reputation does need the added degree.

    3. Financial manager: 42 percent earning premium for master’s over bachelor’s.

    With banks closing and financial firm layoff, more and more people are looking for a job. How do you stand out among all the unemployed? The duties of financial managers vary based on the specific roles they play at their firms, which can include overseeing the preparation of financial reports, directing investment activities, and implementing cash management strategies.

    4. Education administrator: 41 percent earning premium for master’s over bachelor’s.

    K-12 administration and teachers are paid strictly on a pay scale. In nearly all states, it is required that administrators hold at least a master’s degree and certification, and earnings are based on years of experience and degree level. The higher one’s degree level and experience, the higher the salary.

  • College Myths (Last)

    This is fourth and final addition of the IQx college myth list.

    Myth #16 – A lot of extracurricular activities will compensate for poor grades.
    Yes, colleges do consider out-of-class activities such as athletics, student body, and drama when they review an application. However, universities first look at the academic record. The extracurricular activities generally only help after an academic transcript is looked at and it is considered to be good enough.

    Myth #17 – Liberal arts colleges don’t have good science programs.
    On the contrary, most liberal arts colleges have been emphasizing science for all students for over a hundred years. Since the best way to learn science is by doing science, small colleges with small classes and fewer students in the laboratories often have an advantage. As a result, far more physicians and Ph.D.s have earned their undergraduate degrees from small liberal arts colleges than larger universities.

    Myth #18 – A student’s college experience will be pretty much like everyone else’s.
    This is impossible and always will be. Everyone has a different life and everybody experiences many different things during their college years. When one may take five classes and only go to dances, another may take four classes and do student body leadership. A student’s experience is utterly unique in his/her own way.

    Myth #19 – The federal government provides most of the financial aid.
    A majority of the aid that is received from the government will come in the form of loans. For the last several years the amount of money made available in grants has been shrinking while the amount available in loans is increasing. Often, the amount available from various sources will depend on the kind of college you decide to attend- State schools will have most of their funding come from the government while private schools are often able to offer scholarships from their own funding and have more flexibility in creating financial aid packages.

    Myth #20 – Colleges are concerned only with my intellectual and academic development.
    Many colleges and smaller universities pride themselves on their ability to “develop the whole person”. Some of this personal development comes from requiring a broad-based general education that contributes to the understanding of the world. In some cases, personal and professional development is intentional. At these colleges, there are workshops open to students on time management, developing relationships, handling oneself at a job interview, and the responsibilities as a citizen.

  • College Myths (Third)

    This is third of the IQx college myth list.

    IQx Myth #11 – The duration of college is only four years.
    This is wrong for two reasons: 1 – A student can’t trade in his/her degree for another one if he/she didn’t go to the best college for his/her first time. The college is with the student for life. 2 – About one out of five students completes college in four years. In fact, only two of five students complete college in six years. If a student plans to be out of college in four years, learn what each college’s four-year graduation rate is.

    IQx Myth #12 – A student has to take only the minimum college prep courses to get into college.
    Technically, this is true. In reality however, it is not. The more science, mathematics and languages a student takes, the better his/her chances are for getting into a good four-year college.

    IQx Myth #13 – State institutions provide more financial aid than private universities.
    State-supported colleges offer less of their own resources for scholarships and financial aid. State-supported institutions are subsidized by their respective states which allows them to charge less. However, state institutions are also more likely to only offer loans to students who do not have a high need.

    IQx Myth #14 – Students can’t trust the college about financial aid.
    The job of a university’s financial aid officer is to make it possible for all admitted students to attend their college while still staying within the federal guidelines. Their job is to make the financial aid package fit different students as well as possible.

    IQx Myth #15 – A student’s life will be ruined if he/she doesn’t get admitted to his/her first choice college.
    Thousands upon thousands of students each year do not get admitted to their first choice college. They are still here today as happy and healthy as the rest of us. Rejection is always hard on egos, but lots of others are experiencing the same. It’s a part of life. Many go on to have a great time at their second choice school and go further to have a great career.

  • College Myths (Second)

    This is second of the IQx college myth list.

    IQx Myth #6 – If a student hasn’t heard of a college or university, it can’t be a good one.
    A student may not hear about many of the world’s most prestigious colleges until he/she is in his/her senior year of high school. Most universities that are broadcasted nationwide are displayed through sports. However, many of the best colleges may not be amazing at athletics and don’t get the chance to get extremely well known. Look at colleges for their merits, not for their name.

    IQx Myth #7 – A student should decide on his/her career before he/she can choose a university.
    In most colleges, a student can choose his/her major in his/her sophomore year and still complete the degree in four years. A surprising number of students discover their ideal field while taking a course they didn’t expect to like. Take the time to decide.

    IQx Myth #8 – The best time to visit colleges is after the student has been admitted.
    This is absolutely vital to the student’s happiness in his/her college. Students should visit every school that they want to attend before applying. This will determine whether they enjoy the campus and general feel of the particular university. Many students have visited after they were accepted and found that none of the colleges were ones that they would fit into.

    IQx Myth #9 – Large universities have greater ethnic diversity.
    If the value of diversity is to learn to understand and appreciate other cultures and groups, then small colleges often offer greater diversity. However, the ratios of the different ethnic groups are generally within 1-2% from college to college.

    IQx Myth #10 – Only the highest achieving students receive financial aid from colleges.
    Many students are accepted to a college, but they need financial aid. Although another student may have a better transcript, financial aid is generally saved for those who need it. There are more need based scholarships than academic or athletic based scholarships.

  • College Myths (First)

    There are many college myths that come up when a student is choosing which college he/she wants to go to. This is first of the IQx college myth list.

    IQx Myth #1 – Standardized tests, such as ACT, PSAT and SAT, are a lot more important than high school grades.
    Grades demonstrate a student’s drive to learn. Universities are aware that a student’s performance in high school is a much better predictor of college success than any standardized tests. However, this does not mean that universities will throw away a student’s test scores. If a student’s scores and grades differ immensely, then the admissions officers will examine the application into more depth.

    IQx Myth #2 – A student should go to the most prestigious college that he/she is admitted to.
    A student should not go to a college simply for “the name” or because it ranks number two in the nation. A student should go to the school that he/she personally likes the most. This includes liking the college campus, food, environment, etc. If the student goes to the most elite university but hates everything about it, he/she will not fit in and feel miserable the whole time.

    IQx Myth #3 – It is better to get good grades than take challenging courses.
    Undertaking challenging classes projects to colleges that the student can handle challenging courses very similar to that of a college class. Getting a 4.0 in the minimum required classes in the high school does not display any bit of hard work or ambition.

    IQx Myth #4 – Colleges need a certain amount of students, so it is easier to get accepted.
    Selective private colleges and most state universities get way more qualified applicants than they can possibly accept. While some colleges may have difficulty finding students, many would rather admit fewer students than admit unqualified students. Each year, there are only about 20-30 universities in the United States that accept every applicant.

    IQx Myth #5 – If a student did poorly in 9th & 10th grade he/she has a low chance of being admitted to a selective college.
    One attribute universities look for in applicants is improvement. When they see a jump of work ethic, they may consider letting the 9th and 10th grade grades slide a bit. The improvement must be over time though, and one semester of change will not affect anything.

  • Higher Education Areas

    In higher education, which is a level of education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, institutes of technology and other collegiate level institutions that award academic degrees or professional certifications, there are several main areas.

    Liberal Arts:

    • Great Books Program

    • History

    • Languages

    • Law

    • Literature

    • Philosophy

    • Religious studies

    Performing Arts:

    • Circus schools

    • College or university school of music

    • Dance school

    • Drama school

    • Music education

    Plastic or Visual Arts:

    • Film school

    • List of art schools

    • List of art schools in Europe

    • List of international architecture schools

    Professional:

    • Business school

    • Dental school

    • Journalism school

    • Law school

    • Library school

    • Medical school

    • Public policy school

    • Veterinary school

  • Common Degrees and Their Abbreviations

    A few common degrees and abbreviations:

    • Associate’s degrees: AA (Associate in Arts), AS (Associate in Science), AAS (Associate in Applied Science), AGS (Associate in General Studies)

    • Bachelor’s degrees: AB or BA, BFA, LL.B, BSc or ScB or BS or SB, BASc, BPhil, BBus, BSBA, BPE, B.Math, BSW, BVSc, B.Eng, BBA, B.Tech

    • Master’s degrees: M.P.P., MA, MFA, LL.M, MS or MSc, MCM, M.Div., MPIA, MPS, MAS, MMus, MSSc, MBA, MPA, MHA, M.Ed or EdM, M.Eng, M.J, M.Des, Drs (Netherlands)

    • Extended Research Master’s degrees: mag.art. (Denmark)

    • Licentiate degrees: LDS, JCL, LP

    • Specialist degrees: Ed.S., SSP, SClP

    • Logistician’s degree: CPL

    • Engineer’s degrees: Ch.E., C.E., E.E., Env.E., I.E., Mech.E., Nucl.E., Sys.E.

    • Professional Doctoral degrees:DMD or DDM, DDS, BM BS, DPT, ND, D.C., OD,

    DVM, V.M.D, M.Div., M.D., D.O., Au.D., PharmD, J.D., D.C., P.Th.D., D.Th.P., D.P.M., DProf (UK)

    • Research Doctoral degrees: J.C.D., Ph.D., EdD, EngD, DTech, DBA, DPA, DHA, Dr.-Ing(Germany), DPS, D.D., D.Min., D.Th. or Th.D., J.S.D. or S.J.D. or LL.D., DPM, DSc or ScD, DSocSci, M.D., DSW

    Abbreviations for degrees can place the level either before or after the faculty or discipline, depending on the college. One example is that DSc and ScD both stand for the doctorate in science. Various other abbreviations also vary between universities.

  • College Immigrants

    Why do immigrants come to the United State for education? Do they stay in US or do they go back to their own home countries? Why should we care? Well, because immigrants are critical to the country’s long-term economic health. Despite the fact that they constitute only 12% of the U.S. population, immigrants have started 52% of Silicon Valley’s technology companies and contributed to more than 25% of our global patents. They make up 24% of the U.S. science and engineering workforce holding bachelor’s degrees and 47% of science and engineering workers who have PhDs. Immigrants have co-founded firms such as Google, Intel, eBay, YouTube, Facebook and Yahoo!.

    Are those young and well-educated going back home after they graduate from universities here? Since a lot of young educated people come from China or India, people tried to find hard data on how many immigrants had returned to India and China. No government authority seems to track these numbers. But human resources directors in India and China say “what was a trickle of returnees a decade ago had become a flood.” Job applications from the U.S. had increased tenfold over the last few years, they said. To get an understanding of how the returnees had fared and why they left the U.S., a team at Duke, along with AnnaLee Saxenian of the University of California at Berkeley and Richard Freeman of Harvard University, conducted a survey. Through professional networking site LinkedIn, they tracked down 1,203 Indian and Chinese immigrants who had worked or received education in the U.S. and had returned to their home countries. This research was funded by the Kauffman Foundation. Their new paper, “America’s Loss Is the World’s Gain,” finds that the vast majority of these returnees were relatively young. The average age was 30 for Indian returnees, and 33 for Chinese. They were highly educated, with degrees in management, technology, or science. Fifty-one percent of the Chinese held master’s degrees and 41% had PhDs. Sixty-six percent of the Indians held a master’s and 12.1% had PhDs. They were at very top of the educational distribution for these highly educated immigrant groups — precisely the kind of people who make the greatest contribution to the U.S. economy and to business and job growth.

    Nearly a third of the Chinese returnees and a fifth of the Indians came to the U.S. on student visas. A fifth of the Chinese and nearly half of the Indians entered on temporary work visas (such as the H-1B). The strongest factor that brought them to the U.S. was professional and educational development opportunities.

    They found life in the U.S. had many drawbacks. Returnees cited language barriers, missing their family and friends at home, difficulty with cultural assimilation, and care of parents and children as key issues. About a third of the Indians and a fifth of the Chinese said that visas were a strong factor in their decision to return home, but others left for opportunity and to be close to family and friends. And it wasn’t just new immigrants who were returning. In fact, 30% of respondents held permanent resident status or were U.S. citizens.

    Eighty-seven percent of Chinese and 79% of Indians said a strong factor in their original decision to return home was the growing demand for their skills in their home countries. Their instincts generally proved right. Significant numbers moved up the organization chart. Among Indians the percentage of respondents holding senior management positions increased from 10% in the U.S. to 44% in India, and among Chinese it increased from 9% in the U.S. to 36% in China. Eighty-seven percent of Chinese and 62% of Indians said they had better opportunities for longer-term professional growth in their home countries than in the U.S. Additionally, nearly half were considering launching businesses and said entrepreneurial opportunities were better in their home countries than in the U.S.

    Friends and family played an equally strong role for 88% of Indians and 77% of Chinese. Care for aging parents was considered by 89% of Indians and 79% of Chinese to be much better in their home countries. Nearly 80% of Indians and 67% of Chinese said family values were better in their home countries.

  • School Funding

    A lot of universities are struggling with endowments that are now underwater. If the current financial downturn continues, the problem will only get worse. Most states adopted a uniform law that prohibits withdrawing money from endowments that fall below their “historic dollar value” — the money given to create the endowment, plus any later gifts. The law is designed to protect endowments by preventing institutions from dipping into the principal. An endowment is supposed to be a perpetual source of revenue, with institutions drawing off only the earnings. The rule affects newer funds most severely, since they have had less time to invest a gift and build the endowment’s value.

    Some donors may have intended for the principal to remain intact, but was it their intent that the students they want to help won’t get any help? Certainly there is a need to loosen the strings attached to the gifts.

    In the University of North Carolina system, where as many as 70 percent of the endowments at one campus are underwater, some of the system’s 16 schools are going back to donors and asking them for one-time donations to pay for what would normally be covered by the endowment.

    The University of Wisconsin system suspended payments this month from 38 underwater endowments, taking away $700,000 that would have gone for scholarships and other programs at campuses across the state. At New York University, about $10 million of $16 million in scholarship endowments is untouchable.

    Because of funding problem, Brandeis University originally planned to close its Rose Art Museum and sell its more than 7,000 works, including pieces by Willem de Kooning and Jasper Johns. After much criticism, the school backed off.

    There are ways to get around the law. In creating an endowment, nonprofits can enter into an agreement with the donor that allows for the use of principal in emergencies. They can also ask the donor to change the endowment’s terms retroactively, which requires a trip to court if the donor has died.

    Since early 2007, 26 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws that give nonprofit organizations more flexibility in using money from endowments that are underwater. Because of the economic meltdown, 12 other states are considering such laws, according to the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws.