Does this declaration really matter?

[laosheep]

UCSD

INTERNATIONAL (non US Citizen) APPLICANTS: .....As a consequence, very few non-citizens enroll in the program....

I'm a little bit scared by this notice. I'm curious about whether they really decline all the international applicants!

[balderdash]

I didn't apply to UCSD, but I'm pretty sure they're talking about funding, right? If so:

You've left out the more important part, which is the sentence preceding. This probably says something to the tune of, "we're a public school, so California residents get funding priority, then American students, the international students. If you're in the last group, you're not likely to get much money from us, if any at all. As a consequence, very few non-citizens enroll in the program." This doesn't mean that they won't accept you, it just means that you'll be asked to foot the bill - notice that they used the phrase "enroll in," not "are accepted to." Not many students are willing to pay $300,000 for their PhDs, and rightly so.

(But again, I'm just extrapolating based on where I've seen similar statements at other schools.)

Edited November 11, 2011 by balderdash

[laosheep]

Of course I'm talking about the funding.

It's interesting that the political science department in most universities say that everyone admitted into the Ph.D. programs will have fund, still the UCSD says that international student will not have fund there. Who would like to spend 5 years and hundreds of thousand on Ph.D. of political science, you can't even earn the money you spend on your study in the rest of your life.

[balderdash]

Of course I'm talking about the funding.

No need to be rude, especially given that you didn't specify.

It's interesting that the political science department in most universities say that everyone admitted into the Ph.D. programs will have fund, still the UCSD says that international student will not have fund there. Who would like to spend 5 years and hundreds of thousand on Ph.D. of political science, you can't even earn the money you spend on your study in the rest of your life.

If by "most" you mean most in the top 20, then yes, but it's a different game for the UC schools since they are legally required to favor residents/citizens and California is broke.

[icedance]

As an international student here, I have to tell you frankly that it is almost impossible for them to enroll international student unless you have your own funding. All the International student I know here is that they got funding from their own government or some other resources. I even give it up.

[kaykaykay]

Other UC schools take international students. This is not a California or a public school problem. UCSD's funding is weird TAship does not cover non-resident tuition if I remember correctly.

Edited November 11, 2011 by kalapocska

[balderdash]

Other UC schools take international students. This is not a California or a public school problem. UCSD's funding is weird TAship does not cover non-resident tuition if I remember correctly.

The question isn't whether or not they take them, but whether they fund them. Public universities' central funding is bound by both the factors I mentioned above (for instance, at Berkeley, see here and here), which leaves the overall pool available to international students smaller than it is for domestic students. The funding issue you mention for UCSD is a result of such regulation, as (from what I understand) you're ineligible to gain residency.

But I'm not saying that it's impossible for international students to win funding, just that it's more difficult - hence the the declaration OP flagged.

Edited November 12, 2011 by balderdash

[Sigaba]

No need to be rude, especially given that you didn't specify.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

What is going on at the Grad Cafe today?! I know many of you are under a lot of pressure but let's consider the importance of this day in an international perspective as well as the content of this thread before we start jumping all over each other.

In regards to the latter, could it be that what is being perceived as rudeness may actually an international students communicating in a language that is not his or her native tongue?

[balderdash]

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

What is going on at the Grad Cafe today?! I know many of you are under a lot of pressure but let's consider the importance of this day in an international perspective as well as the content of this thread before we start jumping all over each other.

In regards to the latter, could it be that what is being perceived as rudeness may actually an international students communicating in a language that is not his or her native tongue?

Who's jumping all over whom? I know tone can be difficult to read over the internet, but I'm not annoyed or anything, and I didn't exactly sound off on OP. And I would think that assuming OP's English was poor would be more patronizing than anything...

But in any case, OP, I would say that if the school is a really good fit, it's probably worth the application even if funding is unlikely. If it's middling or one of the borderline applications, then you might want to just save the application fee and only apply departments that have more funding for international students.

[kaykaykay]

"The question isn't whether or not they take them, but whether they fund them. "

ok so I was not clear. Some UC schools take international students and give them funding. It is not really a California issue. No international student will ever gain California residency that is true. But the difference between UCSD, Davis vs. UCLA ,Berkeley is that in the later placesTA ships come with the remission of non-resident ( and resident) tuition, so international students are not disadvantaged. This is not the case in San Diego and Davis= even if you TA as an international student you have to pay.

See Berkeley FAQ:http://grad.berkeley.edu/policies/appointments_faq.shtml

[gradcafe26]

Poor funding is something that a program wants to hide, just like poor placement record. If they make it explicit and official like that, I don't think it's even worth trying

[2010Applicant]

Does anyone know if the same situation applies to UCSD's IR/PS School?

I am an international student wanting to apply to IR/PS' PhD program. But as the OP says, if there is no funding, it's really a showstopper. And it's kind of ironic if their IR School is practically sending away its international candidates.