The US Embassy in Kingston, which stages the annual EducationUSA college fair to recruit Jamaicans to pursue tertiary studies in that North American country, is encouraging prospective students to consider schools other than the eight in the Ivy League, and degree programmes other than liberal arts.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer on the second of the two-day fair Wednesday, Counsellor for Public Affairs Joshua Polacheck said the US is home to over 4,500 institutions which offer several emerging areas just waiting to be tapped.

“I want to encourage your readers to think not only about a liberal arts education, or a science education, but we have universities here that do hospitality studies, who do video game design, who do work in aviation. American higher education isn’t only about the Ivy League and getting a history degree from Princeton, but we have over 4,500 different institutions with many different offerings,” he said.

The fair featured some 35 schools from across the US, including Florida and the tri-state area. Polacheck said that the aim was to have geographic diversity and fulfil demand based on feedback last year. In addition, the embassy sought schools that offered great financial aid packages.

EducationUSA has been staging college fairs in the island for the past 25 years and recently began partnering with the American International School of Kingston (AISK) and Hillel Academy.

“The United States believes that education is one of the strongest pillars of the American system; the American dream. Having students come from around the world not only strengthens those other countries, as their kids get the best education in the world, but also strengthens our system by bringing diversity into the system.

“Education is also a great export. The US’ economic system and our economy profit a lot from bringing in students from overseas and so it’s a small investment by the US Embassy to bring 35 schools down here to recruit students. Even if two or three students come, we would have remade the investment,” he told Career & Education.

Furthering his point about how education serves to benefit both the originating and the host country, Polacheck pointed to the number of Jamaicans in leadership positions.

“If you look at the Cabinet or the leading CEOs in Jamaica, you will see that anywhere from a third to a half received their education in the United States and we believe that the US education helps prepare people for a place of leadership and to bring vitality to the economy,” he said.

That notwithstanding, the embassy spokesman argued that “Jamaica sends a disproportionate number of students to the United States for its population; about half as many as Mexico does, but obviously the population is about 175th as small”.

As such, he said, there is a deliberate drive to ramp up the numbers under President Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative, which has challenged the hemisphere to send 100,000 students to the US for education by the end of the decade, with an equal number of Americans going to study abroad.

Meanwhile, students who attended last week’s fair said the event provided them with more options.

Mario Galbert, a grade 12 Bridgeport High School prefect, said: “I am here to get the exposure to different colleges and universities abroad who offer my field of study so I can get more info about matriculation requirements and financial aid. I want to study in the US and now have more options.”

Danielle Spencer, Grade 12 student of St Andrew High School for Girls, had a similar opinion.

“On a whole, the colleges that we have in Jamaica are very limited and they have limited areas of study. So having exposure to these international colleges that offer those broad areas, it’s better for us to be exposed to stuff that we could possibly explore. It is beneficial because we can study abroad and come back and contribute,” she said.

And Jamaica College prefect Tahjay Maragh said all sixth- formers should attend.

“I think it’s an excellent event that is very informative and good for all sixth-formers to attend so that they can get an understanding of the tuition fees, SAT scores, and other requirements for US colleges,” he said.

Meanwhile, Polacheck encouraged students to take advantage of free college counselling services the embassy provides to members of its Paul Robeson Resource Centre, membership, which is free of cost.

— Aldane Walters