san francisco ramin forouzandeh apply 13 phd economics program unite state president donald trump sign first travel ban january 25-year-old iranian turn canada options say focus u.s. school host world top 20 economics program travel ban never really consider alternatives late march u.s. court halt two versions trump travel ban yet forouzandeh sign university toronto rotman school management turn university minnesota prestigious phd program countryman mahdi ebrahimi kahou 30 well first year minnesota program decide transfer university british columbia trump executive order ban travel seven late six muslim-majority countries include iran lose motivation work completely say reuters survey 19 canadian universities show spike international applications notably iran india five top canadian economics business phd program get least half new iranian students fall ban base interview universities students like forouzandeh ebrahimi kahou opt u.s. program field unite state dominate rely foreign talent program represent one field fraction u.s. student population offer early evidence direct impact trump administration policies academics fear may also sign things come chill effect trump america first agenda spread beyond specific field study nationality strike heart make u.s. high education envy world say mary sue coleman chair association american universities notion u.s. long welcome place best bright iranians far big group among students directly affect ban form small notable part talent pool areas engineer economics u.s. academic institutions excel iranians rank sixth last year among international students enrol u.s. graduate program accord institute international education survey conduct jointly five u.s. high education associations february show 38 percent u.s. colleges report drop foreign applications middle east 27 percent saw change significant cool-down nearly decade steady growth 2015 least 35 percent graduate students u.s. universities grant graduate degrees science engineer health foreigners accord national science foundation graphic u.s. universities global brain click tmsnrt.rs/2qlario year 60 percent graduate phds top 10 u.s. economics departments come countries reuters analysis show get issue order temporarily block apply six countries destabilization whole situation international students faculty could overstate say rice university president david leebron say foreign students everything get visa time employment opportunities throw question accord rice dean graduate postdoctoral study year phd program slightly few chinese indian middle eastern students expect iranian students decline offer admission usual several say decide study another country concern get u.s. visa evidence mass exodus foreigners indeed rice students expect europe latin america offset decline elsewhere academics cite dozens examples trump policies impact arizona state university example iranians would typically make fourth economics phd program none incoming class fall already enrol two move canada one student visit family iran christmas break still able return leave university scramble cover class suppose teach effect big say gustavo ventura asu economics department chair people ones come us anyone come phd program abroad cream student population university illinois 10 iranians phd program certain none iranians offer admission among 22 students 11 countries enter fall indiana university economics program three iranians withdraw applications almost immediately travel ban say todd walker director department graduate study also many international applicants turn us year relative last three years say say definitively much attributable travel ban suspect play role british columbia simon fraser university admit 20 percent international students fall term accord associate dean jeff derksen say query receive online survey suggest graduate students consider alternatives u.s. program indicate international map academic knowledge production change prestige u.s. program remain big draw commit u.s. career aware risk example soheil ghili get phd economics northwestern university kellogg school management month start post-doctoral fellow yale summer hedge bet let put way careful miss network opportunities people toronto london trump 's travel ban spook students fan fear broad chill