probably because of their huge population. It might be a small fraction but it seems like a huge chunk to us. I have friends in India and according to them, there are more than a hundred applicants for one spot every year in their colleges, so they have to look elsewhere. Same with medicine, IT etc.

I am from India. We have many colleges in India, but good colleges with good values, curriculum and oppurtunities are few. And too many people compete for those colleges and those colleges wouldnt know how to filter the applicants and make the exam tough. Even after making in to those colleges wouldn't assure you quality education in business and management that is connected with reality(industry I mean). So the option left for is to go for study of business in the land of oppurtunities.

This is a surprise to me as well.
I don't know if the huge population thing is a valid argument though. China comes to mind and you don't see nearly as many applicants from China.
I do believe that the Indian presence had been felt in the US for quite some decades now. What saddens me (for this developing nation, that still struggles in some respects) is that not so many students seem to want to come back home and make a difference, i.e. invest in education (and build better undergrad and gran institutions) and infrastructure... These people, schooled in the Ivy League, would really impact the development of such a country.
We have a saying in Romania: may the bread be as bad as it gets in your own country, it's still better than someplace else!

Hi Jeff,

I am an Indian and I am applying to BSchool for Fall 2010.

If you think Indians applying to Foreign Universities are a high number, I would like you to take a look at numbers applying to BSchools within India as well. It is in the mind-boggling range of anywhere between atleast half a million to a million each year, if not more.

As an example, at the top rated Indian Institutes of Management, there are roughly 3 lakh students who apply for a written entrance test each year and around 3000 get in. The selectivity is lower than even H/S/W.

But, I suppose your question is towards large number of Indian applicants who apply to schools abroad.

There is no easy answer there, so I am listing down a set of reasons and a random combination will give you your answer.

1. Better career prospects
2. $$$
3. Better industry focus and curriculum abroad
4. Chance to live abroad
5. Emigration
6. Low wage levels in home country
7. Social compulsions
8. Weightage for work experience in BSchools abroad
9. Hard working and intelligent, Indians can and do compete with anyone anywhere, given a level platform

@DanaJ: You are right. But the same is applicable for any ethnic group and not just Indians. If not, there would not be so many varied ethnic groups like Latin-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Italian-Americans et al.

Yep DanaJ, the fact kills me too....

We have some of the best Technology Institutes in the World, but most of those who get in want to rush away to US..!!

3 lakh ie. 0.3 million students to get into 3000 seats, 2700 of which are gonna go abroad. after they get the best education in the country to use their minds there.!

On one hand we call us a developing country , and then contribute in its own ''developing'' status...
I'm going to the US just to get the best education, the day of my graduation i'll be running back home..

there is no comparison for what my country has given me for 20 years to what US gives me for 2 years...

Sorry for sounding too patriotic, but this is something I feel for too much,..
I Love India