Everybody wants to go to American colleges and universities

Last month, when I riffled through the Newsweek, the article most captured my attention was the interview about Robert Gates, who has been widely praised for his pragmatic stewardship of the Pentagon.

During the interview, he talked about one big surprise he’d had since he was the secretary of defense. He said, “I haven’t found a single country that didn’t want a stronger, better relationship with the United States, and that did not think the U.S. was still the key player. I’ve probably traveled to fifty countries now. Not one – Indonesia, India, Russia, China, the Middle East. Places where I kind of expected to get beat up, places where, when I traveled when I was DCI (director of Central Intelligence), in some ways there was a more negative attitude toward the U.S. then than now. For all of the criticisms, all of the mistakes that we’ve made, we’re just kind of there. To a considerable extent we are still the only multidimensional superpower – political, military, economic, cultural. I mean, American culture? Even those who hate us the most wear American college sweatshirts, and want to go to American colleges and universities.”

I'm not sure whether Robert Gates exaggerated a little bit, 'cause I know some rich Chinese parents prefer to send their children to gain further or higher education in the UK. They may think the United States is the kind of place full of temptation. Anyway, there’re more opportunities to win scholarships, fellowships, and grants in the United States, many students from the average family background are determined to go to the USA.