Letter from Boston Recruiting Event By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
入学者獲得のためのイベント 好景気のアメリカでは、理工科系の学生は大学院に進まなくても高収入で魅力的な職に就くことができます。そのため、雅子さんが通うボストン大学の物理学部では毎年入学者数が減る一方。この状況を打開しようと、大学は合格者を招待して、講演や懇親会を開催し、入学者獲得に乗り出しています。

In these economically robust times, science majors can find jobs easily without a graduate degree. Scientifically savvy college graduates are tempted by the glamour and money that Internet startups, consulting companies and investment banks can offer. I think they often find it hard to turn down these perks in favor of the relatively sedate — and certainly much poorer — life of a graduate student.

The number of students entering the Boston University physics department has been decreasing even since I entered the department almost four years ago. This trend is by no means limited to BU. For a long time, physics departments across the United States were trying not to admit more students than the job market could absorb. The job prospects for physicists were considered rather dim, so it was thought to be "socially responsible" for departments to control the admissions process so that the departments did not grow too much.

However, the pendulum seems to be swinging in the other direction now. Physics department across the country are now trying harder to recruit students.

For the first time since I've come here, the BU physics department has started recruiting students aggressively. The school has flown in prospective students from around the country and put them up in hotels. The department has planned academic talks and social events.

This past weekend was a special recruitment weekend, to which only domestic students were invited. This makes sense, since international plane tickets can be costly and the necessary paperwork to visit can be a big headache for foreigners. The department has traditionally been heavily populated by foreign students, and it is interested in attracting more Americans. Americans are definitely a minority within the department.

I volunteered to participate in some of the social activities for the candidates last weekend, since I'm interested in seeing high-quality new students in the department. I went to an American college, so I have an idea of what the physics experience has been like for these students. I can't help but root for these potential BU graduate students. I can't change a stubborn mind, but I think I can influence an indecisive one.

Physics majors are few and far between at most American colleges. Some of the visiting students told me that there are fewer than 10 majors per year — out of a student body of 10,000 or even 25,000 students. It's tough enough sticking to a physics major in college, but I could only warn them that things get worse in graduate school.

After I entered graduate school, I found myself humbled by the hard-working, well-prepared foreign students who had sacrificed a lot in order to pursue the subject. Their attitude made me realize what a (relatively) easy time I had had in college, and in life. I have had to work hard to catch up with them. From my experiences and those of my friends, I know that these new students will likely struggle. But I think the struggle is worth it, and I want them to experience it at BU!!

Research content is an important part of selecting a university; I'm sure the students got plenty of official materials from BU. But at the social events, I think the visiting students saw some of the benefits of studying in a nice city like Boston. And I think they realized that many of the faculty and students in the department are truly kind and interesting people. I have realized this again myself through planning the events with faculty and watching them interact with the students.

I have been in the department for almost four years, but I spoke to many of the faculty members for the first time at these events. Not too surprisingly, they were being particularly sociable, and I enjoyed talking to them. I'm sure that for many of the visiting students, the faculty members became indistinguishable after a while, but for me it was a revelation to see them as real individuals. In fact, I probably enjoyed this recruiting event more than the target students did.

Shukan ST: March 24, 2000

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