A Message from Ambassador Robertson Regarding Study in the United States of America

Ljubljana, Slovenia
June 14, 2005

As summer draws near, many Slovene secondary school students will be thinking about their future.  Many are probably choosing a university and taking entrance exams--an exciting, but often stressful time.  Some may be looking for educational opportunities beyond Slovenia’s borders to other European countries and to America.  I myself studied abroad in Germany, the Soviet Union, and Italy and I can honestly say that it changed my life.  Foreign study opens new perspectives on the outside world, and also on your own society.  I would advise any young person thinking about studying abroad to seize the opportunity and spend at least one semester in a foreign country, wherever it may be. 

For those interested, the United States offers many opportunities in higher education.  With over 4,000 accredited institutions of higher education, there is something to fit every student’s interests.  While entrance exams may be stressful, applying for a student visa to study at an American university or college is not.  Increasing the number of foreign students studying in the United States is one of the highest priorities of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and of the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana.  That’s why we’re doing all we can to make the process easy and transparent.  The loss of even one qualified student is one too many.

In recent years, between 200 and 250 Slovenes have studied in the U.S. each year, either at the undergraduate or graduate level.  Americans also come to Slovenia through the Fulbright program and we hope for more interest from Americans as English-language courses and knowledge about Slovenia grow.  Each individual carries back to his or her home country another piece of a bridge not just between young people, but between our two nations.

The opportunities in the United States for business, academia and scientific research attracts talented people from all over the world.  It has always been this way, and we are determined to preserve this great tradition.  We value each Slovene student who chooses to study in the U.S. and will compete for this talent.  If a student chooses to study elsewhere, America has not just lost the opportunity to host that one student.  We have lost that student’s entire family, from the parents who might have visited and seen all that our country has to offer, to the younger siblings who would love to follow in the footsteps of their older brother or sister.  Most importantly, though, we’ve lost a chance for this student to experience America with his or her own eyes and ears, rather than through the television or a book.  And when, years later, that student becomes a leader here in Slovenia, we want that person to have had the experience of life on an American college or university campus.  A young Slovene’s experience in America enriches the futures of both nations.

The U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana approves more than 95 percent of student visa applications.  If you are a legitimate student pursuing a degree that will help you here in Slovenia, and you can show the means to pay for your study in the United States, you have nothing to worry about when you meet with a consular officer.  Slovenes applying for student or exchange visas do not need to make an appointment and are welcome at the Embassy anytime during Non-Immigrant Visa hours (Mon./Wed//Fridays 9 – 11:30 a.m.).  Our Embassy website (http://slovenia.usembassy.gov/) is a resource for you, providing a portal on study opportunities in the United States as well as information on the documents you will need to apply for a student visa.  We’re looking forward to meeting you and continuing the proud tradition of educational exchange between our two nations.