British Tennis Forum

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

General college chat 2024/25

Lambda · ATP level

She achieved the rare feat of winning the NCAA singles, doubles and team championships during her college career. I think only a couple of people have done that before. Currently ranked 328 in the WTA rankings, expect her to be top 100 in 18 months, probably sooner.

Lambda · ATP level

This sounds like Gabia is transferring? Which wouldn't be a surprise. She good enough to be playing regularly and she isn't getting that at NC State.

gabiapaskauskas
Packing out one last time. Thank you NCSU for a wonderful freshman year. These memories will forever be engrained in me
2 h

kristinapaskauskas
was a dream to play next to you.

the addict · Tennis legend

Both Kristina and Gabia are on the acceptance list for Monastir next week. Gabia has to qualify, so she needs to get a move on.

Madadman · Grand Slam Champion

Dont particularly want to turn this conversation political but I do wonder what the current rhetoric around foreign students might have on the number of Brits who make the decision to go to college.

A bbc article today about a pause on VISAs
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy75eenl46eo

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Madadman wrote:
Dont particularly want to turn this conversation political but I do wonder what the current rhetoric around foreign students might have on the number of Brits who make the decision to go to college.

A bbc article today about a pause on VISAs
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy75eenl46eo

I was talking about this last night with my wife - she used to work for the company who owns Camp America (AIFS) and was full on at this time of year managing the process of getting applicants out to Camps. Massive process around J1 Visas required, counsellors coming not just from the UK but all over.

Anyway, long story short, the US camp system ( a big part of their culture in summer) depends on foreign counsellors. Trump did something similar in 2020, Covid being the reason quoted but the impact was the same and it caused massive disruption to the system.

The headline here the colleges, but the whole process of young people applying for J1 visas for things like camps is also massively impacted. Many of those camps have tennis coaches, some from the UK, who teach the kids and some of them may also get caught up in this madness

AnnaM · Lower Club Player

Free speech as long as you agree!

We knew nothing of this until I read the posts above.

Scotland fell out with them some time ago, and now scheduled appointments for student VISA's are only available in London and Belfast.
The cost of these VISA's has already gone up a lot. Anna was thinking of doing a grade 2 in London and getting her VISA for San Diego State University then. It is now in doubt now they have stopped the process. They can look at her Social media, as she keeps politics out of online conversations. Hope they don't read mine!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

AnnaM wrote:
Free speech as long as you agree!

We knew nothing of this until I read the posts above.

Scotland fell out with them some time ago, and now scheduled appointments for student VISA's are only available in London and Belfast.
The cost of these VISA's has already gone up a lot. Anna was thinking of doing a grade 2 in London and getting her VISA for San Diego State University then. It is now in doubt now they have stopped the process. They can look at her Social media, as she keeps politics out of online conversations. Hope they don't read mine!

They couch it in terms of finding people or comments dangerous to the US state or anti terror; it is rubbish, they are just interested in anti Trump comments through this.

I hope they dont look at this board!! It is fascist behaviour, IMO

I recently did my and my wifes ESTA. In doing so, you are asked to link your social media accounts - I have a twitter account and LinkedIn, and so did those. They werent interested in this, I dont think, I didnt link it anyway. One interesting thing was that when I did my ESTA a few years back, it came as approved within a few minutes. This time, mine took around 24 hours before it was approved. I dont know what they search or whether they use AI to search the web, but it clearly took longer to do than past years. My wifes came back within minutes (she has no social media presence at all) as well, so they were obviously looking closely at something to do with me!

I hope Anna gets sorted out

AnnaM · Lower Club Player

JonH comes home wrote:
AnnaM wrote:
Free speech as long as you agree!

We knew nothing of this until I read the posts above.

Scotland fell out with them some time ago, and now scheduled appointments for student VISA's are only available in London and Belfast.
The cost of these VISA's has already gone up a lot. Anna was thinking of doing a grade 2 in London and getting her VISA for San Diego State University then. It is now in doubt now they have stopped the process. They can look at her Social media, as she keeps politics out of online conversations. Hope they don't read mine!
They couch it in terms of finding people or comments dangerous to the US state or anti terror; it is rubbish, they are just interested in anti Trump comments through this.
I hope they dont look at this board!! It is fascist behaviour, IMO
I recently did my and my wifes ESTA. In doing so, you are asked to link your social media accounts - I have a twitter account and LinkedIn, and so did those. They werent interested in this, I dont think, I didnt link it anyway. One interesting thing was that when I did my ESTA a few years back, it came as approved within a few minutes. This time, mine took around 24 hours before it was approved. I dont know what they search or whether they use AI to search the web, but it clearly took longer to do than past years. My wifes came back within minutes (she has no social media presence at all) as well, so they were obviously looking closely at something to do with me!
I hope Anna gets sorted out

Thanks

That sounds nuts. It looks like I won't be getting a visa to the USA anytime soon, more like a free flight to a third country.

AnnaM · Lower Club Player

It is chaos out there!

People are also having their already booked appointments cancelled.

This could damage the college system and the exchange program beyond repair.

If the big baby was not hated before, which he was, he is now despised on an even greater scale.

Var · Satellite level

AnnaM wrote:
It is chaos out there!

People are also having their already booked appointments cancelled.

This could damage the college system and the exchange program beyond repair.

If the big baby was not hated before, which he was, he is now despised on an even greater scale.

Does this impact those already in the college system? Or just new applicants? Must be so worrying.

AnnaM · Lower Club Player

Var wrote:
AnnaM wrote:
It is chaos out there!

People are also having their already booked appointments cancelled.

This could damage the college system and the exchange program beyond repair.

If the big baby was not hated before, which he was, he is now despised on an even greater scale.
Does this impact those already in the college system? Or just new applicants? Must be so worrying.

It is affecting those who need to apply for a student VISA. However, I have heard that graduating students at Harvard have been told that they cannot graduate. Hence, Harvard has filed a lawsuit against the Government. It seems that he does not want the education system educating the wrong people (in his mind) with real education, especially students with views to the left of extreme right-wing views

Lambda · ATP level

Var wrote:
AnnaM wrote:
It is chaos out there!

People are also having their already booked appointments cancelled.

This could damage the college system and the exchange program beyond repair.

If the big baby was not hated before, which he was, he is now despised on an even greater scale.
Does this impact those already in the college system? Or just new applicants? Must be so worrying.

Not unless you go to Harvard who the government cancelled their right to register international students last week, and current international students their must transfer to maintain the visa status (part of the govt spat with Harvard) but there is an injunction preventing the govt from implementing the ban. Immigration lawyers advise it doesn't impact on students that have completed their course requirements to graduate.

Elegant Point · Futures qualifying

Lambda wrote:
Var wrote:

AnnaM wrote:
It is chaos out there!

People are also having their already booked appointments cancelled.

This could damage the college system and the exchange program beyond repair.

If the big baby was not hated before, which he was, he is now despised on an even greater scale.
Does this impact those already in the college system? Or just new applicants? Must be so worrying.

Not unless you go to Harvard who the government cancelled their right to register international students last week, and current international students their must transfer to maintain the visa status (part of the govt spat with Harvard) but there is an injunction preventing the govt from implementing the ban. Immigration lawyers advise it doesn't impact on students that have completed their course requirements to graduate.

My son knows an international student (visa all in order) who has been forced to leave the US after being caught speeding (60 in a 40) hmm

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/07/trump-student-visas-deportation

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Deported over a speeding ticket? That is the most ridiculous thing. I have to say, I got my esta ok but I wont be going there anytime soon.