When Shreya Mishra Reddy was admitted to Harvard University in 2023, her parents were “ecstatic”.
It is “the ultimate school that anybody in India wants to get into,” she tells the BBC.
Now, with graduation around the corner, she has had to break the bad news to her family: she may not graduate in July from the executive leadership programme after
“It has been very difficult for my family to hear. They’re still trying to process it,” she said.
Ms Reddy is one of around 6,800 international students at Harvard, who make up more than 27% of its enrolments this year. They are a crucial source of revenue for the Ivy League school. About a third of its foreign students are from China, and more than 700 are Indian, such as Ms Reddy.
All of them are now unsure of what to expect next. Harvard has called the move “unlawful”, which could lead to a legal challenge.
But that leaves the students’ futures in limbo, be it those who are waiting to enrol this summer, or are halfway through college, or even those awaiting graduation whose work opportunities are tied to their student visas.
Those who are already at Harvard would have to transfer to other American universities to remain in the US and retain their visas.
“I hope Harvard will stand for us and some solution can be worked out,” Ms Reddy says.
The university has said it is “fully committed to maintaining [its] ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably”.