WhatwillyoustudyintheUnitedStates?IwillstudyformyPh.D.inCivilEngineeringintheUniversityofTexasatAustin.AndmyspecifiedfieldisTransportationEngineering.2)Whatisyourmajor?Inwhataspectofyourmajorwillyoustudy?MycurrentmajorinBeijingPolytechnicUniversityisCivilEngineering.IwillcontinuetostudyCivilEngineeringformyPh.D.intheUniversityofTexasatAustin.MyspecifiedfieldofstudyisTransportationEngineering.3)WhatwillyoudoinUSA?IwillstudyformyPh.D.degreeinCivilEngineeringintheUniversityofTexasatAustin.Iplantofinishmystudyinabout4yearsandthencomebacktochina.4)AreyougoingtostudyinUSA?Yes.IwillstudyformyPh.D.degreeinindustrialengineeringintheUniversityofTexasatAustin.5)When/wheredidyougetyourBS/MS?IgotmyBachelor'sdegreeinTransportationEngineeringin1997atHarbinUniversityofCivilEngineering&ArchitectureandwillgetmyMaster’sdegreeinthiscomingJulyfromBeijingPolytechnicUniversity.6)What/whereareyoustudyingnow?IamnowstudyingformyMaster'sdegreeinTransportationEngineeringinBeijingPolytechnicUniversity.7)HowlongwillyoustudyinUSA?About4~5years.MyfutureadvisorsaidthatifIwokhardIcangetmyPh.D.withinashortertime.8)Haveyouanyscholarship?Yes.Onthebasisoftheevaluationofmyresume,personalstatement,undergraduatetranscripts,andGRE,TOEFLscores,Iwasacceptedbythedepartmentasaprioritystudentandhonoredfullfinancialsupportincludingatuitionwaiverandyearlystipendof15,600USdollars.9)WhatdoyouwanttostudyinUSA?IwillstudyformyPh.D.degreeinCivilEngineeringintheUniversityofTexasatAustin.10)WhatdoyoudowithyourworkforBS/MS/PhD?Iwilltakecourses,teaching,doresearch,andfinishmythesisintheareaofTransportationtogetmyPh.D.inCivilEngineeringin4years.11)Whatisyourpurposeforthevisa?IneedaF-1visainordertostudyformyPh.D.degreeinCivilEngineeringintheUniversityofTexasatAustin.Iplantofinishmystudyinabout4yearsandthencomebacktochina.12)Whatisyouracademicbackground?SinceSeptember1993,IhadbeenstudyingintheTransportationCollegeofHarbinUniversityofCivilEngineeringandArchitectureformyBachelor'sdegree.AfterIgotmybachelor'sdegreeinJuly1997,IcontinuedmypostgraduatestudyinBeijingPolytechnicUniversity,andIwillbeconferredtheMaster’sdegreeinthiscomingJuly.13)HowdoyouknowthisUniv.?IstartedtoknowabouttheUniversityofTexasatAustinfrommycurrentadvisor.WhenheleanedthatIwasplanningtogoabroadandfurthermystudy,hewasgladandencouragedmetodoso.Ontheotherhand,IalsolearnedalotabouttheUniversityofTexasatAustinfromtheWorldWideWeb.14)Whatisyourplan?Whatwillyoudoaftergraduation?IwillspecializeinTransportationEngineeringandfinishmyPh.D.studiesinCivilEngineeringintheUniversityofTexasatAustininabout4years.ThenIwillcomebacktoChinaandfirstgetmarriedwithmygirlfriendwhomIhaveknownformorethan9years.AtthesametimeIwilltrytofindapositioninabigstateownedconsultingcompany.MydesiredworkingplaceisBeijing.15)GivemethreereasonsthatyouwillcomebacktoChina?Firstofall,Ihavetocomebackandgetmarriedwithmygirlfriend.Wehaveknowneachotherfor9yearsincewewereyoung.Youseewewereinthesameclassinjuniorhighschool.SheisnowworkinginaresearchinstituteinBeijing.HermajorisMaterialsScienceandEngineering,specializinginceramics.Secondly,asyoucansee,IapplieddirectlyforaPh.D.program.AsfarasIknow,andprobablyasyouknow,Ph.D.holdersintheStatesarenotsoeasytofindgoodjobsasM.Sholderseveninthesamediscipline,especiallyintheCivilEngineering.However,itwillbeveryeasyformetofindagoodjobinanyofthebigcitiesinchinawithmyPh.DinCivilEngineeringgotintheUnitedStates.Third,mycareerobjectivedeterminesthatitisabetterchoiceformetocomebacktoChinathanstayinginthestates.Mylong-rangeobjectiveistobecomeanenterpriserandownmybusiness.AnditwouldbeverydifficultformetorealizeitifIchoosetostayinthestates,fortheUnitedStatesisahighlydevelopedcounty,andalmosteverythingisalreadythere.Yousee,asacountrydevelops,thespaceforpeopletodevelopshrinksrelatively.Itisnotrealisticformetofindmyownspaceasasuccessfulenterpriserbetweenallthesebig,developedandhigh-techcompaniesintheUnitedStates.ImeanIcanstart,butcanhardlysucceed.Onthecontrary,ifIcomebacktochina,Ihavemuchbetterchances.Sincechinaisunderdeveloped,itleavesmuchmorespaceforpeople,especiallyforcivilengineerstodevelop.Asyoucansee,waste,lowefficiency,high-cost,poorqualityisalmosteverywhere,thoughthingsarechangingeveryday.WithmyPh.D.degreegotinthestatesandmysocialrelationships,itismucheasierformetostartmyownenterprise,orbuyonefromthegovernmentwhentheydecidetoprivatizesomeofthemedium-sizedandsmallstateownedenterprises.SinceChinawilljointheWTO,Ibelievetherewillbemoreandmorechanceshere.16)Canyouexplainwhy90%Chinesestudentsdidn'tcomeback?Ithinkthatispartlybecausetheywereafraidthattheywouldnotbetreatedfairlyaftertheycomeback.Asamatteroffact,thatusedtobethereality.Butthingshasbeenchanginggreatlyduringtherecentyearsandmuchmorestudentsarearecomingbackaftertheyhavefinishedtheirstudy.Ialsothinkthishassomethingtodowiththemajors.Asforstudentsmajoringinscience,theymaylikethebetterequipment,environmentandsalaryinthestatesbecausetheyareafraidthatiftheyareback,someoftheirresearchcannotgoonasaresultofpoorfacilityandshortageoffunding.Butasformymajor,i