[iconoclast]

I was in engineering school in the late 80s and early 90s, and it was pretty much understood that the school accepted so many foreigners simply because they didn't get "free rides" -- their governments paid most of their costs.

I was a graybeard in Grad School (Computer Studies) at about that time. Lots of Asian kids in my classes. Don't remember any real geniuses but what what sticks in my mind was that the smarter Asian kids pulled the less bright ones through the courses (yes, Virginia, there are "less bright ones). And, of course, no nationalistic tendencies there!

I was working and supporting a family and most of the American kids were working part time jobs. I saw no indication that the foreign kids had anything to do but study.

The smartest kid by far I ever encountered in several years of Grad study was young American engineer who practically taught the Abstract Algebra class we were in.

[tomjohn77]

There are many smart American students, but Asians tend to be smarter at math on average than Europeans and Americans.

[tomjohn77]

On the other hand I never encounter so many strange people in my life time than I did when I went to school in America. Students from China and India can be extremely strange. Especially the Chinese, just like they are from another planet. The same goes with East Europeans from former soviet republics. Where I went to school I always hung out with Norwegian and American students.