A Council of Graduate Education study cited in today's Inside Higher Education shows that international applications to US schools continue to climb, but at a slower pace than in the previous year.  A few highlights:

• "Applications from international students rose 6 percent in 2008, compared to 9 percent in 2007."
• "The number of offers of admission to international students increased by 4 percent from 2007 to 2008, compared to gains of 8 and 12 percent, respectively, in the preceding two years."
• "Among the 49 graduate schools that responded to the survey in both 2004 (the baseline year) and 2008, 60 percent report fewer international applicants now than then."
  

Debra W. Stewart, the council’s president, pointed to several factors possibly contributing to the slowdown:

• "Fierce" competition from Europe.
• The development of joint programs.
• Increased efforts by China, India, Japan and South Korea (the countries that send the most students to the US) to entice students to stay home.