Budapest institute faces uncertain future amid U.S. visa ban
Inside a quiet building in Budapest, the Milestone Institute has helped Hungarian students reach the Ivy League. Now, those dreams may be in danger.
U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed visa ban for foreign students has raised fears among families and educators in Hungary.
The Milestone Institute is not a school in the usual sense. It offers enrichment courses and mentoring for ambitious teens.
"Our goal is to be a catalyst for social change in Hungary. And we thought that the best way to do that is to gather the talented and ambitious kids here, help them reach their full potential," said Andor Kelenhegyi, the institute's director of academic studies.
Kelenhegyi co-founded Milestone 15 years ago. Back then, few believed a student from Hungary could earn a place at Harvard.
Today, the institute helps at least one student get accepted there each year. Other students have gone on to Yale, Columbia and top schools in the UK.
Many students at Budapest's Milestone Institute have gone on to Harvard. /CGTN
Since 2010, this program in Budapest has helped open many doors, sending Hungarian students to Harvard. But with the new U.S. visa rules for foreign students some are starting to wonder if their dreams of going there are still within reach.
András Vágvölgyi, a Harvard alumnus from Hungary, said the proposed policy sends a troubling message.
"It's definitely a very, very, very bad thing. If you fight against education and lower international connections, it's bad thing," said Vágvölgyi.
Kelenhegyi urges students not to panic.
"It's a 400-year-old institution with a lot of support and a lot of knowledge in how to handle problems. We tell them, wait and see how things are handled. Then you can make a decision a year from now. If you get an offer, you can still decide not to take it or take it," he said.
In classrooms filled with quiet hope, students continue their work. Many began in Hungary's public schools. Now, they dream of the Ivy League.
Whether they end up at Harvard or elsewhere remains uncertain. But for these young Hungarians, education is still the path forward.
In a world of shifting borders and policies, belief in one's future still holds strong.