In recent years, the number of Chinese students applying to study abroad has increased, and competition has become increasingly fierce. In order to impress the admissions staff of foreign universities, Chinese students have come up with various strategies, including hiring people at high prices to create application documents for them. So, is this kind of packaging effective? What do admissions staff at foreign universities value the most?
The United States receives the most Chinese students studying abroad.
A recent report by the New York Times stated that in the admissions office of Grinnell College in Iowa, there were many colorful brochures. Each brochure contained photos of Chinese students applying to attend the school, documenting their wonderful moments from birth to adolescence. However, the admissions staff did not treat these brochures differently but directly threw them into the trash can.
In November 2010, the New York Times reported that according to an annual report by the Institute of International Education in the United States, the number of Chinese students studying in the United States increased by 30% during the 2009-2010 academic year, reaching 128,000, making China the largest source country for international students in the United States for the first time. Grinnell College also predicted that by 2015, one out of every ten students applying to the school would be from China.
Dozens of other American universities have also found a sharp increase in applications from China, and they have received many brochures sent by Chinese students. The booming economy in China means that more Chinese families can afford to send their children to the United States for higher education, but the rising number of Chinese students poses challenges for American university admissions personnel. At Grinnell College, the admissions personnel are unsure how to select 15 students from 200 Chinese applicants. After all, the 11-member admissions committee cannot simply apply the same standards used for selecting American students when choosing Chinese students.
According to Grinnell College, among the Chinese students applying to Grinnell University this year, half achieved a perfect score of 800 on the SAT math section (the "Academic Ability Assessment Test," often referred to as the "American college entrance exam," which is an important reference for high school students worldwide applying to prestigious American universities and scholarships), making it difficult to differentiate between candidates. On the other hand, the average score of the top-performing Chinese applicants' high school grades ranged from 70 to 80 points because Chinese high schools tend to grade more strictly than American high schools. However, it is rare in China for high school students to take advanced university courses to demonstrate their ability to succeed in college.
"They should save that money"
Seth Allen, Vice President of Grinnell University, revealed that evaluating the English proficiency of Chinese applicants was challenging. Some Chinese families hired "agents" to write their admission essays, and the application documents produced by these "agents" were too similar, presenting a challenge for evaluation. "They should save that money," Allen said, as overworked admissions personnel basically didn't bother looking at those brochures because they had to review 3,000 applications simultaneously. In fact, admissions personnel had no choice but to throw these brochures into the trash.
Allen said they spent most of their time trying to analyze the essays of these Chinese students. A young girl from Shanghai scored 800 on the SAT math section and nearly 600 on English grammar. Her application essay described her experience volunteering at a rehabilitation center, helping an autistic boy, leaving a deep impression on the admissions officers. "A boy who considered himself hopeless inspired me to help him intensely," she said, "As time passed, I discovered he had a special interest in piano sounds and showed talent in piano..."
"Be yourself, be honest, be distinctive"
In 2004, when a reporter from Youth Reference applied to British universities, the resume, self-introduction, and other application materials were all completed independently, with the study abroad intermediary only providing a sample for reference. Background information about the applicant, including family income certificates, was translated directly by a translation company based on original materials without embellishment.
In recent years, the business of study abroad intermediaries has developed rapidly, with some intermediary companies even offering "full-package" services. Regarding this, Youth Reference interviewed Li Feng (a pseudonym), a veteran staff member of a study abroad intermediary. Li Feng stated that currently, study abroad intermediaries offer "all-inclusive" services, covering school selection, major picking, writing documents, handling applications, and processing visas. Prices depend on the quantity of documents. If applying to an undergraduate program in the U.S., several essays are required, with varying numbers; two to three recommendation letters, and one resume. For graduate programs, the quantity and types of documents vary depending on the major. Taking the popular business majors among Chinese students as an example, MBA, finance, and accounting majors focus primarily on essays, and the quantity is substantial. Other majors require just a self-introduction, three recommendation letters, and one resume. According to current prices, a full-service package for applying to American universities costs between 30,000 to 50,000 yuan. After signing a contract with the student, the intermediary provides a "document investigation form" to collect life experiences and academic background material, then extracts the highlights and enhances them.
Regarding the brochures received by Grinnell University, Li Feng told Youth Reference that many intermediaries currently adopt this approach, and it's also the idea of many parents, who believe that sending more materials will leave a good impression on the school. In reality, American university admissions staff typically spend only three minutes reviewing a student's entire set of materials, so there's no time to go through extra materials.
Li Feng further noted that Chinese students and parents considering studying abroad don't need to put too much pressure on themselves. He offered three basic suggestions—"be yourself, be honest, be specific."
Poor students will still have opportunities
Since 2000, Grinnell University has observed a steady stream of Chinese applicants and noticed that these students perform exceptionally well academically.
Allen stated that most Chinese students at Grinnell have a "very good" foundation in economics, mathematics, or science, which are also the fields they are most likely to major in. Additionally, the school offers courses to teach Chinese students the skills needed for writing English academic papers. "Chinese students need to invest more time than American students to complete their studies," he said.
When considering the admission of American students, Grinnell University does not need to assess their ability to pay tuition fees, but when admitting international students, it is "necessary to know" this point. Therefore, applicants from China or other countries who can pay full tuition will have an advantage. However, Grinnell University also offers some full scholarships to international students, including those from China.
"I am aware of regional differences in China," Allen said, "If we assume all Chinese applicants come from the same background, it would be unfair to poorer students." (By Xue Muqing)