ToddSince the end of the COVID pandemic, there has been a steady growth of Chinese students enrolling in US universities and colleges -- over 300,000 are going to the US each year. This is a small number compared to the nine million university students studying in China, but the country has also seen a steady decrease in students who sit for the Gaokao. International education is on the rise again.
The value of an international degree keeps increasing in China and India, particularly. Gaining admission, however, to elite US universities is, to put it mildly, a challenge.
A perfect score on the SAT does not guarantee admission to Harvard, Oxbridge, or Princeton. To help students navigate this foreign process, many Chinese parents enlist the aid of expensive agents who promise to secure admission to a top university. Such guarantees amount to empty promises because agents have no power to make them happen. No one outside the university does. And no reputable consultant will guarantee admission; so, be very wary of anyone making such guarantees.
Furthermore, Chinese students can expect their applications to be scoured for signs of misrepresentation. Stories of doctored high school records, application essay ghostwriters, and even cheating on the SAT have spread quickly in the tight-knit world of college admissions. Admission committees have become especially adept at finding clues of this kind of cheating on Chinese students’ applications.
So, what is an accomplished and honest student supposed to do to make his or her US college dreams come true? Aside from representing themselves fully and truthfully in all aspects of the college application process, here are a few additional pieces of advice to Chinese students looking to attend college in the US.
Understand the holistic review process
Unlike the Chinese university admissions process where everything rides on the Gaokao score, in the US, a 4.0 GPA, a 1560 SAT, and a 114 ToEFL don’t guarantee admission to a top 10 university. US admission officers use “holistic review,” meaning they look at all aspects of an applicant and what he or she can contribute to the campus community, not just academic performance. It’s important for Chinese students to set themselves apart from other applicants through extracurricular involvement, essays, demonstrated interest, and recommendations. Grades and test scores are important, but so is an interesting and compelling application that demonstrates personality, passion, and expertise.
Perfect the use of English
Students should use it and practice it daily -- be curious and adventurous learners. They should watch a movie, learn the slang, think in English, and, in a short time, confidently share their skills. This will help them advocate for themselves in the college admissions process, help them write application essays, make friends when they move to the US, and communicate in their classes and with their teachers. At BASIS, we have an English Immersion Policy that requires the use of English everywhere outside the dorms.
Understand that US News and World Report is NOT a government publication
The US does not have a governmental agency that ranks academic institutions. Publications that release college rankings are independently-owned and use vastly different criteria to make their judgments, which are primarily used to sell newspapers and magazines. The university that has the perfect major for your child might not be in the Ivy League. Be a savvy consumer—learn, shop around, and with your student and college counselor, build your own list of colleges based on your own criteria and interests.
Write Engaging Essays
The best essays show the personality of a student while demonstrating the qualities and strengths they’ll bring to the campus. The goal is to show not only why the college is ideal for you, but why you’re a great fit for the college. To that end, the best essays have a strong hook that draws the reader in from the start: a short story, a vivid description, an engaging question. The goal is to grab the reader’s attention and get them thinking from the first paragraph.
Every G11 student at BIPH will receive three weeks of training in college application work, including writing essays that tell a compelling story about the applicant’s life, about an experience that made them into the person they are today.
Work closely with your BASIS college counselor
Most US universities frown upon the use of education consultants by students from China, because too many agents use unethical means and strategies to apply for students. But your BASIS college counselors are ethical, respected professionals who do not profit from our work with you. We coach and support student through the application process, as well as prepare and send the required documents for their applications. We cultivate relationships with college admission officers and pass on their advice to you. The more closely you work with us, the more we can help you.
Carefully consider test-taking plans
Most US universities require students to take either the SAT (or ACT) to be considered for admission. Even though many colleges suspended the requirement during COVID, now it is gradually coming back. For admission to a Top 30 university, students need a score in the 1500s or better. They should take their first SAT at BASIS either at the end of Grade 10 or beginning of Grade 11. Then, if they believe they can do better, take it again at the end of G11 or beginning of G12.
Students should take the ToEFL exam within two years of their application and aim for a minimum of 100. Of course, the higher the score the better – 108-110 for top 30 schools.
Conclusion
Chinese students applying to elite US universities have a steep hill to climb, but, as our BASIS network results show, it is possible! US universities want international students and value what they bring to their campuses. They want diversity in thought, language, and culture; they want to create mini-world communities on their own campuses. For this purpose, they shape their incoming classes in ways we cannot know. That’s one explanation for why excellent students get denied; it’s not because their applications were inferior.
At BIPH, we will help your student prepare the best application possible. And we will guide your child in choosing universities carefully. They may have the good fortune of getting their dream school. Or they may need to find contentment in another top 20, top 30, or top 50 school.
The two charts contain information you can compare over the last four years. The data represents the challenge of admission to the Ivy League universities.
