Education

Beijing students interview at US schools

By Wang Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-21 08:10

Gao Wei, a full-time housewife, once only viewed the US as a perfect destination for shopping and leisure.

All that changed when she was there two weeks ago as she didn't spend a single minute shopping or sightseeing. Instead, Wei accompanied her daughter to attend admission interviews for three boarding schools near Boston, an expensive activity that is growing in popularity in China but shrinking in availability.

For Gao and her 12-year-old daughter, this was their second time to visit the US together. The first journey took place back in January when they visited eight boarding schools across the country. The trip had such a dramatic influence that Gao made the resolute decision to send her daughter to study in a US boarding school.

"Flying to attend interviews gave my daughter an edge over those sending applications from China, because the admission officers got to know my daughter better when talking face to face," she said.

"It also saved the hassle of researching online for information on which schools might suit my daughter better."

However, the cost of flying to the US to attend admission interviews can be too steep for many.

The standard itinerary for an agency-led "US Admission Interview Tour" is to visit 10 schools and attend some of the interviews over 12 days.

Fees climb to about 35,000 yuan per person, with at least one parent and one child required to sign up. This covers any contact made with admission offices as well as assistance in preparing necessary documentation. Flights and accommodation are also part of the package.

While for many, the price is considered extremely expensive, that doesn't slow the enthusiasm of affluent parents.

Wu Jinhua, manager of the Guanaichengzhang Education Consulting Firm, which organizes tours like this, told METRO that when he first kicked off a US admission interview tour in 2007, only 35 people signed up. That number has ramped up to more than 100 this year and he is very optimistic about future.

"Wealthy parents from Beijing and Shanghai are the most active groups when it comes to joining the tour," he said.

He added that on Feb 4, another 23 parents and children will depart from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to begin their tour.

Wu said Beijing parents actually prefer to make the experience a family outing and more than 10 groups will travel, using his company, before March.

However, while growing interest from parents seems to be jacking up the cost of tours, tightening admission policies in US schools are playing their key role too.

Recently, the number of US middle schools coming to China to enroll students has begun to shrink.

The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), an organization that links students with boarding schools in US, Canada and abroad, usually holds two fairs in China every year in Beijing and Shanghai. As many as 75 schools participated in the Beijing event last year but the November equivalent only attracted 44 boarding schools.

For most US schools, there is a cap for the number of international students allowed to enroll, to maintain a diversified campus culture. The limit is around 15 percent, according to Wu.

He added that with the number of Chinese applicants increasing year-on-year, the admission requirements for Chinese students is growing tighter.

In one case, Wu said, a US school offered only three places to Chinese students last year but received more than 160 applications.

Though the application process is becoming ever trickier, his advice was still to spend hard.

"Meeting with US admission officers will definitely increase a student's chances because the family role is an important consideration when it comes to school admission policy," he said.