How Hard Is It for Chinese Students To Get Into Highly Selective Boarding Schools?

Let’s just say it’s typically more selective than (the average admissions rate of) Ivy League universities.

In a conversation with a highly selective boarding school’s director of admissions before the March 10th rollout, they shared that Chinese applications (those with P.R. China passports) were up 43% this past year. They received over 230 applications for only six places— that includes both genders in the 9th and 10th grades.

As in, there were 38 students from China applying for each 1 seat.

In other words, their acceptance rate for Chinese students is below 3% this year!

Congratulations to the students who persevered, and really made significant improvements in their study skills, habits, ways of thinking about the world, self-reflection, and future direction. These schools will be lucky to have you!

With Time To Reflect, Consider What's Your BHAG?

Pronounced Bee-Hag, BHAG stands for “Big Hairy Audacious Goal.” I just LOVE this phrase! Ever since I heard it many years ago, it stuck with me. It’s only when we as people, organizations and as a civilization begin to dream bigger and set more outrageous goals can we make what seems impossible today a future possibility.

“BHAG is a concept developed in the book Built to Last. A BHAG (pronounced “Bee Hag,” short for “Big Hairy Audacious Goal”) is a powerful way to stimulate progress. A BHAG is clear and compelling, needing little explanation; people get it right away. Think of the NASA moon mission of the 1960s. The best BHAGs require both building for the long term AND exuding a relentless sense of urgency: What do we need to do today, with monomaniacal focus, and tomorrow, and the next day, to defy the probabilities and ultimately achieve our BHAG?”

— Jim Collins

When I was in college, a friend and I decided to get a Buddhist Student organization going. In our first planning meeting together, my friend and I brainstormed what we wanted the club to do. When we thought bigger and more long-term, my friend added that we should aim to have the Dalai Lama come to campus. I think I had laughed out loud. It seemed like a totally absurd impossibility to host a global figure on a rural upstate NY campus. I filed it away under “that would be nice, but I won’t hold my breath.”

But, lo and behold, years later after much work, many meditation sessions, retreats, and activity, although I would say really to no credit of ours, who was brought to campus in the spring of my final year? His Holiness. Cue one of the most epic days of my life! That was my own first personal encounter with experiencing a BHAG come to life. Totally. Worth. It.

Got any BHAGs? Go BHAG or go home. I had to.

Playing the Educational Long Game i.e. When Idealism Beats Out Pragmatism

I was recently reading Yuval Noah Harrari’s Sapiens, which navigates through the ups and downs and long haul of human history, in a very succinct and readable manner no less. I saw some explanations as to why in the world the US and the UK first jumped to the top of the higher education pyramid—imperialism.

 From imperial days, the British empire's colonial strategy was not about fast wins and making a quick buck. No, they played the long game. Wherever they colonized, they brought scholars across all disciplines—geologists, zoologists, and experts to study the cultures in the land in the flora and fauna. In India, the British conducted a 60-year study, tracing the origin of extinct Indian languages, looking up rare Indian spiders, etc. As a result, they could understand not just India, but the world, and science better.

I’m not condoning imperial history or methods of colonization which were by many measures horrific. But these historical realities shed light on how the UK, fostered a global knowledge-seeking culture that fueled innovations and scientific discoveries. This propelled an isolated island nation forward, despite its own lack of resources.

What does this have to do with today? In the rush for students to “get to market” with their degrees—looking for something ‘practical’ and ‘employable’, there is risk that you can cut yourself short. Knowledge is power, in all forms. If the British Empire had taken a narrow approach to knowledge-seeking back then, what would they have missed out on? Scientific discoveries and fostering a learning culture create a virtuous cycle and a positive learning environment. If you’re a school or community—are you funding and supporting intellectual exploration of all kinds? As a student—what’s your version of the exotic spider that you’re exploring?

These Are The Most Important Questions To Answer When Thinking about the “Best Time” for Your Child To Study in the US

How would you answer each of these questions? And what do they mean for at what age is best for studying abroad?

Each student and family’s situation is different so we recommend that you consider and evaluate your unique situation with an expert. The answers to the following questions might start to give a sense of one of the questions we hear most often when first meeting families: when is the best time to go study abroad?

Is your child mature enough to be successful abroad?

Everyone grows up and matures at different speeds and ages, some early and steadily, others are slow “late bloomers,” and still others delay and “all of a sudden” mature. Students’ abilities to handle different kinds of situations on their own may impact when parents think it’s appropriate for their children to consider study abroad.

There is no single right or wrong answer.

It will be whenever your child can grasp what will be involved when they’re “ready” and willing to take part in the hard work to prepare to apply for schools as well as to live apart from family. While there are many adults in a student’s life while at a junior boarding or boarding school, students must be capable of age-appropriate self-sufficiency and self-advocacy. Parents may find it difficult to be objective about their own child’s maturity and readiness: some parents want to protect their kids for a very long time from the world, so it’s important to be honest and think about getting other perspectives on your child’s maturity level. How does your child act in classes at school and what feedback do you receive when they aren’t with you? How does their maturity compare to their peer group?

How much time can you spend supporting and overseeing your child, their schoolwork and development each week?

Each family’s home and work situation is different, and one phase of life may require a 9/9/6 work schedule, while other families can have one parent stay home to focus on overseeing children. If parents are extremely busy with their work travel schedules and cannot dedicate a lot of time each week to supporting a student after school or on the weekends, it may make sense to consider boarding school earlier.

Boarding school offers an environment where there are parents everywhere! I remember when I went to boarding school, I went from having one set of parents to two dorm parent families, an advisor and a whole group of teachers who were deeply invested in my well-being, and also looking out to make sure I was on top of everything!

If the time you can now invest in your child’s education is very limited, you may consider study abroad earlier. If you have at least one parent home all the time and can dedicate a lot of time and resources to supporting and overseeing your child’s progress, going abroad later may be more appealing. In addition to actual time and resources, do you have the experience and expertise to give your child valuable advice and support? Additionally, will your child listen to you?

As middle schoolers become high schoolers, some parents find what they say to their child goes in one ear and out the other! Whether or not you select for your child to study abroad earlier or later, it’s important to consider how to make sure that your child maintains open communication with you and has a network of supportive adults guiding them in a positive direction.

Can your child not just survive, but thrive, in a fully English-language learning environment?

Without an immersive English environment, it will be very hard for a student to make substantial progress in English and also achieve academic success in any English-language school. The “Catch 22” is that in order to improve your English, you need an immersive English environment, but your English needs to be of a high-enough level in order to survive in an English language school! How to beat this cycle? If your child attends a school without English as the primary language, it’s best to make sure they have access to native English teachers for conversational English, reading, writing and vocabulary development from a young age. Traditional methods of memorizing vocabulary just for a test will not dramatically help overall English fluency.

Remember that you may think that your child’s English is ‘okay’ or at grade level, or is good or even better than their classmates, which in the context of their school it might be. However, what is considered “good English” is very different if you are in a public Chinese school, an international division, or in a school where you learn in English all day long. Rather than saying my son got a 95 in English class recently or he has 87 TOEFL, it’s much more useful to drill down into what that means. What books has your child ready lately? Are they an engaged, curious and excited learner or do they need to be forced into schoolwork? Have you had their reading, writing, speaking and listening objectively evaluated?

What Are Your Long-Term Educational Goals?

Educational investments do not see immediate, overnight returns, which is why there are no short-cuts in this process, but there are best practices to make sure you can go even further! Similarly, the dividends from real learning and ‘valuable education’ will pay off for the rest of your life.  One of the questions that you never need to ask is “is it too late to start (planning to study abroad)?” While it may be rushed to apply for one specific year, being worried that you are starting late should never stop you from getting started, there are always more chances!

If you are thinking about applying for US university, it is important to select a high school that will set you up for success. Since it is built into the structure and natural flow of American college preparatory schools they will do a lot to prepare students to be successful in an American university process. If you attend a high school outside of the US or in a non-American curriculum, it will be more important to go beyond what your school offers to make sure you are able to ‘keep up’ with all that your peers are doing at high schools around the world.  

What Age Is Your Child Now and How Much Time Do You Need to Prepare?

In the US, the youngest an international student might go abroad for boarding school is 4th or 5th grade, but there are very few schools that will accept non-US citizens or permanent residents of that age. There are about 300 boarding schools (countless private day schools and those who have homestay programs for international students) and a few thousand universities in the US, so the options become much more plentiful as students grow up. The current age of your child will determine how much time there is to prepare before traditional entry periods. We recommend students plan for at least two years before enrolling to allow time for exam prep, school search, research and the application process.

The most traditional entry years:

Junior boarding school (middle school):
6th and 7th grades (11-12 years old)

Boarding school (high school)
9th and 10th grades (14-15 years old)

Undergraduate (university)
18-19 years old

We sometimes hear families say, “I will only go to the US for boarding school if I can get into a better school than I am in now.” However, what is objectively “better” is a bit hard to say and may not be immediately obvious. Don’t just rely on the rankings! Will your opportunities to improve your English, become a better student, have more time for extra-curriculars to help you develop confidence, maturity and leadership make you a better college applicant? Probably! In another post, we will discuss how US college admissions officers view the differences between applying from different types of schools, and you might be surprised by the answers!

What Kind of Education Style Will Fit Your Child and Help Them Reach Their Potential?

Some families realize early on in their child’s education that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ classroom-style does not actually fit their child. Whether that be because the child loves art, theater, sports, loves to talk, think critically and independently, or just wants a more diverse and open learning environment, it may mean that your child can develop their strengths, hobbies, and confidence more quickly in the US.

Unsure about how to answer any of these or what these answers might mean for your family and child? Get in touch with us!