Supporting an industry
According to a 2015 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, China has the biggest number of students who study abroad. The number of students studying abroad stood at 459,800 in 2014, an increase of 11 percent over 2013, the report showed. In the past 10 years, the number has doubled.
The pursuit of overseas education has led to a boom in related consulting agencies. A search on baidu.com turns out many agencies, most of them bragging about how many students they have sent to Ivy League schools.
Foreign language schools are also becoming popular in China.
Yin Qiaochen, a 2006 graduate of the Nanjing Foreign Language School, said that 200 out of about 500 people in his class chose to study abroad.
The high school is one of the best foreign language institutes in East China's Jiangsu Province. There are many such high schools across China with a focus on foreign languages, especially English, providing a better education.
Yin recalls when he was studying in the high school, his classmates started to gradually apply to schools abroad from the second year. He applied for an American college as well and convinced his parents it was the right choice.
The school also provides a favorable atmosphere for students who want to study abroad.
"Every summer, the school organizes overseas trips to help students familiarize with cities and university campuses, mostly in the UK and the U.S.," Yin said.
Another prestigious and popular school in China is the High School Affiliated to Shanghai International Studies University. Sun Yu, a teacher at the university, said about one-third of their graduates apply for foreign universities, one-third are accepted early via recommendation and interview by schools in China and the rest take the gaokao.
"The high school isn't just an incubator for talents to be sent overseas," Sun stressed. "We've sent talented young people to Chinese universities and various departments as well."
But the fact remains that the school excels in providing education on foreign languages and prides itself in producing independent students who are well-conversed in many aspects, not just in academics. Such qualities make the school a natural springboard for those who want to pursue education in a foreign university.
Varying experiences
Teri Bao, a 17-year-old student, went to study at a British private high school after graduating from middle school in China two years ago. Her parents decided it was best for her to pursue her studies overseas because of the better quality of education compared with China.
Bao fully agreed with her parents, saying she had more freedom with her studies in the UK.
"We have field trips in our science class, and in our chemistry class we do all sorts of interesting experiments," she said.
She recalls being forced to take extra lessons in the Chinese middle school. The teacher would even use up the time for gym classes and morning exercises.
But some also experienced disappointment with an overseas education.
Yin said if given a second chance, he would've thought twice about applying to a liberal arts college in the US.
"Back then I chose the school because it had a good reputation and offered me a stipend," he said. "But I didn't pursue a higher degree, and just a bachelor's degree from a college is not enough to find a good job in China."
In recent years, media reported more negative news about the behavior of Chinese students in the U.S. A couple of students were sentenced for bullying their peers. Some couldn't get accustomed to a foreign society.
Some students feel great pressure. They are not ready language-wise and some aren't independent enough to live in a foreign country by themselves. Some parents even accompany their children abroad, cook for them and clean their apartments.
The U.S. government is also determined to crack down on underground agencies and students that fake their TOEFL scores or resumes to get into American universities.
Despite all the issues, the popularity of overseas education remains high in China.
Like Hu Ming, parents want their children to have more choices than they themselves had. After graduation, the children may choose to work in other countries.
"His mother and I belong to ordinary working class. We want him to see more and experience more," Hu Ming said of his son.
