While more and more Chinese students are going abroad to study every year, the trend has fueled the growth of agencies that helped students to do their applications for a hefty price.
Chinese study-abroad agencies have become a very lucrative business.
It's crunch time for these students, who are setting their sights on graduate schools abroad. And, application deadlines are just around the corner.
Zhang Zekun is applying to 10 universities in the U.S. for his master's studies. He's been preparing for more than a year now.
"I want to go abroad to see a different culture in one of the most developed countries in the world," said Zhang.
Besides reviewing for tests, many Chinese applicants turn to companies that offer them guidance, from picking schools and programs that match their profiles, to improving their application essays.
And it doesn't come cheap.
At New Oriental Education and Technology Group, China's largest education agency, the cost of overseas study consulting services, can average at about 30,000 yuan, or roughly $4,500.
