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Quick question: where do 97% of all Chinese high school students graduating each year spend two days in June? Taking the gaokao exams, of course. With over 9.75 million Chinese students taking the gaokao this past June, and places at top Chinese universities at a premium (less than 1% qualify with their first scores), many families are left with an important, yet unwelcome decision after results are released. For students and their parents, many who have invested financially and emotionally in preparing for this exam for over a decade, dreams of attending one of the elite Chinese universities can be crushed in an instant when gaokao results come out.

As families come to terms with the realities of these results, what are the options? Two traditional paths have emerged. Some commit another year of their lives to additional tutoring and/or schooling to retest the following June. Others will accept places at second or third choice Chinese universities. In recent years, however, a third group of gaokao takers has emerged that consider overseas universities after not scoring well enough for their first national university choice. While there have been students who decided not to take the gaokao at all, instead planning their entire secondary school years to prepare for studying abroad, this third group is increasing.

Where do gaokao test-takers go outside China?

As early as 2012, overseas universities starting in Australia began to accept gaokao scores for admission. Now, about a third of Canadian institutions, seven of the famous Group of Eight in the UK, and several other European universities will accept gaokaoresults. Clearly, the academic caliber of high achieving Chinese students who do not secure their top choices is very attractive to universities outside of China.

Likewise, beginning in 2015, several U.S. universities including early adopters University of San Francisco, Illinois Institute of Technology, Brown University, New York University (NYU), George Mason University, Saint Louis University, University of Delaware, Colorado State University, and University of New Hampshire started to recognize the value of students who have taken this grueling secondary school leaving exam. Typically, these U.S. institutions will use the gaokao results in place of the normal requirement for international applicants to take an SAT or ACT exam, but still require either a minimum English proficiency test score or an interview test (in the case of University of San Francisco).

Likewise, beginning in 2015, several U.S. universities including early adopters University of San Francisco, Illinois Institute of Technology, Brown University, New York University (NYU), George Mason University, Saint Louis University, University of Delaware, Colorado State University, and University of New Hampshire started to recognize the value of students who have taken this grueling secondary school leaving exam. Typically, these U.S. institutions will use the gaokao results in place of the normal requirement for international applicants to take an SAT or ACT exam, but still require either a minimum English proficiency test score or an interview test (in the case of University of San Francisco).

In the past month two additional U.S. universities have joined this growing group: Adelphi University, a private institution in New York, and Louisiana State University (LSU) the public flagship institution for its state. What is different for these two universities is that they will use the gaokao alone to admit Chinese students into their pathway programs. Having a pathway to a U.S. university that will not require many extra steps to complete can be attractive to prospective Chinese students. Making the transition easier for gaokao students was the focus of Adelphi University’s decision. Dr. Shawn O’Riley, Dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies and Academic Chair at Adelphi University International remarked “Accepting scores from the gaokao for admission is something we’ve worked hard to implement and are excited for this pilot program. Removing even small barriers from the admissions process will help us recruit top students from China and give these students access to a program designed specifically with them in mind.”

Why the recent growth in the United States?

So, why are U.S. institutions moving in this direction? The United States has long been the top destination for Chinese students (over 350,000 Chinese students currently studying there). However, in recent years, the global competition for internationally-mobile students has increased. As a result, institutions eager to attract the best and brightest students considering overseas options take steps to make their admission policies more adaptable to prospective students’ needs. For many universities, this change means that making their campuses more international student-friendly has become an important priority to maintain their competitiveness.

Important note: Because the gaokao exam and the release of results happen in June at the end of a students’ final secondary school year, most U.S. admissions deadlines for the start of the next academic year have already passed. For many Chinese students who decide after receiving their results that studying abroad is their new priority, this timing can present a challenge: Should they wait a year to start their overseas study or make a quick dash to get in somewhere for the upcoming academic year? To compress a year’s worth of college research, institution selection, additional test taking, applications, financial aid, and the U.S. student visa process into as little as six to eight weeks before classes begin in the United States can be an incredible challenge.

What do U.S. universities do to help?

Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report released the first Top Universities for International Students list. Though this list is not a ranking of U.S. institutions, it does grade the top 300 or so highest ranked national universities on criteria related to international students (admissions process, orientation, English language programs, and campus services like housing, safety, career services, and student organizations). Much of the reasoning for this new list is “to highlight schools that best support their international student body through graduation.” The initial list includes 181 highly ranked universities that receive positive scores using these criteria.

For prospective Chinese students and parents searching for quick answers on U.S. university options in the summer months, the criteria used in this Top Universities list can be quite helpful. The flexible admission criteria for international students includes extended or later admissions deadlines for fall (August/September) start dates, conditional admissions programs (that allow students whose English ability does not meet minimum standards for direct admission a chance to start at the university right away), and mid-year (January) entry periods. Because of the great financial investment that families make when committing to a U.S. university education, having flexible options to decide on the most appropriate destinations for their sons and daughters only makes sense.

Beyond the flexibility of the initial admissions period, making sure new international students have adequate services during their transition to living in the United States is essential. From pre-departure sessions held virtually or in-country, airport pick-ups for arriving students, a dedicated international student orientation, to help with setting up bank accounts and getting a mobile phone, U.S. colleges and universities must provide for these initial needs as well as on-going housing, advising, and social needs.

In the end, many internationally-minded U.S. institutions place a high value on their international student retention and graduation rates. Ongoing university-wide support to help with all the various academic, social, personal, and career-related questions international students have during their studies builds stronger, better prepared future graduates. With many students and families focused on career preparation and potential job prospects, whether in the United States or back home, international student friendly universities often have in place programming for international students designed to provide the practical experience and skills needed to excel in their job search. Whether through interview or resume preparation sessions, to internships during a student’s studies and post-graduation practical training, universities have many ways to help their international students succeed.

Chinese parents and students have an incredible range of choices in the United States for university education. These choices can often seem overwhelming, especially after receiving less than expected gaokao results. But the good news is that many U.S. colleges and universities, by accepting the gaokao exam as part of their admissions criteria, show the significant value they place on the kinds of students the Chinese education system produces.

As the assistant vice president for international admissions at the University of San Francisco, Jason Opdike, recently stated in an interview, “collectively, the students who have entered USF through the gaokao admission program have achieved considerably higher results than the Chinese students admitted through the traditional admission process.” These students would be excellent fits at international student-friendly campuses throughout the United States.