Study in Beijing or venture aboard? Boarding school or day school? IB or AP? Preppy or sporty? 

Families in Beijing are overwhelmed with a surfeit of high school options. Firstly, there is an air of prestige and merit around college preparatory schools in the US. Think of the halls lined with ivy, the small classes in big libraries, how romantic! However, studying abroad is challenging too. Many rumor that it can turn teenagers wild or break them down.  

Here are three students from Beijing City International School who are now in the US, with the right experiences to debunk the right myths.  

Green Guo moved to Deerfield Academy as a freshman. Deerfield is one of the oldest boarding schools in the US, founded in 1979 within Massachusetts. It is also a member of the Eight Schools Association, the Ten Schools Admissions organizations, and the Six Schools League. 

Green chose to study abroad for a diverse social environment. At an American private school like Deerfield, she could “perceive new perspectives while sharing her own”. There are many “mind-opening interactions” which she “never even thought was possible” within her hometown. 

Such things also had a cost. Deerfield has a rather low Asian population, making it difficult for Green to “embrace her Chinese identity”. She felt the social pressure to “talk and dress in a specific way”. Without her perfectionist parents, she found herself at odds with finding who she truly is. 

Balancing rigorous academics, extracurricular activities, and social life was draining, too. Outsiders marvel at the vivid school life dictated all by a teenage girl herself, but few understand the enormous responsibility it needs. Green felt she lacked critical self-growth . She felt all these conflicted feelings in her bones, as if she “had a taste of real life”. 

Secret tip: Reach out for help. Although it is easier said than done, Green encourages students to “keep an open mind and talk to people”, because it is unhealthy to wallow in negative emotions. Boarding school is tough without the pampering and warmth from parents at home, but resilience is key. 

Bella Shao moved to the Spence School in New York City in tenth grade but studied ninth grade there again to ease the academic transitions. The Spence school is an all-girls day school located in Manhattan, ranked fourth among the best private schools in New York. 

Bella’s parents immigrated to the U.S. for their daughter’s education, but the family’s cultural transition was arduous. The adults had language barriers, and Bella felt alienated as a Chinese introvert among American extraverts. Squeezing into the Upper East Side high society was “particularly difficult during the first year”. 

Secret tip: Have self-confidence and don’t overthink! If there was one thing Bella wish she could tell her past self, it would be to “let it all happen naturally”. She was insecure at first because “most students had studied here since kindergarten”, but later she was elected to the school’s student council and “found her concerns unnecessary”. 

Elena attends The College Preparatory School, an elite day school in Piedmont, California. Surprisingly, Elena encountered no academic challenges, and no social obstacles either. Like the Upper East Side, Piedmont is a tight knit community where everyone knows everyone, but Elena found neighbors she “trusted and loved from the bottom of her heart”. Her Chinese lifestyle turned 180 degrees, but she is “happy with the way things are right now”. Elena made new friends, explored romantic relationships, and learnt the tricks of independence. However, she does regret leaving behind her old friends in Beijing. She wishes for a place to preserve the old in her new life . 

Secret tip:“Trust me, having your mom here is great!” An important reason why Elena adapted so well to her new environment is because of her mother. Socially, the mother and daughter are like best friends. They attend the Ladies Luncheons together as sisters. Privately, her mother guides her through the difficult times. Elena always had a home to return to because home is where the heart is.

Images: Courtesy of students

This article appeared in the jingkids 2022 Teen Takeover issue

For those of you who are planning to attend either a boarding school or university abroad, it’s the time of the year to start thinking about researching schools and universities. In the last couple of weeks (well since the Inauguration) there has been a great deal of concern about pursuing an education in the US. It’s time to try and take an objective look at the realities of attending school in the US.

First off it is important to note one major factor – China is not among the list of countries under the current immigration ban. Barring any disastrous White House policies, the main focus is on Middle Eastern countries and illegal immigrants currently in the US. This is why it is important that both now and in the future you follow the US Embassy guidelines when applying for any type of visa to the US. AVOID any agent offering services. The US Embassy has very clear instructions in Chinese.

Second, it is important to note the financial contribution international students make to the US economy. According to Opendoors, a research profile conducted by the Institute of International Education, there were approximately 1,043,839 international students attending educational programs in the US in 2016. Those students, in one way or another, contributed $35.8 billion (yes billion) to the economy. Of the 35.8 billion, 67% came from personal or family living expenses, 17% from tuition, 7% from funding from other governments, and 7% from current employment. This $35.8 billion does not include contributions made by students and families attending boarding or day schools. So, in fact, the amount of money that international students bring to the US is higher. Thus, it would have a disastrous effect if the US closed its doors to international students. One could also argue that Chinese students, which sends the most amount of students to the US, with a total of 328,547 students, adds an impressive financial contribution if we factor in boarding and day students along with associated costs such as living expenses, buying houses and cars, travel to and from the US as well as travel within the States while residing in the US. No matter how one looks at it, the financial impact is one the US cannot afford to change.

Third is the social impact on schools, communities and the diversity of cultures international students bring to campuses. Cross-cultural awareness is important, or at least should be important, to a world that is becoming increasingly smaller and more integrated. So while it may seem there is currently a loud voice of Nationalism in the US, schools and universities are not a part of that voice. In fact, almost immediately after the announcement from the White House about the ban, many schools issued a message to the media, counselors around the world, and students, that they do not share the administration’s perspective. Further, many schools have also issued “safe haven” statuses to students from the affected countries.

If students and families are still concerned about the future of education in the US and are thinking about alternative countries, this too poses risks. As an example, students may be considering Canada, the UK, or other destinations for educational opportunities. However, the increase in potential applicants will only make acceptance that much more selective. Further, the US is not the only country currently impacted by Nationalistic sentiment. It is important to remember that a countries educational system is primarily for students from those countries, no matter what country we are talking about. Education in any country is a privilege for any student, but certainly more so for students who are not natives to that country.

So what should students and families do? Well, consider first that the US still is, and should be, a destination for education. More importantly, keep up with the news and make sure they understand what is being said. Next, research widely, not just focusing on the US. Keeping an open mind will help families make good decisions about opportunities. Not only be open minded, but remain flexible when making choices should things go strangely awry.

Now, get to researching!

The Great White North has become China’s top destination for foreign high school education. A new survey has determined that 32 percent of Chinese teens studying abroad between 2007 and 2014 opted to go to Canada, making it the most popular choice, with the United States trailing only slightly behind at 31 percent.

A December story in the China Daily quoted Miao Lyu, deputy secretary-general of the Center for China and Globalization think tank, which released the survey.

She said Canada is attracting these students because of its flexible 10-year visa, which makes it easy for parents to visit their young ones while they are away. The China Daily quoted her as saying: "Chinese parents have concerns about young kids studying abroad by themselves, and often ask to move together with their children to take care of them. Canada’s 10-year visa enables them to do so easily and conveniently.”

The United States has since adopted a similar 10-year visa policy for Chinese as well.

Miao added that Canada’s low crime rates are equally appealing to Chinese parents. "Canada is more peaceful and safe in the eyes of Chinese people, from its learning environment to the social situation, and parents like their girls to live and study in such environment," the China Daily quoted her as saying. "In contrast, many Chinese people believe the US is a country where you need energy to strive and create, and that is suitable for boys.”

CCG says that appeal for male students is helping the US close the gap. The China Daily went on to site a study conducted between 2003 and 2013, which found Chinese boys prefer the to study in the US, while their female peers have a greater affinity for Canada.

The China Daily then quoted Li Peng, deputy general manager of Kentrexs Education Group, which coordinates overseas study plans for Chinese students. Li said: "We anticipate that the US will receive more Chinese high school students because of its elite education services and its new visa policy for Chinese students, visitors and businesspeople."

But such a competitive environment may instead hinder the US from overtaking its northern neighbor.

“It’s easier for Chinese children to apply for university in Canada,” Dianna Deng, a researcher at CCG, told beijingkids during a recent phone interview, citing the country’s smaller population as an asset.

“I think the competition is not so fierce, compared to the US, so maybe when the children graduate, it’s easier to find a job in Canada. the entrance for Canadian universities is easier than American universities. If you want to get into a world class university, it’s easier to get into McGill than Harvard.”

iSunWeekly (HK) Editor and Writer Jia Jia (贾葭) has written a rather tongue-in-cheek article (translated into English on Seeing Red in China) poking fun at the phenomenon of Chinese parents seeking American citizenship for their kids:

With regards to America, it seems that everyone’s stuck between love and hate. When I was small, the image of imperial America was extremely evil where milk flowed in abundance but people died of hunger left and right. When Bill Clinton visited China in 1998, a female student named Ma Nan (马楠) at Peking University stood up and denounced the appalling human rights condition in the US. She was supposed to file a question, but she sounded more like she was delivering a lecture. Later on, she married an American man, gave birth to a son, became the mother of an American, and departed China for good where “the human rights are at least five-fold better than in the US.”

… Stories of Chinese getting rich in the US are everyone’s favorite. Even dimwits want to make money off the American stock market. The problem then comes to: How does a Chinese citizen become an American citizen? Singles always have hopes to marry an American and thus reinvent themselves. But what about those who have already married? Well, Chinese people are known for their diligence. Stowing away in a big container on a ship going from Fujian to the US is one way, but it is illegal. There are a lot of other ways, readily available and perfectly legal. For instance, to deliver a baby in America, the return on such investment is considered greater than robbing a bank. If we cannot become Americans, then we can at least become the parents, or the grandparents, of Americans. As long as the children can get a green card, the parents can then get in line to wait for one. After five or six years it will go through. .

.. Nowadays, a typical Chinese dream is to go to college, take the civil service test, make money, and immigrate. Or, go to college, become a white-collar worker, make money, and immigrate. Or go to college, become an engineer, make money, and immigrate. For Beijingers, it is much simpler: sell the apartment and immigrate. Being the capital, there are always people from Shanxi or Zhejiang to fill the space up right away. In the past, I always thought that those who sought residence overseas were people made of special materials who took pains persuading the rest of us to love China and love socialism. Now, thanks to skyrocketing housing price, Beijingers have the opportunity to enjoy clean air and dependable education of their young—in the US.

Things are always lost in translation when it comes to satire, but Jia’s jab at the paradox between Chinese nationalism and Chinese pragmatism is most definitely not. Much of what Jia is satirizing resonates with the experience of my parents, who emigrated from Taiwan to the US in the 60s. When I was young they would often phrase issues in the terms of "we Chinese vs them Laowai" – as in "We Chinese do this, those ‘Lao Mei‘ (老美, roughly ‘Yanks’) do that…" 

But over the years and the longer they stayed in America, their perspective gradually shifted to a more nuanced view in which I believe my parents were able to reconcile our Chinese heritage while appreciating their American-ness as well.

I especially noticed this change in my mother as I got older – after spending several years living, traveling and working in China in the late 90s and early 2000s, she began referring to Chinese people (中国人）from an outside perspective as often as she would refer to them in a "We Chinese" perspective – something that would have never happened back when I was a child.

Self-identity is a complex issue and something that is very hard to pin down – my parents never gave up their "Chinese-ness" in fundamental ways (which I think is ultimately a good thing), but their self-perceptions definitely changed over time to encompass their own American identities (an equally positive thing).

The same could not be said for every immigrant in the world – how easy one can assimilate into another culture is very subjective – but given time and a few generations, the point of Jia’s satire will become less and less the case for these newer Mainland immigrants in America. 

But could the same ever be said of foreigners in China?