China represents a source of endless fascination for college and university admission departments. According to the Chinese Ministry of Education, the number of students from China studying abroad rose by 17.7% from 2011 to 2012, up to 399,600 – easily the largest international student population in the world.
A recent report from 2019 stated that the Chinese Ministry of Education noted that 703,500 Chinese students studied abroad.
A combination of increasing wealth, as the nation rapidly transitions to a knowledge-based economy, and the prestige of overseas education has convinced 90% of affluent Chinese parents that sending their kids to an English-speaking country is worth the investment.
Mastering Student Recruitment in China 101
And they are increasingly kids – the average age of students overseas has significantly dropped, with over 100,000 Chinese students as young as 10 estimated to have flocked to US summer preparatory programs this year. As the desire for a foreign education soars, interest in the ultra-competitive gaokao Chinese college entrance exam steadily shrinks.
Since 2006, there has been an over 40% drop in students taking the gaokao, which typically demands an intensely stressful year of study. More and more younger students are instead taking Western standardized exams, such as the SAT and TOEFL, with an estimated 30% increase in students under 18 taking the latter last year. Surging Asian demand for the SAT has prompted recent plans for its redesign.
Education is a national priority in China, representing a $250 billion annual investment in “human capital.” While the country’s capacity has expanded, some wealthy Chinese parents believe their homegrown courses are too rigid and one-dimensional.
However, parents tend to assume that the same political and economic connections will apply elsewhere when enrolling their children in the best overseas schools.
Top Source Countries for Canadian International Recruitment
Understanding Cultural Differences When Developing Strategies for Student Recruitment in China
Patience is required when developing strategies for Student Recruitment in China. This mammoth market was barely accessible even a few years ago, and significant differences exist in value systems. There has been a slow-growing appreciation of international cultural differences, and parents are increasingly open to ethical and cultural counseling to ease their assimilation abroad.
China’s swift economic ascent has created many new millionaires and a highly ambitious middle class with a taste for luxury, which includes a world-class education. Progressively sophisticated students are attracted by brand prestige and the perceived elite status of your institution. Colleges and universities might appeal to these preferences by investing in glossier promotional materials emphasizing a beautiful campus, historic surroundings, famous graduates, and world-class professors.
Student Mobility Changes
While top universities in the U.S. and U.K. with well-established brands have been the early winners in attracting Chinese students, increasingly restrictive visa requirements in these countries and concern for return on investment are working to the advantage of schools in Canada and Australia. The University of Sydney now accepts the gaokao as an application credential. As university agreements between the two countries have leaped almost 75% in under ten years, China has replaced the U.S. as Australia’s “biggest knowledge partner.”
We have written previously about the value of international student recruitment to a national economy, and it seems all types of institutions have been seeking partnerships and cooperative credit transfer agreements to foster longer-term student mobility.
Example: York University has strived to raise its profile internationally, developing relationships with institutions in Beijing, Chongqing, and Hong Kong to become more visible in China. They have a full-time representative in China with email addresses in both English and Chinese.
The immensity of recruitment potential in China means there remains a great opportunity for smaller or more vocational schools, including partnering with larger agencies. China Daily reports that many Chinese students attend two-year community colleges in the U.S. to save money and transfer to universities to gain bachelor’s degrees. These 2+2 degree options are popular with a wide range of increasingly mobile international and domestic students. As word of mouth spreads, some colleges see exponential growth in Chinese students.
Optimizing Website Communication
Prospective Chinese students tend to choose a destination country in the first step of their selection process through the Chinese search engine Baidu. They commonly seek a “top university” in a particular subject, with no specific place or institution in mind. Effective key factors in Chinese student recruitment begin with having a dedicated Chinese expert to focus communication toward your best programs and key selling points for this market. Keep your branding consistent because Chinese students won’t always believe what they see online.
Clearly express your application and visa policies, noting star Chinese alumni and lecturers if possible. Keep sustained contact with prospects throughout the recruitment and admissions cycle, beginning with an auto-response to website inquiries.
Although some social platforms are blocked there, many schools are breaking through the Great Firewall of China using national platforms like Sina Weibo, which hosts over 500 million users! This micro-blogging platform is a hybrid between Facebook and Twitter and is a great tool for engaging with students in a format familiar to them. QQ (40.3 million users) and Renren (100 million users) are other popular social networking sites, and Youku is the Chinese equivalent of YouTube.
Example: Western University features videos, news, and conversation starters on its Weibo site.
Alumni Networking and Transnational Education
The alumni network is a great guide to recruiting students in Chinese universities and an excellent resource for international recruitment and retention. As word of mouth and networking are particularly important for Chinese marketing, procedures should be implemented to ease the transition of current students while communicating nonjudgmentally the cultural differences. Current and former students can answer prospects’ questions while contacting their networks.
As Chinese higher education becomes more harmonized with other parts of the world, we will see more transnational education in which students can receive foreign degrees and certifications from their home country. NYU’s newest portal campus is in Shanghai, offering a study away option for students to broaden their cultural experience.
Example: The University of Waterloo established the Sino-Canadian College in partnership with Nanjing University due to more than 20 years of collaboration to offer joint academic programs, exchanges, short courses, and collaborative research.
Long-term institutional commitment is necessary to build meaningful Chinese recruitment, and broader internationalization should be the goal. Continue to measure the success of your overall admissions goals, including analyzing your progress with Google Analytics.
What has your school done to encourage Chinese admissions?
FAQ To Consider
How do you recruit foreign students?
The alumni network is a great guide to recruiting students in Chinese universities and an excellent resource for international recruitment and retention. As word of mouth and networking are particularly important for Chinese marketing, procedures should be implemented to ease the transition of current students while communicating nonjudgmentally the cultural differences.
