Extreme education: What it takes to get into the Harvards of Asia

It doesn’t matter where in the world you are: if your alma mater is Harvard, Yale or Oxford, you can expect oohs and ahhs. Students at Asia’s most prestigious institutions, such as the University of Hong Kong and Tsinghua, are beginning to receive the same gushing chorus. As the status of Asian universities rises, so do the stakes for securing a seat in the classrooms.

The arduous road to college acceptance

I thought my father was a fanatic when it came to college admissions: he memorized the Ivy League rankings and made sure I did my SAT drills every night. But his efforts look like candy floss next to those of Xu Wong, a Datong chauffeur intent on opening doors to a better life for his 20-year-old son, Yiqing.

All Chinese high school seniors must take the annual gaokao (National Higher Education Entrance Examination) to “pass through the college gates,” as the old saying goes. Yiqing’s family couldn’t afford a tutor, so he studied ten or more hours a day under his father’s watchful eye. During the three-day exam period, a nervous Xu attended candlelight vigils and splurged on an air-conditioned hotel room for his son.

The prayers and preparations paid off: Yiqing ranked in the top ten percent for his district. Like about 70 percent of top scorers, he enrolled in Tsinghua, known as the 'MIT of China.' “The school has a revered status. I am happy my hard work paid off and made my family proud,” Yiqing says. His father is giddy over the outcome. “He will have the opportunity to interview with major companies and enter politics. From now, I do not need to worry about his future.”

The Ivy Leagues of Asia

All over Asia, the importance of a college education ranks 11 on a scale of one to 10. Hong Kong garment businessman PY Luk explains, “It’s a given we will provide all the funds necessary to get our son and daughter the best schooling,” which included private tutoring and sending his children to Canada and England to improve their English. 

Luk studied abroad in the 1970s because he considered a British degree to be superior to a local one. However, he now puts the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong on par with England’s best institutions. “These are top tier schools, highly regarded globally,” he says. “I would be proud if my children graduated from either one.”

Hong Kong’s post-secondary institutions are among the best in Asia according to annual rankings by Webometrics and USNews. The top names -- University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, University of Hong Kong -- are among the world’s most competitive.

Times Higher Education reports that in 2009, Asian schools climbed the charts while American ones, such as UC-Berkeley, tumbled. Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Malaysia are investing heavily in education, drawing in scholars and encouraging professors to publish internationally -- all of which have increased the reputation of Asian institutions worldwide. 

Buying your way in: No longer an option

Since a college education is highly venerated in Asia, countries make a decent effort to keep the admissions process fair. Yiqing and his friends disliked studying for the gaokao, “but at least everyone taking the exam is on the same footing.” Chinese universities admit students based almost exclusively on the results: there are no essays or recommendations, and grades are not highly weighed since they can be skewed.

When corruption is discovered, the backlash is brutal. Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s daughter Paetongtarn was admitted into the prestigious Chulalongkorn University over better qualified applicants because of relaxed entrance standards. The controversy swirled until Paetongtarn lost her place and her father made a tearful public apology. 

Whether on one’s own or with an army of tutors, there’s only one surefire way to arrive at that coveted acceptance letter: study, study, study.

College criticisms and predictions

The exhausting admissions process has more than a few critics. The 2009 comedy “3 Idiots”, which has become the highest grossing Bollywood film of all time, exposes the hitches in India’s system: burnouts and suicides, rote recitation and lack of creative thought.

Will there be changes to the system? Don Olcott, chief executive of The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, said in a November 2008 speech (PDF) that China, India, Malaysia, and South Korea are willing to adopt Western methods to become leaders in higher education. Which could mean a more holistic application process and greater emphasis on the liberal arts. 

Regardless, college admissions will continue to be cutthroat. As India and China’s economies grow, so will the interest in and ability to pay for an education. A Chinese saying best describes the picture: “Thousands of people forcing their way across a narrow foot bridge.” Future applicants had better watch their step.