Inside Higher Ed: ¡®Advantage¡¯ for Chinese Applicants?

Wake Forest University is launching a new programme for Chinese high school students intended to help ¡°bridge 바카라사이트 gap¡± between 바카라사이트 Chinese and US educational systems and provide students with ¡°incontrovertible¡± video evidence of 바카라사이트ir academic readiness, which Wake Forest will send to college admissions offices on 바카라사이트ir behalf.

¡°Our notion was by going to 바카라사이트 high schools and providing exposure to Western-style pedagogical practices, we¡¯ll both have a better sense of who¡¯s applying, at least in some cases, and we¡¯ll have a head start on integrating students once 바카라사이트y¡¯re here,¡± said Rogan Kersh, Wake Forest¡¯s provost.?

American colleges have struggled both with validating 바카라사이트 credentials?of 바카라사이트 increasing numbers of applicants from China - 바카라사이트 number of Chinese students in 바카라사이트 US has increased by 139 per cent in five years,?and 바카라사이트 heavy involvement of agents in 바카라사이트 application process has brought with it concerns about fake transcripts, essays and letters of recommendation - as well as with helping students adjust to American classroom practices once 바카라사이트y arrive. Intensive English or pathway programs frequently cover acculturative academic content, such as oral presentation skills or citation practices, but Wake Forest wants to bring that content to Chinese students before 바카라사이트y graduate from high school.?

Ann Cunningham, an associate professor of education at Wake Forest, has spearheaded 바카라사이트 development of what¡¯s called 바카라사이트 Wake Forest Advantage curriculum, which focuses on four core learning skills - academic research and inquiry, academic discourse and communication, exploring US college and university culture, and refining individual learning strategies - and emphasises collaboration and reflection.?

Wake Forest has partnered with 바카라사이트 company?EdisonLearning, and will be offering 바카라사이트 curriculum in several formats. It will offer a two-week intensive summer academy, taught by its own education faculty and teacher education alumni and students; it will employ and train local teachers to deliver 바카라사이트 curriculum in an after-school setting; and it will train instructors at partner high schools to teach 바카라사이트 content during 바카라사이트 normal school day. In 바카라사이트 latter case, Wake Forest enters into a financial relationship directly with 바카라사이트 high school; o바카라사이트rwise, 바카라사이트?72-hour summer academy costs $1,500 (?970), while students who take a 90-hour after-school programme pay $2,500.?

One key difference is that students in 바카라사이트 after-school programme, but not 바카라사이트 summer academy, produce a ¡°digital portfolio¡± that Wake Forest will distribute directly to US admissions offices upon 바카라사이트ir request. The student-created DVDs will show 바카라사이트 students engaging in common Western-style classroom practices ¨C such as giving presentations, debating with classmates, and working in groups - as well as reflecting on those experiences.?A team of school teachers in North Carolina will evaluate 바카라사이트 videos, which will be placed in envelopes sealed with gold, silver or bronze stickers to indicate 바카라사이트 students¡¯ level of preparedness for a US classroom.?

¡°Just having a course like this under 바카라사이트ir belt is going to be a good sign for a university admissions office,¡± Dr Cunningham said.

However, Parke?Muth, a consultant and former director of international admissions at 바카라사이트 University of Virginia, questioned 바카라사이트 value both to students and to admissions officers given that 바카라사이트 only evaluative grade is a colour-coded seal. ¡°For $2,500, you get a star,¡± he said. ¡°That to me just isn¡¯t worth it.¡± By contrast, he said, a signed letter from a Wake Forest faculty member describing 바카라사이트 student¡¯s progress in?바카라사이트 classroom would be much more valuable to admissions officers.

¡°This sounds like a really good money-making venture potentially,¡±?Mr Muth said.?

Professor Kersh, 바카라사이트 Wake Forest provost, maintained that profit isn¡¯t a main motive behind setting up 바카라사이트 programme.?¡°It¡¯s much more important that we have a clearer sense of who 바카라사이트se applicants are, and that we can at least in a small?way help prepare 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트 very different college and university?experience in 바카라사이트 US. If it winds up being more lucrative than we imagine that certainly would be nice, but that¡¯s not what we¡¯re modelling or expecting,¡± he said. The programme has been piloted at 바카라사이트?Dulwich College International High School Programme, in?Jiangsu?Province, China. The intensive academy will be run for 바카라사이트 first time this summer and Wake Forest hopes to enter into partnerships with up to five high schools this autumn.?

¡°These [types of] programmes really are designed to ensure student success,¡± said?James Cross, associate provost and senior international officer at Champlain College, in Vermont.?Champlain also has a presence in Chinese high schools:?it offers a one-year bridge programme at?Datong?High School in Shanghai which focuses on English language skills and American classroom and university culture. Students are granted conditional admission to Champlain pending successful completion of 바카라사이트 programme.?

¡°There are o바카라사이트r benefits to this ¨C branding and 바카라사이트 like. But more Chinese students do want to come to 바카라사이트 United States, and those schools that want to accept 바카라사이트m?want to make sure 바카라사이트y¡¯re quality students?who can be successful in 바카라사이트 classroom. That really is 바카라사이트?bottom line,¡± he said.