University of San Francisco Gaokao Admission

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Gaokao Direct Admission? USF offers a special, accelerated admission procedure for Chinese students who have achieved excellent Gaokao scores. Applicants will be admitted to USF based solely on their Gaokao test scores and a one-on-one interview with University staff, designed to evaluate English proficiency. There are no other admission requirements.

Interviews in July enable students to begin their education in America immediately– –without spending an extra year preparing for IELTS, TOEFL or SAT tests. Interviews begin in mid-July, applicants receive their results within 24 hours of the interview, and formal admission letters are sent within a week. Students therefore have enough time to apply for F-1 student visas, and can attend USF in the Fall (August) Semester. Students who qualify in July can postpone their admission to the following Spring (January) Semester, if they prefer.

Interviews are also held in late November or early December each year. Students who complete these interviews successfully can enter USF in the Spring (January) Semester or the next Fall (August) Semester.

Why is USF doing this? For many decades, USF and the City of San Francisco have welcomed students from China. Our Chinese alumni have done very well in life after USF, both professionally and personally. Current Gaokao and other Chinese students enrich the educational experience of international and domestic students, alike; all benefit from the international network of friends made and colleagues introduced here at USF.

Over the past few years, we have seen a steady increase in the academic ability and achievements of Chinese applicants to USF. We are happy to report that our current Chinese students are succeeding academically side-by-side with our domestic students.

In honor of the many contributions made by Chinese students to the USF and Bay Area communities, we wish to provide students earning good results in this year’s Gaokao examination with the opportunity to begin studying in the US as early as August 2017 (Fall 2017 Semester). If you are accepted into this special program, you would not have to spend an extra year in China preparing for the TOEFL/ IELTS and SAT/ACT Tests, or submitting applications and anticipating college admission decisions—or simply waiting to begin university study in the States.

1 What Gaokao score do I need to be eligible for admission to the program? The selection scores will vary from province to province, just as they do for students applying to Chinese universities.

In addition to looking at the total score, we will pay close attention to individual subject scores, particularly those in Chinese, Mathematics and English. Our experience with USF students who have taken the Gaokao previously strongly suggests that their performance on these three parts of the test is a good predictor of their potential to thrive academically.

Our cut-off scores will be at approximately the middle of the Tier 2 level. We try to ensure that students from across China have an equal chance to be admitted, rather than favoring those from certain provinces or cities.

How do I tell you that I am interested in the program? Please visit, call, or e-mail Ms. Amy Zhu in our Beijing Office:

Ms. Amy Zhu University of San Francisco Suite 1501, Tower A, TianYuanGang Center No. C2, North Road East Third Ring Road Chao Yang District Beijing 100027

TEL: +86 (0) 10 8446-4615 FAX: +86 (0) 10 8446-4650 E-MAIL: [email protected]

Alternatively, fill in an Inquiry Form and we will get in touch with you.

What steps should I take to apply? • Inform us of your interest as described above.

• Report your complete Gaokao results to us.

• Submit an application form and supporting documents (see below).

• Participate in an in-person interview given in English in China.

• Prepare to apply for a visa to study in the United States.

2 Do I have to wait for my Gaokao results to submit the application? No. You may apply right now or after you receive your Gaokao results. You can either send the completed application to Amy Zhu at the address above (which we prefer), or you can give it to us when you attend the interview.

What application documents must I submit? Three sets of documents are required to complete your application package:

• USF A p p lication for A d mission Form . The Application Form offers you an easy way to tell us which secondary school(s) you have attended; to choose your expected major field of study (degree program); and to give us information necessary to issue your immigration documents.

• Certification of Finances . Your Certification of Finances Form and supporting bank verification provide evidence that you have sufficient financial resources available to attend USF. We must receive such proof before your USF I-20 (Certification of Visa Eligibility) can be issued. Your I-20 must be issued before you can apply for your F-1 student visa.

• Pas s port Data Page. Your name must appear on your I-20 exactly as it appears on your passport. You must therefore submit a copy of your passport data page (face/photo page) before your immigration documents can be issued.

What should I do after I receive my Gaokao results? You will need to send us a copy of your Gaokao results immediately after they are released in June. (We will independently verify all scores.)

What happens next after you review my Gaokao results? We will carefully consider your Gaokao results, and let you know within three days of their receipt whether you qualify to be invited for an interview. If so, we will arrange your interview appointment time.

All interviews will be conducted in China, beginning in mid-July.

3 Who will conduct the interviews, and how can I prepare for mine? USF professors with expertise in assessing English proficiency will conduct the interviews. It is very important that your English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills are strong enough to ensure your success in college-level courses taught in English.

The best way to prepare for the interview is simply to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to use your English skills. Read English, listen to English, and speak English as often as you can. Read a book in English while listening to the audio book version. E- mail English-speaking friends. Watch movies or television programs in English with the captions or subtitles turned on.

What score do I need in the interview to pass? The interview will not be graded in the usual sense. There are three possible outcomes:

• You can be admitted to USF without additional English preparation.

• You can be admitted to USF, but will have to take a few additional English classes as part of your degree program requirements.

• We can decide that you are not immediately admissible to USF, and need additional English preparation. We will then encourage you to study on your own, or to find a program in China that focuses on really improving your English, rather than one that specializes in TOEFL or IELTS test preparation. (We recommend the Foundation Program run by the Central University of Finance and Economics in cooperation with USF.)

If you like, you can be interviewed again in November or December and apply for January 2018 (Spring 2018 Semester) admission. Your Gaokao score will remain valid and you will not need to submit any other test scores.

When will I learn your decision about my application? We will let you know whether you have been accepted into the program within 24 hours of your interview.

How much does it cost to apply and be interviewed? The entire process will be free of charge. USF will not charge an application or any other fee. You will, however, have to pay a fee to the US government when you apply for a visa.

How do I apply for a scholarship? All students we interview will automatically be considered for academic merit scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $22,000 per year. Only the very best applicants, based on their Gaokao scores and performance during the interview, will be awarded scholarships.

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