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> In China’s test-dominated system, exam scores determine where students go to college and what careers they can pursue. This is only true for the masses. The

> In China’s test-dominated system, exam scores determine where students go to college and what careers they can pursue. This is only true for the masses. The children of political and business elite have special privileges and greater options ( such as studying at harvard, yale, oxford, etc ). > It's easy to forget how different other education systems can be. It isn't so different. The education system in the US is dominated by test scores as well. The quality of jobs and career are dependent on the quality of colleges you attend and your scores. Of course in china ( and much of asia ), they have a large population for limited opportunities and resources so the situation can get extreme. China has the same landmass as the US but they have 1.1 billion more people.

olliej 8y ago
For the elite, the same applies in the US. You can generally buy your way into the Ivys if your parents have enough money, or if your parents were students (which the could have been because their parents had been). Coupled with the general problem of high paying jobs in many fields favoring the school on your degree over actual ability you get a self reinforcing cycle.
- naveen99 8y ago
  Where do you find ball park estimates on amount of donation to secure a spot in an ivy ? Asking for a friend :)
  - why_only_15 8y ago
    It depends on the Ivy. Somewhere like Harvard I've heard the minimum is about $1M.
ardy42 8y ago
> It isn't so different. The education system in the US is dominated by test scores as well. The quality of jobs and career are dependent on the quality of colleges you attend and your scores. They're very different in degree. The US uses test scores in a much looser way, and they're usually one factor among many in admissions. Extracurriculars can be extremely helpful to get into a good US school, but I understand in China they'd be a waste of time and a distraction from what a student should really be focusing on: the college entrance exam.

olliej 8y ago

For the elite, the same applies in the US. You can generally buy your way into the Ivys if your parents have enough money, or if your parents were students (which the could have been because their parents had been). Coupled with the general problem of high paying jobs in many fields favoring the school on your degree over actual ability you get a self reinforcing cycle.

naveen99 8y ago
Where do you find ball park estimates on amount of donation to secure a spot in an ivy ? Asking for a friend :)
- why_only_15 8y ago
  It depends on the Ivy. Somewhere like Harvard I've heard the minimum is about $1M.

ardy42 8y ago

> It isn't so different. The education system in the US is dominated by test scores as well. The quality of jobs and career are dependent on the quality of colleges you attend and your scores. They're very different in degree. The US uses test scores in a much looser way, and they're usually one factor among many in admissions. Extracurriculars can be extremely helpful to get into a good US school, but I understand in China they'd be a waste of time and a distraction from what a student should really be focusing on: the college entrance exam.