After being "cheated" for so long, in fact, this is the fast track to a prestigious university...

Date：2024-02-23   Author：admin

Compared with undergraduate students from domestic universities, students with an overseas undergraduate background have more advantages when applying for master's studies abroad. Common benefits we often see include "exemption from language proficiency test scores", "lower average score requirements", "a certain program only admits overseas undergraduate students", etc.

Then, some students might have a question: "We have a cooperative education program with foreign universities. Can we enjoy the same preferential treatment as the students of Haiben?"

The answer is: Yes!

As students of Sino-foreign cooperative institutions, the vast majority will be regarded as having an overseas undergraduate degree, and it will be easier for them to apply to prestigious overseas universities. Today, let's sort out for you the specific advantages that students with a background in Sino-foreign cooperative programs have when applying for studying abroad

Sino-foreign cooperative education has become a key point in the development of education

At present, an increasing number of first-class universities have launched Sino-foreign cooperative programs. Among the 147 first-class universities across the country, more than half have established Sino-foreign cooperative education programs. Moreover, in the 30 years since China first proposed international cooperative education in 1993, there have been 10 Sino-foreign cooperative universities with independent legal person status.

Among them, the more well-known universities include New York University Shanghai, Duke Kunshan University, Xi 'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, and Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College. In addition, there are Wenzhou-Kean University, Shenzhen University of Technology and Business, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Guangzhou.

And there are also Sino-foreign joint colleges officially approved by the Ministry of Education, such as the Glasgow College of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, the Pittsburgh College of Sichuan University, and the Leeds College of Southwest Jiaotong University.

Image source: Official website of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)


Although since the concept of "Sino-foreign cooperative education" was born, negative comments such as "diploma mill", "only admitted after failing the college entrance examination", and "can get in by paying money" have been constantly heard, with the increasing acceptance of this new educational model by domestic parents in recent years, more and more parents are willing to send their children to universities as well as to study abroad.

Institutions of Sino-foreign cooperative education have also dealt a hard blow to those who call them "diploma mills" with increasingly strict admission scores. For instance, the undergraduate admission scores of universities like New York University Shanghai and Xi 'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University are often higher than the "first-tier university admission line" of the students' home universities.

Image source: New York University Shanghai official website


Moreover, nowadays, many institutions and professional programs of Sino-foreign cooperative education are supervised and controlled by the Ministry of Education of our country. The overall quality of Sino-foreign cooperative education has also been getting higher and higher, which has become the direct reason why students of Sino-foreign cooperative universities can apply to prestigious overseas universities.

2. Specific advantages of applying for Sino-foreign cooperative study abroad programs

At present, most of the Sino-foreign cooperative universities or programs in China offer courses entirely in English. Besides adopting international teaching models and methods from the UK or the US, students can enjoy the educational resources and alumni resources of both domestic and foreign universities simultaneously.

Moreover, for some students in the 2+2 or 3+1 model, they still have 1 to 2 years to go abroad and experience different cultures and learning environments.

Image source: Official Website of Leeds College, Southwest Jiaotong University


Therefore, when applying for master's programs at overseas universities, students in Sino-foreign cooperative programs are relatively more in line with the academic requirements of foreign universities in terms of language, courses, etc. Since they can obtain degree certificates from both Chinese and foreign universities, they will also face relatively fewer restrictions on the admission list.

Image source: University of Edinburgh Admissions List (Priority List)

Similarly, when applying, overseas universities will also be relatively lenient in their requirements for average scores/grade points due to the applicant's background in Sino-foreign cooperative programs. After all, the transcripts of students from Sino-foreign cooperative programs are basically calculated according to the algorithm system of overseas universities, and they are more likely to be persuaded in terms of recognition and acceptance.

This is also the reason why two students with similar average scores and the same soft background advantages tend to be more likely to be admitted to the Sino-foreign cooperative program.

Summary of specific application advantages

�� language proficiency test exemption

Most students with a background in Sino-foreign cooperative programs have a high chance of being exempted from language proficiency tests as long as they can provide corresponding language proficiency certificates. Generally speaking, for a four-year program taught entirely in English, schools do not mandate the submission of language proficiency test scores.

The academic standards are lower

Although applying to prestigious universities is equally competitive whether you are from a Sino-foreign cooperative program or a traditional domestic undergraduate program, it is true that when applying, if both students have a GPA of 3.6 or above, those with a Sino-foreign cooperative program background are more likely to be admitted.

The curriculum is closely aligned.

Because it is a cooperative education program with foreign universities, the courses and teaching methods set up by students in the Sino-foreign joint program are almost the same as those in foreign undergraduate programs. When applying for master's programs and choosing majors, they are also more likely to be recognized and accepted by the schools.

The value of the promoter

When applying, there will be more opportunities to obtain recommendation letters from foreign professors. As it is a cooperative education program, students in the Sino-foreign joint program will find it relatively easier to ask for recommendation letters from foreign teachers than students in traditional undergraduate programs.

Broaden international horizons

There are more opportunities to come into contact with international cultures, more choices in cross-cultural communication, and the foreign teaching provides students of Sino-foreign cooperative programs with more diversified ways of thinking. In the application process, it can better meet the requirements of the admissions officers for the applicant's international perspective.

3. Admission situation of Sino-Foreign cooperative study abroad programs

Among all the admission offers for Sino-foreign joint programs currently tallies by Explore, the acceptance rates for the top30 universities in the US, the G5 universities in the UK, and the three universities in Hong Kong and the two universities in Singapore have reached over 70%. Among them, the top three universities with the most admissions to prestigious British universities are Xi 'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Beijing Normal University of Hong Kong Baptist University, and Xi 'an Jiaotong-Leeds University. In the United States, the universities with the most admissions to prestigious American universities are Electronic Science and Technology Institute, Ningbo University of Nottingham, and Xi 'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

The following are some of the admission offers displayed:

For all the students of the Sino-foreign cooperative institutions, since you already have an inherent advantage in your undergraduate background, it is actually easier for you to apply to top overseas universities.

However, when choosing a school, it is still necessary to advise all students to rationally refer to past admission data and carefully analyze the admission situation of each program, so as to make a better choice.

In the last application season, we also helped many students with low scores obtain admissions that exceeded expectations. Our consultant teachers and document teachers kept communicating with the students, screening them time and again and matching them with precise projects. Eventually, they helped all the students achieve the desired results!

If you have any questions about school application and want to seek assistance with the application process, you are welcome to add Senior Xiao E's wechat and send the code [Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education] to view relevant cases and match a professional consultant for one-on-one consultation