In Depth: How China’s Ivy League Hopefuls Fall for Fraudsters
Listen to the full version
For Zhang Lan, a mother of a 10-year-old, the plan for her son to attend an Ivy League university was set in motion the day he was born.
Now a fifth grader at an international school, Zhang’s son already has a vocabulary of over 10,000 English words — comparable to a well-educated native speaker — and spends his weekends preparing presentations and public speaking assignments.
Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Subscribe to both Caixin Global and The Wall Street Journal — for the price of one.
- RELATED
- DIGEST HUB
Digest Hub
Back
- Chinese families invest heavily in strategies such as sending children abroad, cultivating unique talents, and using high-cost agencies to improve Ivy League admission chances, with some scams charging up to $200,000.
- Agencies provide costly “background enhancement” services and have engaged in fraudulent practices like forging transcripts and arranging proxy test-takers.
- Rising costs, stricter U.S. visa rules, and limited job prospects in China are leading to declining demand for overseas study and reassessment of the Ivy League’s value.
For many affluent Chinese families, securing a place for their children in Ivy League universities is a carefully planned, years-long project that can start from the day a child is born. Zhang Lan, for example, set this plan in motion for her son’s education immediately after his birth. Now a 10-year-old fifth grader at an international school, he boasts a vocabulary exceeding 10,000 English words—a level typical of well-educated native speakers—and spends weekends honing his public speaking skills and preparing presentations. [para. 1][para. 2]
Chinese students have long been known for their academic excellence. However, simply achieving high test scores is no longer sufficient for admission to elite U.S. universities, where acceptance rates at some Ivy League schools have recently fallen below 5%. In response, Chinese parents have adopted more complex strategies, such as sending children abroad earlier, nurturing distinct talents, and hiring professional agencies to strengthen university applications. This process, locally dubbed “climbing Ivy,” has also spawned scams targeting families desperate for admissions, sometimes costing up to $200,000, involving fake transcripts, proxy test-takers, and sham internships—often perpetrated without candidates’ knowledge. [para. 3][para. 4]
Despite enormous investments, including millions of yuan in overseas education, the mentality among some parents is beginning to shift amid growing concerns about the economic outlook and less certain employment prospects. Recent U.S. visa restrictions and hiring limitations on overseas returnees in China—such as government agencies excluding graduates from non-top 100 international institutions—add to this uncertainty, leaving some students facing an unclear future even after a costly education. [para. 5][para. 6][para. 44][para. 47]
The “guaranteed admission” scam has become prominent in recent years, incentivized partly by China’s “double reduction” policy banning for-profit tutoring and reduced demand for study abroad services during COVID-19. Inexperienced but hopeful families are targeted with offers of guaranteed Ivy League entry, sometimes for upfront fees of up to $200,000, often with dubious promises of refunds. Tactics include falsely presenting non-degree Ivy League continuing education programs as full undergraduate degrees, leaving students with non-accredited qualifications. Some agencies go as far as organizing forged documents or paying stand-ins up to 200,000 yuan (around $27,600) to take standardized tests on behalf of applicants. Legal recourse is rarely successful due to airtight contracts and applicants’ fear of damaging their prospects. [para. 7][para. 8][para. 9][para. 10][para. 11][para. 12][para. 13][para. 14]
For legitimate applicants, standing out is considered crucial. Interviewees noted that Ivy League institutions value unique talents beyond high test scores, including intensive extracurricular commitments such as music, equestrian, or sports—experiences closely linked to a family’s financial resources. Some, like Li Ting (a student at Columbia), showcased music at an international level, while others leveraged athletic talents to gain admission or scholarships. Application enhancement agencies offer premium packages—costing up to 600,000 yuan annually—featuring curated internships, contests, and “background enhancement.” However, the value of increasingly popular academic contests is diminishing as more applicants participate, and some students, like Yu Qiu, doubt the authenticity and true impact of paid experiences. [para. 15][para. 16][para. 17][para. 18][para. 19][para. 20][para. 21][para. 22][para. 23][para. 24][para. 25]
Overall, as education and living costs at top U.S. universities now exceed $90,000 per year and job prospects for returnees shrink, Chinese families are rethinking their investment in the Ivy League path. The once-unquestionable “ticket to success” now appears riskier, with families reconsidering the value and payoff of this high-stakes, high-cost pursuit. [para. 27][para. 28][para. 29][para. 30][para. 31][para. 32][para. 33][para. 34][para. 35][para. 36][para. 37][para. 47]
- Columbia University
- Columbia University is mentioned in the article as the institution attended by Li Ting, a student who had a strong background in music from a young age and participated in national-level performances. Her extracurricular activities, such as music, are highlighted as factors that can enhance an applicant’s profile for Ivy League admissions, demonstrating both uniqueness and socioeconomic background. Columbia is thus depicted as a target for top Chinese students aiming for prestigious education abroad.
- Cornell University
- Cornell University is mentioned in the article as the institution that accepted Lin Xiaoyu, a student from Shanghai. Lin was initially planning to be a student athlete in China but transferred to a U.S. high school in the 11th grade. Although accepted by Cornell, Lin chose to attend the State University of New York at Binghamton, which offered a full scholarship.
- State University of New York at Binghamton
- The State University of New York at Binghamton—often called Binghamton University—is a public university in New York State. In the article, a student named Lin Xiaoyu, who was accepted to Cornell University, chose Binghamton instead because it offered him a full scholarship. Lin now trains over 20 hours a week in swimming and views his athletic discipline as a valuable asset for his future career.
- Yale University
- Yale University is mentioned in the article as one of several top U.S. private universities whose annual undergraduate costs now exceed $90,000. Yale is part of the Ivy League and is known for its academic prestige. The article highlights Yale in the context of increasing tuition fees and the challenges Chinese students face in securing admission and assessing the return on investment from studying at elite U.S. institutions like Yale.
- Harvard University
- Harvard University is one of the top private universities in the U.S., often included among Ivy League schools. The article notes that Harvard, along with other elite institutions, now has annual undergraduate costs exceeding $90,000. Admission to Harvard is highly competitive, with acceptance rates among the lowest, sometimes below 5%. Many Chinese families aspire for their children to attend Harvard, seeing it as a path to future success, though risks and costs have increased.
- Princeton University
- According to the article, Princeton University is listed among several top U.S. private universities that have recently announced their total annual undergraduate costs now exceed $90,000. This rising cost, along with tightening job and visa prospects, is causing Chinese families to reconsider the return on investment for attending elite institutions like Princeton. The article does not provide additional specific details about Princeton University.
- University of Pennsylvania
- The article mentions the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) as one of the prestigious Ivy League institutions targeted by Chinese families aiming for elite education. It highlights that some fraudulent agencies falsely claim to offer guaranteed admission to UPenn, sometimes using fake materials and misleading marketing, including doctored photos with supposed “admission officers.” One victim discovered the scam when he realized such photos were actually from a TV food show.
- EIC Education
- EIC Education is a Chinese firm that provides study abroad consulting services. According to the article, a consultant from EIC Education estimated that a master’s degree graduate from the U.S. may need at least six years to recover their education costs, assuming only basic living expenses abroad. EIC Education is involved in advising students and families on overseas education and associated financial considerations.
- The New York Times
- The article mentions The New York Times in the context of application enhancement services: Chinese agencies suggest contests like the New York Times writing competition to boost students’ profiles, with preparatory classes for such contests charging between 28,000 to 79,000 yuan. Participation in these competitions is intended to make applicants more attractive to elite universities.
- John Locke Institute
- The John Locke Institute is mentioned in the article as the organizer of a prestigious essay contest that some Chinese education agencies recommend to students seeking to enhance their college applications. Participation in such contests, like the John Locke Institute essay competition, is seen as a way to boost an applicant’s profile for elite university admissions, though increased popularity among Chinese students may reduce its distinctiveness.
- PODCAST
- MOST POPULAR
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with 财新