University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Chinese students’ college choice: targeting the U.S as the top study destination

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Chinese students’ college choice: targeting the U.S as the top study destination

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Content Running head: CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 1

Chinese Students’ College Choice: Targeting the U.S. as the Top Study Destination

By

An An

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF EDUCATION

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 2

Abstract
This study explored the factors that influenced Chinese college-bound high school students’
college choice to American universities and colleges as their study destinations. In recent years,
China has become the top source of sending Chinese students studying abroad, and the Chinese
students have become the largest international student population enrolled by the U.S. universities
and colleges, but the study of Chinese international students in U.S. higher education is not in the
mainstream of any discipline. “Push and Pull” factor theory and a qualitative study was employed
in this research. A sample of six Chinese undergraduate students who finished high school in
China and were currently studying in U.S. universities were selected to conduct the one-on-one
qualitative interviews. Protocol questions were asked to the six Chinese respondents to identify
what factors influenced students’ choice of study abroad in the U.S. The findings indicated that the
U.S. has become a very popular study abroad destination for Chinese college-bound high school
students. The most important factors motivating Chinese students to study in the U.S. are the high
quality of education, along with English-speaking country, internationally recognized degree,
immigration, and lifestyle. By understanding the factors influencing Chinese high school students’
choice of studying in the U.S., the policy-makers and administrators in the American higher
education can better understand Chinese international students’ needs and expectations of the U.S.
institutions.

Keywords: Chinese students, study abroad, motivating factors, U.S. institutions

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract 2
CHAPATER ONE: INTRODUCTION 7
Background 7
Why Chinese students study abroad 8
One Child Policy 9
Statement of the Problem 10
Significance of the Study 11
Outline of the Thesis by Chapter 11
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 13
Push and Pull Factor 13
Push factors: Motivating study abroad 13
Pull factors: Student choices in studying abroad 15
Non-Chinese students’ Study Abroad 16
Chinese students studying abroad in non-U.S. countries 17
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 17
Purpose 19
Methodology 19
Participants 20
Procedures 21
Limitations 22
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF DATA 24
Why Study Abroad 24
Better Courses 25
Immigration 30
Additional Reasons for Studying Abroad 31
International Recognition of the U.S. Diploma 36
Prospects of Employment and Immigration in the U.S. 38
Positive Attitudes towards International Students 39
Easy and Quick visa Application Process 40
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 4
Parents, Relatives and Friends’ Recommendation 41
Lifestyle 42
Education Agents’ Recommendation 42
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION 44
Analysis 46
Conclusion 49
References 52
Appendix 58

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 5
LIST OF TABLES

1 Basic Information of Participants 19
2 Demographics of Applied Schools and Application Results 30
3 The Most Critical and Significant Factors Influencing Students
Decision-Making process between Study Abroad in the U.S. and
Study Abroad in General

46

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 6
LIST OF FIGURES
1 Reasons for Study Abroad in General 24
2 Comparison of the Motivated Factors for Study in the U.S. and
Study in General

35
3 Other Reasons for Study Abroad in the U.S. 40

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 7
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background
The purpose of this study is to explore Chinese college-bound high school students’ choice
of the U.S. as their study destination and the concerning factors that influence Chinese students’
decision-making processes. The study contributes to knowledge in the research field of
international higher education and employs the “Push and Pull” factors theory to evaluate the
relative factors affecting Chinese high school students’ decision-making process. The findings of
this study benefits policy makers, school administrators, researchers, and university instructors in
the U.S. institutions who are involved with international students and work within the field of
international higher education. Finally, this work contributes to the further research in the field of
international education.
International education has been a major global trend in the past 30 years. The total number
of international students all over the world has increased two-fold and reached 2.7 million since
1995. (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2006; Australia
Education International (AEI), 2005). From 2000 to 2004, the number of international students has
increased by 41%, and the numbers are estimated to continue climbing up to 7.2 million by 2025
(International Development Program (IDP), 2006b). Among these, more than half of international
students choose their study abroad destination from four major host countries (Yang, 2007). The
United States has around 22% of the total international students, followed by the United Kingdom
taking up 11 %, Germany 10 %, and France 9% (IDP, 2006a; Yang, 2007). In the year 2004 alone,
586,000 of 2 million international students choose to study in the U.S. Due to this influx of
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 8
international students, the United States economy receives a boost of about 12 billion dollars a
year (Altbach, 2004). This trend has continued into the new decade. By 2011, the number of
international students in the U.S. reached a record high of 723,227 students, a 32% increase since
2000 (Open doors, 2011). Chinese students have become the largest international student
population in U.S. institutions. In 2011, 175, 558 Chinese students enrolled by the American
universities and colleges (Open Doors, 2011).China has become the largest exporter of
international students, and it provides 15.2% of the total international students (IDP, 2006a; Yang,
2007). The main research question for this study is this: How do Chinese college-bound high
school students choose the U.S. as their study destination, and what are the motivating factors that
influence their decision-making process? To answer this question, the study uses qualitative
methods and the Push-Pull framework.
Why Chinese students study abroad
China has a long history of sending students to study abroad. The first Chinese overseas
student was Rong Hong, who went to study in America in 1847 (Yao, 2004). Since then, China
gradually opened its gate to the Western education (Yao, 2004). The first surge of studying abroad
occurred in the early 20
th
century and was forced to terminate during the Sino-Japanese War in the
1930s (Yao, 2004). It was after the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, that studying
abroad was allowed and encouraged again (Yao, 2004). In the 1960s, the central government made
adjustments in policies related to sending Chinese students and scholars abroad (Gareth, 2005). In
1978, 860 Chinese students and scholars were dispatched to study abroad based on the policy
promoted by the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (Bodycott, 2009). In that period of time, the
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 9
central government had great expectation on the government-funded students and scholars to bring
back the knowledge they learned from outside world and used it to contribute to building their
home country.
Since then, there has been a rapid growth in the number of Chinese students choosing to
study abroad with the government’s continued support (Bodycott, 2009). From 1978 to 1986,
31,000 Chinese students and scholars were sent, and 27,000 of them were financed by the Ministry
of Education with the purpose to contribute what they learned to the domestic construction in
China (China Education Yearbook, 1985, 1986, 1987). By the end of 1985, the proportion of
overseas students majored in engineering and science reached 43.8% and 31.3% respectively, and
the remaining population was concentrated in agriculture, medicine, humanities, social sciences,
and management (Dongchang, 1986). In 1986, 45% of the overseas Chinese students studied in the
United States, 30% in Western and Northern Europe, 10% in Canada and Australia, 9% in Japan,
and 3% in other areas (Dongchang, 1998b).
One Child Policy
With the remarkable economic development in China, studying abroad is no longer a
luxury for Chinese people. An increasing number of Chinese families can afford the costs of
college in the U.S. (Bodycott, 2009).Especially since 1993; pursuing foreign education with
private finance has become mainstream in China (Huang, 2003). From 1978 to 1999, it is
estimated that the total number of privately financed students going abroad reached 160,000
(Huang, 2003). Based on the research conducted by China’s National Bureau of Statistics in 2001,
more than 60 percent of the Chinese families invest one-third of their income in their children’s
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 10
education (Mazzarol & Soultar, 2001). The money spent on children’s education has become the
second largest expenses in Chinese families, following food expenses (Yang, 2007; Bodycott,
2009).Chinese parents and students perceive that a good education will guarantee a better future
(Duan, 1997; Ashley & Jiang, 2000). A student with a foreign degree is identified as possessing a
better skills and owning a leading edge in the job market (Zhang, 2001; Fam & Gray, 2000; Gareth,
2005).
Statement of Problem
China has become the top exporter of sending students to study abroad. The growth in the
global demand for international education has increased competition between host countries (Labi,
2006). The United States has become the top destination for the Chinese college-bound high
school students (Levin, 2011; Yao, 2004). The international education market is growing and
turning to be more competitive, but research on international students is not the mainstream of any
area of study (Altbach, 1989; Prugsamatz, Alpert & Heaney, 2004), and not much research has
been done about why Chinese college-bound high school students choose the U.S. as their study
destination. It is important that the U.S. higher educational provider are aware of why Chinese
college-bound high school students choose to study in the U.S. after they graduate from high
school and what factors influence their choice of study abroad destination. This research will assist
the U.S. institutions to gain a better share of Chinese students’ thoughts and views on their
decision-making process. This study will help the U.S. institutions to ensure that students’
expectations and needs are understood and make sure the students’ study in the U.S. institution is
pleasant and successful.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 11
Significance of the Study
The study presents an in-depth exploration of the factors that influence and motivate
Chinese college-bound high school college’s choice of attending the U.S. universities and colleges,
thereby allowing the U.S. educational providers and schools’ practitioners to understand the
Chinese students’ thoughts and views about their choices of studying abroad and decision-making
process. The findings of the study will shed light on Chinese students’ needs and expectations of
the university they choose, and facilitate the formulation of quality services and specific responses
to the international students for the international higher education in the increasingly competitive
world arena.
Outline of the Thesis by Chapters
This thesis is organized into five chapters. Chapter one is an introduction to the topic,
statement of the problem, main research question and purpose, and significance of the study.
Chapter two is literature review. As noted, this study relies on the “push and pull” factor theory to
analyze the motivating factors influencing Chinese college-bound high school students’ choice of
going abroad and studying in the U.S. universities and colleges. In this chapter, an overview of
previous relative scholarly literatures focusing on the study of students’ studying abroad based on
the theory of “push and pull” factors will be displayed. Chapter three is methodology. A discussion
of method, particular approach and design for the data collection as well as the data collection
procedures will be discussed.

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 12
Chapter four is for the presentation of data. Based on the data collection approach and
representation approach, the gathered data will be presented. Chapter five is the section for
findings and conclusion, in which the outputs, implications and concluding thought are articulated.

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 13
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Push and Pull Factor
With the general growth of international student flows, it is hardly surprising that the
factors encouraging students to study abroad has attracted considerable attention in recent years.
An increasing number of Chinese college-bound high school students who leave their country and
choose to complete the higher education in the U.S. are influenced by “push and pull” factors
(Mazzarol, 2002). The study uses “push and pull” factors theory to analyze the nature of Chinese
college-bound high school students’ choice of studying in the U.S. universities and colleges and
explore the possible factors that affect the Chinese students in their decision-making process.
First, this chapter provides a review of the existing literature on the issue of Chinese college-bound
high school students’ choice of study abroad based on the theory of “push and pull” factors.
Second, this chapter considers the application of the “push and pull” factors on the studies of
non-Chinese students’ overseas study in general. Third, this chapter reviews research studies of
Chinese students’ college choices in western countries besides the U.S. based on the “push and pull”
factors. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the connection and considerations of Chinese
students’ choice of targeting the U.S. as the higher education study destination.
Push factors: Motivating study abroad
The “push” factors relate to the economic, social and political forces within the source
country and the “pull” factors are linked to the characteristics of the host country that the students
choose as the final study destination (Mazzarol, 2001).Previous scholarly research indicates that
there are four push factors that motivate Chinese college-bound high school students to study
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 14
abroad. Firstly, China’s rapid economic development that launched in 1979 boosted the Chinese
economy to an average annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 9.9 % (Australian
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), 1999). The fast economic growth in China has
guaranteed a household income growth and more and more Chinese family can afford to send their
children to other countries for better education. Therefore, going abroad is no longer a luxury for
the average Chinese family (Chinaview, 2006; Chinaorg, 2002). Secondly, sending children to
study abroad has become a trend in Chinese society (Yang, 2002).The advantages of sending their
children to study abroad have been perceived as having their children learn foreign languages,
exposure to a culture, and accessing better education and building skills for future competition in
the job market (Yang, 2002).
Third, the Chinese government’s positive attitude in supporting international education
has encouraged more and more Chinese families to make the step forward (Yang, 2007).
According to the studies by Mazzarol (2002) and Marginson (2001), the Chinese government’s
policy on study abroad has a strong influence on the issues of Chinese students studying abroad
(Mok, 2003). Fourth, there is an inadequate supply of university places in China’s higher
education (Zhao & Guo, 2002). In China, on average only 8% of Chinese high school graduates
would be able to gain a place in local universities. IDP reported that high demand for higher
education in China would continue to grow with the fast economic and social growth
(Marginson, 2001). Obtaining a competitive score in the China National College Entrance
Examination is the only way for a student to get into a Chinese university (MOE, 2007). Chinese
parents are afraid that their children are not competitive enough to get into a good university in
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 15
China. Under such pressure and worry, they decide to send their children away (Peterson,
Hayhoe, & Lu, 2001).
Pull factors: Student choices in studying abroad
Pull factors operates within the host country and make that country attractive to
international students. Based on Mazzarol’s (2002) and Yang (2007)’s studies, there are ten
factors identified to influence a student’s choice of studying abroad:
1. Knowledge and awareness of the institution, its reputation and ranking and the
acknowledge and general knowledge of the host country
2. Recommendation from the relatives, parents, and friends.
3. Tuition fees, living expenses, travel costs, and social costs in the host country.
4. Environment related to climates, life, crime rate, safety, and racial discrimination
5. Geographic proximity to China.
6. Positive attitude in the host country towards international students
7. Immigration prospects after graduation
8. Perceived higher standards of education and employment prospect
9. Availability of scholarships for study in the host country.
10. Social links. It associates with family and friends living or have studied in the host
country.
Once a student and her family have made up their mind of studying abroad for higher
education, there are several pull factors influencing the decision on the study abroad destination.
The next section of this chapter considers study abroad and other student populations.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 16
Non-Chinese students’ Study Abroad
Mazon (2009) used “Push and Pull” factors to investigate the factors influencing the US
undergraduate students’ participation in study abroad. The study showed the “Push and Pull”
dynamic needs displayed between the students and their institutions. The data revealed the push
factors containing student awareness of study abroad that included knowledge of returned
students’ experience, family support, and the ability to access financial resources, and informal
and formal mentor support. The institutional pull factors concluded institutional characteristics,
such as the infusion of diversity experiences into the college curriculum, support to the
out-of-class experience, and study abroad experience. The study indicated that institution of
higher education plays an important role in facilitating the study abroad process and pre-existing
mindset, goals, and sense of agency that students process in the study abroad opportunities.
Wiers-Jenssen (2003) used the “Push and Pull” factors theory to investigate the factors
that Norwegian students’ study abroad experience. The local government support, positive
experiences through study abroad, international orientation, and cultural effects of globalization,
globalization of educational markets became the several reasons for the substantial student flow
from Norway that both “push and pull” forces contributed (Wiers-Jenssen, 2003). The
Norwegian students are highly capable in adapting to new situations and satisfied with their
study abroad destination. The study showed that Norwegian students who choose to study abroad
find themselves more satisfied with their educational institution and put more effort into their
studies (Wiers-Jenssen, 2003). The high level of satisfaction is explained as the result of “pull”
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 17
motives for studying abroad, combined with relatively low economic, academic, social, cultural,
and linguistic barriers (Wiers-Jenssen, 2003).
According to Naresh Kumar and Vipan Kumar’s (2010) study ofMigration of Students: A
case in BRIC countries, the major share in international students’ mobility of students is from
developing countries (Brazil, India, and China) based on push and pull factors. This study
explored economic growth in those developing countries has become a driven factors influencing
students’ decision of studying abroad in the western developed countries.
In these previous studies, the scholars used “Push and Pull” factor theory to explore the
cases on the study of non-Chinese students’ study abroad and the motivating factors influencing
those students on their choice of study destination. The findings supported the existing studies on
international students’ choice of study destination and tested the “Push and Pull” factor theory. If
“Push and Pull” factor theory was proved to be the appropriate method on the study of
international students’ choice of study abroad destination, there should be no doubt it fit in the
case of Chinese students.
Chinese students studying abroad in non-U.S. countries
In Yang’s (2007) study of what attracts mainland Chinese students to Australian higher
education, he used the “push and pull” factor theories to study the motivating factors influencing
the Chinese students choosing Australia as their study abroad destination. The findings showed
two key motives for Chinese students’ choice of Australia as their study destination. The first
factor is the future migration opportunity after completing their education in Australia. The
second factor is that Australia higher education offers competitive lower tuitions fees amongst
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 18
English-speaking host countries and provides high quality and world-recognized education as
well.
As shown in this section of this chapter, previous studies have used “push and pull”
factor theory to explore the international student flow. “Push and pull” factors, as the theoretical
framework, has been employed to study the issues on not only Chinese students, but also the
students from other countries. But seldom have studies covered the Chinese students’ choice of
studying in the U.S. based on the “push and pull” factors.
The international student flow is not an ignorable phenomenon in today’s U.S. higher
education. Chinese students have formed an important community in the U.S. institutions. By
drawing more and more international students on campus, a multicultural learning experience for
both international students and domestic students will be enriched. The use of “push and pull”
factors to explore the motivating factors driven Chinese students to study abroad in the U.S.
highlights the needs and expectations of the international students.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 19
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Purpose
This study analyses the factors that influence Chinese college-bound high school
students’ choice of the U.S. as their study abroad destination. In the light of the dearth of
knowledge on exploring the motivating factors of how Chinese college-bound high school
students’ choice of studying abroad in the U.S., this study uses qualitative inquiry method to
approach to the nature of this study and collect the data. To be specific, the primary method of
data collection of this study is one-on-one data qualitative interviews. The overall design and
approach of this study is supported by the theoretical framework based on the “push and pull”
factors theory.
Methodology
Qualitative inquiry is a good match for the exploration of the truth of my research
question and the purpose of this study. The one-on-one data qualitative interview is a perfect
approach to investigate the motivating factors influencing the Chinese student’s choice of
studying abroad in the U.S. An interview is defined as an intentional conversation for the
researcher to find out what is “in and on someone else’s mind” (Patton, 1990, p. 278). To stay open
to the information that emerges (Patton, 1990), semi-structured, open-ended interview questioning
is employed. Semi-structured interviews are used to gather comparable data from the participants
(Bogdan & Biklen, 1998). This interview method allows the researcher to obtain data from the
participants’ own words (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998), shape the content of the conversation (Li,
2006), as well as develop insight on the interpretation of the participants in a particular
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 20
phenomenon (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998). As noted, the main research question of this study is as
follows: How do Chinese college-bound high school students’ choose the U.S. as their study
destination, and what are the motivating factors that influence their decision-making processes?
Participants
In order to explore the motivating factors driven the Chinese college-bound high school
students to choose to study in the U.S., the researcher approached twenty Chinese freshmen
students who were currently studying in a private research university located in the West Coast
with assistance from the university’s Chinese Students & Scholars Association (CSSA). The
qualified Chinese participants were:
1) non-transfer Chinese international freshman student
2) just graduated from a high school in China
3) just arrived to the US to study.
The reason that the qualified participant has to be a freshman is because he just has experienced
the college choice and decision-making process and may be more aware of the details of the
decision-making process. The researcher emailed each student by explaining the purpose of
this study, the procedure of this interview, and the confidentiality of the personal information and
content of interviews. A basic personal information survey was sent along with the email. In this
personal information survey, student’s name, age, gender, years of attendance, major, and
scholarships will be filled out. Eight out of the twenty students responded, giving a response rate
of 40%. Six of the eight responded students are qualified to be the participants of this study. The
other two students who are not qualified to participate in this interview are because they went to
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 21
the high school in the U.S., which does not match the condition listed above.
Table 1
Basic Information of Participants
Name Age Gender Major Year Scholarships
Jane 18 Female Business Administration Freshman N/A
Christine 20 Female Comparative Literature Freshman N/A
Julie 19 Female Economics Freshman N/A
Jade 18 Female Urban Planning Freshman N/A
Jerry 19 Male Business
Administration
Freshman 1/3Scholarships
Mike 18 Male Earth Science Freshman N/A
To ensure the confidentiality of responses, the six students noted in table 1 used
pseudonyms. Four were females and two were males. The age of the students varied from 18-20
with the average age of 18. They were enrolled in a variety of humanities, social science, and
science majors. One female student is majored in Business Administration. One female student is
majored in Comparative Literature. One female student is majored in Economics. One female
student is majored in Urban Planning. One male student is majored in Business Administration.
And one male student is currently studying Earth Science who is planning to change his major to
Mechanical Engineering in the coming year.
Procedures
The primary method of data collection for this study was semi-structured, open-ended,
one-on-one data qualitative interviews. The exploratory study was undertaken in the U.S. in April
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 22
2012. Each individual interview took 45-60 minutes. The individual interviews took place in a
reserved study room of the university’s library. In order to protect the confidentiality of the content
of the interviews and encourage the participants to be more responsive, interviews were conducted
in Mandarin. The protocol questions were prepared and focused on the objectives of study abroad
intentions, knowledge about the host countries, sources of information, and aspects of
decision-making. By asking those questions, the participants developed their own answers of the
sights and interpretation on their choice of studying abroad in the U.S. as well as revealing their
preferred motivating factors to choose U.S. as the study destination. The researcher took notes
when interviewing. The conversation was transcribed after the interview. The researchers
reviewed the notes and added what could be remembered as much as possible after the interview
due to the reluctance of being audio-taped by all the interviewed students. Each transcription was
sent to each participant for clarification, revision, and confirmation. By gathering the data from the
semi-structured, open-ended interviews, the researcher concluded the truth of this study.
Limitations
Two limitations are inherent in this study. The first limitation lies in the findings of this
study. The findings presented in this study cannot be generalized to other settings or among other
student population. The six Chinese international non-transfer first-year students, all of whom are
enrolled in the same U.S. University, represent experience based on their own stories and are
expected to differ from other student population such as Chinese graduate students and doctoral
students. In that case, this finding should not be construed as the interpretation of all types of
Chinese international students’ choice of studying abroad in the U.S.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 23
The second limitation is related to the sources documented in Mandarin. In order to
encourage the participants to express their idea freely and actively, the qualitative interview were
conducted and transcribed in Mandarin. The researcher takes the responsibility for the translation
work for this study. The quality of the translation is involved with my educational background,
English ability, and professional experience in interpreting and translating between the two
languages.

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 24
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF DATA
This study explores the Chinese college-bound high school students’ choice of studying
abroad in the U.S. and the motivating factors influence in the decision-making process. This study
is a preliminary study which employed the qualitative method to investigate why Chinese students
choose the U.S. as their final study destination. Through a combination of individual interviews to
six Chinese undergraduate students, the researcher asked the following questions:
1) Why did you choose to study overseas?
2) How many schools did you apply for? Which countries? How many offers did you receive?
3) Why put the U.S. in the first place as your study destination?
4) Did you receive any recommendation from friends or relatives? What kind of recommends?
5) Is cost issue an important factor?
6) Was Immigration a considerable factor in the decision-making process?
Responses to these questions make up the remainder of this chapter.
Why Study Abroad?
One of the first questions asked during the interviews was related to gaining a basic
understanding of why the student chose to study abroad. Table 2 shows the results of four main
reasons for the six interviewed Chinese undergraduate students to choose to study abroad.

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 25

Figure 1.Reasons for Study Abroad in General. This Figure illustrates the reasons
Chinese students’ voted as the most significant factors to study abroad in general.
Six students preferred the most important factor as being offered with better courses in
the host countries, taking up 40% among other reasons. Six students all perceived that overseas
course is better and that Western developed countries offer a high quality education, and it was
the most important factors motivating them to study abroad, which supports and matches with
the previous studies on international students’ flow to overseas study. Four out of six students
showed that the fact of being difficult to gain entry in Chinese higher education system is another
motivating factor to study abroad. Three students expresses their opinions on the fact that the
possibility of immigration being a reason to study abroad. Two students show that there are other
reasons affecting their decision of abroad study.
Better Courses
Jane is a freshman who majored in Business Administration at USC. She is from Shanghai.
After graduating from Yanan High School, She decided to continue the higher education in the U.S.
40%
27%
20%
13%
Reasons for Study Abroad in
General
better courses
difficult to gain entry in
China
Immigration
Others
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 26
When talking about the advantages for a Chinese student studying abroad, Jane stated,
“From the academic aspect, the U.S. higher education offers the world’s best higher
education. The Business Administration undergraduate program I am enrolled in is ranked No. 9
by the US News and World Report. The business school is recognized as one of the ten best
undergraduate courses in the nation. The professor and instructors and professors do a great job.
But they are doing more than a job. They will contribute a lot to the class and help us build up
networking. The US College has a strong alumni networking system, and it is helpful and
beneficial for each student in career. The academic advising system helped me with my
registration and academic goals and plans which cannot be received frequently in Chinese colleges
because we don’t have such a thing as academic advisors.”
Jane has multiple reasons for wanting to study abroad from both a quantitative and
qualitative perspective. She felt that rankings and resources were very important to her success.
Jerry is from Wuhan, China. He is majored in Business Administration program too. When asking
him why he decided to go to study abroad, he explained,
“I think what important to me is that the Business school owns a very leading ranking in the
U.S. which can be identified as a competitive and powerful program. Nobody will doubt the
quality of the U.S.’s undergraduate studies. Most important to me is being able to be with
Professors who really care about their subjects and are willing to be actively engaged in your
learning. In this Business school, they are very experienced professionals.”
Jerry emphasized his decision to attend school in the US mainly based on his major choice.
Christine is from Wuhan, China who is currently an Economics-majored undergraduate
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 27
student. When asking her the question about why she chose to study abroad, she explained, “ First
of all, it has to be the fact that they do offer good courses and good teachers. I know that many of
the professors won the Nobel Prize who teaches in Western universities. It would be a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me if being taught by them.” Prestige and knowledge of faculty
influenced this student to attend an institution in the U.S.
Christine shared the importance of the academic accomplishment and research field that
the applied schools had to offer.
Julie is a girl from Shanghai, who is studying in the program of Comparative Literature.
Julie explained her reason for studying abroad as,
“The highly free academic phenomena and fine campus environment were the decisive
factors for me to study in the U.S.My ideal Chinese university is Peking University (PU). But even
it is PU; there is still a distance in the instruction quality between PU and U.S. Colleges. Peking
University is the one of the top universities in China and it is almost every Chinese student’s dream
school. I watched Yale University’s online Public Courses and attended Harvard Student Summit
in one summer vacation. I learned so much from them. The instructors are so inspiring and
students are active in classes. I enjoyed the discussion-based instructing style which can be
experienced in the U.S. colleges. In China, students are inclined to be “quiet” and solely listen to
the teachers.”
Julie felt that she could benefit from the different learning expectations from her in a US
based school. She drew upon her previous experiences at Ivy League institutions.
Jade is from Foshan, Guangdong province of China. She is studying in the Urban Planning
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 28
program. She concluded the reason to study abroad as,“I think the good academic reputation of
university and high academic achievement are the strong driven factors for me to study abroad.
With better courses and elite faculty, I will learn much more from it than staying in China.” Like
Julie and Christine, Jade also felt that she would benefit from access to top professors who were
experts in their field.
Mike is currently majored in Earth Science. He stated,
“It has to be the strong academic achievement the Western higher education obtained to
motivate me to study abroad. The university provides strong courses and better faculty members
which is the No. 1 reason on my priority list. My purpose to study abroad is to learn the advanced
knowledge they offer. As a student, I know clearly what I should do to become a competent person
in the future who is to learn more and work hard”.
Mike’s remarks address the needs of the whole student. In each case, the study participants’
felt that they were gaining greater access to the kind of quality education and instructional style
that would not be as accessible in China.
Factor two: Difficult to Gain Entry in Chinese Higher Education
Four out of the six interviewed students expressed the idea that it is difficult for them to
gain entry in Chinese higher education. Having difficulty accessing the Chinese higher education
is the secondary motivating factors for the interviewed Chinese students to study abroad. The
Chinese National College Entrance Examination (commonly known as Gaokao) is the only
evaluation measuring each student’s qualification on their path to pursue higher education in China.
In the interview, the students shared their understanding and insights on the difference of the U.S.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 29
Admission Office System and the Chinese Gaokao System.
Jane stated,
“The good thing about Chinese Gaokao is that it is currently the fairest exam to evaluate
the quality of students. It is fair and straightforward. Everyone is facing the same exam on the
exactly same day with only one chance. You know what you will be facing too. If you do not get
admited by a certain school, it is only because you did not perform well onthe exam by earning a
high grade. There is no one to blame, except for the student himself. But if you mess it up, you
lose.”
Jane’s remarks clearly show the Gaokao to be a zero sum game. Individuals are either
successful or not. She goes onto share, “The scores you get from this big national examination is
the only evident ticket to go to college.” This is very different from the U.S. system of application
and individual institutional evaluation. While Julie finds the Gaokao to be infallible and fair,
Christine sees it differently. She stated that,
“I am not saying that Gaokao has absolutely no validity in its existence. Still, it fits in
China. The large population demands a lot of resources which China may not be able to afford. The
Gaokao system at least ensures the majority of Chinese people get decent education and the skilled
labor force will be able to answer the calls to fuel a knowledge-based economy. But there should
be revolution and innovation happening in the changes and transition of Chinese higher
educational system in the coming future as China strives to change into a creativity-driven,
innovation-fueled economy.” Christine also saw barriers within the U.S. application process. She
felt that “most Chinese students would feel unfamiliar and a bit challenging to cope with it. The
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 30
application process expects the applicant to present himself all-rounded that both academic
performance and life history will be perceived and evaluated in this process. As Chinese, we were
trained to be good testers who can perform really well in tests and exams due to the special
condition of the test-oriented system in China. But when it comes to the application materials that
include essays, personal statement and letter of recommendations, we feel confused and have no
clue on showing the best part of ourselves.” Christine’s insights here are powerful examples of
what US bound Chinese students might face. Like Christine, other students were concerned with
their possible performance on the Gaokao or saw themselves as individuals who might not perform
very well on the exam. Jade shared her thoughts about the Chinese Gaokao as follows: “I am not a
very academically competitive student. But I have an enriching social work experience at high
school. I do not think Gaokao is the really a good option for me. To become a well-rounded
person is much more important than becoming a test machine.” Jade offered a severe example of
how stressful the Gaokao can be. She cites it as “a huge stress for almost every Chinese student. In
order to perform well in that test, quite number of girls chooses to take pills to avoid their periods.”
These examples offer meaningful insight into how high stakes the Chinese testing system can be,
and how these students are finding other ways to gain educational access that meets their needs as
students.
Factor three: Immigration
Three out of six students said that the possibility of immigration after the completion of
their study is an important factor for their study abroad. Jerry shared that “the future migration
opportunity after completing my education here is a powerful and convincing factor for me to
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 31
choose U.S. as my destination. I understand the economy is not good and the rate of
unemployment is still pretty high that many Americans cannot find job. But the U.S. is a big
melting pot and we have been influenced by the American dream since we were very little.” Mike
shared a similar perspective. He claimed that he was “attracted by the U.S. immigration policy, and
I will seek opportunity to get permanent residency in the U.S. after graduating from college.” Mike
went on to further share that the chance to immigrate was so strong that his “major choice is
somewhat based on the profession list of skilled immigration.” These students clearly saw a U.S.
based education as a possible pathway for U.S. residency and/or citizenship.
Additional reasons for studying abroad
Two students shared that they had additional reasons for choosing to study abroad. Jerry
said that his uncle lives in the U.S. and always told him how good the U.S. higher education was.
His uncle encouraged him to accept the higher education in the U.S. Jade applied for schools not
simply in the U.S., but also in the Hong Kong and in Europe. She chose to attend a U.S.
university because she got accepted by an American university first.
Table 2 presents the countries and regions of the applied schools the six interviewed
Chinese students applied in their application process. This table indicated that studying in the
English Speaking countries is an important and motivating factor for Chinese students to choose to
study abroad. Amongst the six Chinese students, there were two Chinese students applied for the
schools in Europe, two Chinese students applied for the schools in the Australia, and two students
applied for the schools in others place including Hong Kong and Singapore.
Table 2
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 32
Demographics of Applied Schools and Application Results
Countries/Regions Applied(Number of University Applied, Number of
University admitted)
Name U.S./School
s admitted
Europe/Schools
admitted
Australia/School
s admitted
others
Jane 17/3 0 0 0
Christin
e
8/3 3/1 2/2 0
Julie 7/5 0/0 2/1 0
Jade 3/3 2/1 0/0 1/1(Hong Kong)
Jerry 15/4 0/0 0/0 0/0
Mike 17/4 0/0 0/0 3/1(Hong Kong,
Singapore)
Altogether, there were four students that applied schools in other countries besides the U.S.
Studying in an English speaking country was one of the main motivating reasons for the six
Chinese students to choose to study abroad. Each of the schools they applied to in the U.S., Europe,
Australia and other places (Hong Kong and Singapore) shared one common link, they all provided
English courses.
Jane applied for 17 American universities and colleges and got accepted by three
universities. She did not apply to other universities in any other countries or regions around the
world. She said that her “parents always told me the importance of mastering a second language. If
I choose to get back to China and work here, I need to be bilingual elite.” For Jane and her parents,
dual language was a big concern: “My parents and I had a long discussion on where I should be
studying at. After a long discussion, we both come to the same conclusion that I need to apply to
the universities and schools where I could have my English ability improved.” Christine applied
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 33
for eight American universities and got admitted into three of them. She also applied for three
universities in Europe and two universities in Australia. She was admitted by a school in Europe
and two in Australia. But she turned them down and decided to attend an American university. She
said, “Although the U.S. and Australia are both English speaking countries which certainly offer
English courses, I would go with the schools in the U.S. without second hesitation.” Christine
further shared that she had a better understanding of the U.S. because of American pop culture. She
provided the following observation: “I think the Chinese children are quite Americanized for
having watching the U.S. cartoons, TV shows, and Hollywood movies since we are very little. I
dare to say that most of the Chinese kids are at my ages who have watched the famous TV show
‘Friends’ or ‘Prison Break.’” She expected that she would have some commonality with American
students based on this similar knowledge.
Julie applied for seven schools in the U.S. and two schools in the Australia. She was
accepted by five schools in the U.S. and one school in the Australia. She decided to go to one of the
admitted schools in the U.S., “The primary reason that I choose to apply to the schools in either the
U.S. or Australia is that they speak English. Let’s be realistic. English is the only foreign language
I can speak, and it is the world’s language. When people talk about study abroad destination, the
countries like the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Britain and European Countries would pop out of
their minds.”
Julie contrasted her decision to study in the US with the possibility of attending a
university in Britain: “In China, a stereotype about the students who choose to study in Britain can
be identified as the students with poor academic performance in high schools and their parents are
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 34
very rich people. I am definitely one of that kind.” Julie chose the US so that she would not be
stereotyped as a rich student with low grades if she chooses to return to China to work.
Jade applied three schools in the U.S., two in the Europe, and one school in Hong Kong.
She got admitted by two American schools, one school in the Europe, and the school she applied to
in Hong Kong. Jade chose to go to the U.S. based choice: “for a couple of reasons, including
English courses, campus culture, and lifestyle and immigration policy. To choose to study in
English-speaking countries seems to be a natural progress and will provide me with the
opportunity to improve my English skills..[which] is considered as a leading edge in the Chinese
job market.” Jade like many other students in this study, Jade saw a direct connection between
studying at a U.S. university and job prospects.
Jerry was very focused on gaining acceptance to a U.S. based university. He applied to 15
schools in the U.S. and was admitted to four of them. He stated that he “never thought of other
countries.” His parents agreed with Jerry that he needed to study abroad because “English is the
international language. As modern people, it is necessary to master this language.” Like Jerry,
Mike was also very focused on selecting a U.S. college or university. He applied for 17 schools in
the U.S.; he was admitted to four of them. Mike was very aware of his strategic choice to study in
the US which is seen as “a trend in China.”Like others in the study, Mike also saw the immigration
opportunities that the US offered: “…with the open doors policy in the field of U.S. higher
education,” Mike was aware of how this policy had changed over time as well:
Back in early 2000, it was really hard for Chinese students to obtain a student visa from the
U.S. embassy. But since the economic crisis in the U.S., I think they open it up which is a good
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 35
thing for all the Chinese students who have plans to study abroad in the U.S.In 2004, a son of my
dad’s friends got full scholarship by MIT, but he got rejected by the U.S. embassy for applying for
his student visa. You have no idea how difficult it was for a Chinese student to get a student visa at
that time. But now, things changed.

Figure 2.Comparison of the motivated factors for study in the U.S. and study in general.
Better courses
Among the reasons of placing the U.S. as their top destination in pursing for higher
education, the qualities of courses are identified as a significant factor. Six students believed that
the U.S. provided with world-class high quality higher education system with strong faculty team,
substantial academic resources, leading researchers in wide range of academic fields and the most
Nobel Prize winners hired by the U.S. institutions. Although four students agree on the fact that
courses are better off when studying abroad in general than in local Chinese universities, the
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Better courses
International Recognition
Prosepcts for
Employment/Immigration
Positive Attitudes towards
International Students
Study in US for Specific
Study Abroad in General
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 36
advantage of high quality instruction possessed by the U.S. institutions were acknowledged and
appreciated by the six Chinese interviewed students.
Jane and Jerry are freshmen majoring in Business Administration. Jane said, “The U.S.
institutions have top rankings in World’s Best Universities in Economics and Finances evaluated
by the USNews.com. Isn’t that pretty convincing? If I choose to study abroad, I’d go to the best
place.” This point of view was also shared by Jerry. He said, “The business school I am currently
studying at is consistently top ranked in by US News & World Report. This program offers more
international trips and internships in Asia and Europe from. From that great experience, I will
benefit a lot.” This point was again, supported by Mike, stressing that, “No doubt the U.S. offers
the best Earth Science program around the world. In the world’s ranking, there are five American
universities listed on including Harvard University placed in the first place. They have the world’s
best researcher and scholars.” Similarly, Christine explained, “First, the quality of courses
offered by the program is the most critical factor I considered affecting my decision on the study
destination. Comparative Literature belongs to the main discipline of English language and
Literature. Besides Harvard, six other U.S. institutions are on the top ten world’s best schools in
the discipline of Language and Literature. The America has a very strong and competitive
background in literature. Every student in the study was very aware of the high ranking and
prestige of their major and their academic institution.
International Recognition of the U.S. Diploma
Among the reasons of targeting the U.S. as their top destination in the pursuit of higher
education, the international recognition of the U.S. diploma is considered as the second most
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 37
significant influencing factor. This opinion was expressed by Jane in the interview as, “having a
U.S. diploma will help me own a cutting edge in the job market in China...the fact of graduating
from a U.S. institution often advantages those have graduated from other universities besides the
U.S.” This point of view was also shared by Christine when she mentioned that, “For me, to study
abroad is to gain an internationally recognized qualification. Nowadays, Most Chinese people
perceive owning a foreign diploma sounds fancier than a local degree.”
Similarly, Mike expressed in his interview that, “I want to pursue the Ph.D. degree
someday in the future. To obtain a master’s degree in the U.S. will be a strong proof backing up my
academic background in my application for Ph.D. programs. Having a U.S. degree is not only
widely acknowledged in China but also in other countries.” This point was again favored by Jade,
stating that; “Owning a U.S. degree is not only appreciated in many Asian countries and region. If
there is slight chance for me to find a job in the states, there will be plenty of opportunities out
there in Singapore, Hong Kong. Those places favor the Chinese students who have studying
abroad experience, especially to those coming back from the States.”
Jerry gave a similar response in the interview, stressing that “there are quite number of
U.S. institutions have been accredited by the Ministry of Education in China which indicated the
degrees granted by those schools are legal, acceptable, and valid to Chinese job market and
academia. Compared to the U.S. institutions, limited universities in other countries and regions are
accredited. In Chinese people’s traditional value, the U.S. degree has a selling point itself which
has been widely recognized and appreciated.” Every student in this study had a strong belief in the
value of their American earned degree.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 38
Prospects of Employment and Immigration in the U.S.
A prospect for employment and immigration is the third motivating factor for the Chinese
students to choose the U.S. as the study abroad destination. Jade expressed this idea as, “I plan to
find a job in the states after I finish my study. I will choose to work for the company which can
offer sponsorship for my work visa. So, I will be legal to work and stay here for a longer period of
time.” She added in the interview that, “I enjoyed and appreciated the lifestyle, natural
environment and the American dream in this country. In China, people undertake too much
pressure from the high expenses of living, housing and competition for limited resources.” The
same point of view was supported by Mike, mentioning in his interview, “both my parents and I
decide to seek permanent residency in the U.S. after I finish my studies. We think I will have a
better career development in the U.S. And the living expenses here are sensible. You use less
money to purchase a car or a house here than in China. Besides, you are treated with better
welfare. ” Similarly, Jerry shared the same opinion on immigration in the interview, saying that, “I
plan to pursue a Master’s degree in Computer Science in the U.S. after I finish my undergraduate
studies. If you major in Computer Science or Engineering, it will be easy for you to find a job here.
Among all the international students graduated from the U.S. institutions, the students majored in
Computer Science and Engineering have been identified as the most needed people in the U.S. job
market. I know a lot of Chinese friends who majored in Computer Science or Engineering are now
working in big American companies and living in the Bay area.” These students again, were very
aware of the power and prestige of an American degree and the possibilities for employment from
a global perspective.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 39
Positive Attitudes towards International Students
Perceived positive attitudes towards international students was the fourth significant factor
for the students in this study to seek U.S. based university experiences. Jane mentioned this point
of view was based on the legacy of immigration in the U.S., “Historically, the U.S. is a country
build by immigrants coming from the world. It has a relatively tolerant heart and attitude towards
people coming from other foreign countries. Since I was a kid, I was taught that the U.S. was a big
melting pot.” This idea was built upon by Christine when she mentioned that, “The U.S.
institutions enroll more international students than any other schools round the world. As I
remembered, more than 700,000 international students are currently studying in the U.S.
universities and colleges.” Mike pointed out a similar opinion in this interview, “I read this on a
newspaper saying that the U.S. schools appreciate the multicultural learning experience and global
perspectives generated by the enrolled international students. Within the coming of international
students, a win-win situation is created through the mutual learning experience shared by domestic
and international students.” In addition to these motivating factors, the study participants offered
four additional reasons for studying abroad in the US. These factors are noted in Figure 3.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 40

Figure 3.Other reasons for study abroad in the U.S. This figure illustrates four other reasons that
motivated the Chinese students to choose to study in the U.S.
Easy and Quick visa Application Process
An easy and quick application process is considered as one of the reasons that influence the
choice of study destination. Jade mentioned this reason as, “Nowadays, getting an F-1 student visa
is easier than before. Maybe, ten years ago, Chinese students and parents chose to go to Britain or
Australia because their visa application process was easier with a lower rejection rate.” This point
of view was supported by Jane, stressing that, “I do not need to worry about being rejected by the
visa officer any more. As long as you have all the application materials prepared such as I-20,
admission letter and financial statement, you will get passed. There is nothing to worry about.”
Similarly, Mike shared with the same point of view as, “the visa officer only asked me two
questions. Which schools are going to study at? Which program? He congratulated me and told me
34%
33%
25%
8%
Other Reasons for Study Abroad in
the U.S
Easy and quick visa application process
Parents, Relatives and Friends' Recommendation
lifestyle
education agents' recommendation
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 41
I got passed even before I stared answering the second question.” Also, Christine added in her
interview that, “The whole visa face-to face interview ended so fast before I even realized it was
over. I heard that the approval rate of Chinese student visas has reached 85%.” As most students in
this study agree, Christine’s statement that “Being difficult to get a student visa is a thing of the
past” was a consistent experience for each of the study participants.
Parents, Relatives and Friends’ Recommendation
Many students in this study have parents, relatives and friends’ recommendations to guide
them in their decision to attend a US based school. Jerry stated in his interview that
“My uncle is living the states. His son got admitted by MIT with full scholarships last year.
He encouraged me to study abroad in the U.S. He gave me good advice on the application
materials and college choice. Also, my parents thought it would be nice to have relatives around
while I was in the states.”
This point of view was mentioned by Jane in the interview, saying, “Both of my parents are
college-educated people. My dad has been to the States before as an exchange visitor. He
appreciated the high-leveled instructors and extensive resources provided by the U.S. institutions.
I was encouraged by him to pursue higher education in the U.S.
Correspondingly, Christine added in the interview, pointing out that, “I have a friend who
moved to the states with her parents at a young age. But we have been in touch via emails through
all these years. She often told me how great the U.S. education system was…she mentioned that
having a multicultural learning experience was important for the growth of a person. If I go, I
would make new friends, have a different lifestyle and have my horizon broadened.”
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 42
Each of these study participants has important connections to guide them through
their college experiences in the United States.
Lifestyle
Many of the students indicated that lifestyle was a key factor in deciding to study in the
United States. Mike pointed out in the interview that he, “desire[d] the lifestyle Americans has.
Everybody can express their ideas freely and is encouraged to have your dream achieved by your
intelligence and hard work.” The reason of lifestyle was shared by Jade in the interview:
“everybody in here is very relaxed and friendly. When I was driving, I felt like I was the master of
my life. With the endless coastline, California sunshine and beautiful natural environment, I feel
like my life is full of hope and optimism.” Similarly, Jane supported this opinion by mentioning, “I
love the lifestyle here. Nobody judges you, and everybody has the right and freedom to be
whatever they want to be. From Monday to Friday, people work hard. On weekends, they get out of
the town, go to the beaches, and relax. I learn to have fun and approach to Nature whenever I am
free.” Study participants felt a sense of ownership over their own abilities and life choices, even at
the level of deciding how to spend their free time.
Education Agents’ Recommendation
Education Agents ‘recommendation was identified as another motivating factor
influencing Chinese students’ choice of placing the U.S. as the top study abroad destination. Jerry
shared this point of view by saying, “My parents took me to an educational agency for consulting
on my first year of high school. The agent suggested me study abroad when I finish high school.”
Jerry shared even more of his agent’s advice: “The agent told us studying abroad would become a
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 43
trend in China that many parents decided to send their children abroad at a younger age such as
high school.”A similar point was shared by Jade, stressing, “My dad went to a study abroad agency
for consulting. An agent gave him a free consultation for the first time from whom he got to know
the basic information about application process and college choice.” Jade recalled what her dad
said as, “we do not need their help. We can complete it on our own. This is the first challenge on
your way to study abroad. If you could not handle the task, how can you cope with all of the rest
tasks await when you are there? ” It’s interesting to note that while these students did seek the
initial advice of educational agents, they did not choose to employ them over time.
This chapter presents the data gathered from the interviews with the six Chinese students.
The results from the data collection showed a number of influencing factors motivated the students
to study abroad which supported the existing studies by Mazzarol (2002). The reasons of putting
the U.S. as the top study abroad destination can be categorized as follows: An English-speaking
country, world class high quality education, international recognized degree, prospects of
employment and immigration, positive attitude to international students, easy and quick visa
application process, parents, relatives or friends’ recommendation, and lifestyle.

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 44
CHAPTER FIVE: FINDINGS
The purpose of this study is to explore Chinese college-bound high school students’ choice
of the U.S. as their study destination and the concerning factors that influence Chinese students’
decision-making processes. This decision-making process is influenced by multi-factors, each of
which is supposed to have a different weight thus impact in the final choice. Compared to the
reasons for pursuing a further abroad study in general, the research is designed to explore the key
influencing factors that differentiated the choice of the U.S. from other study abroad destinations,
given the fact of the increasing attraction of the U.S. universities to Chinese students. An
individual one-on-one data qualitative interview containing six protocol interview questions
covering topics of the reasons for putting the U.S. in the top study destination place, the motives of
studying abroad in the first place, the numbers of applied schools and geographical location,
information resources attributed from parents, relatives and friends, and the consideration of future
employment and immigration in the host countries were conducted. The audience of six chosen
Chinese students fitting into the targeted group were interviewed for this purpose.
The responses from the interviews shows a diverse view on the factors contributing to the
university choice in the U.S., echoing on the Push and Pull factors put forward by Mazzarol (2002).
The reasons of putting the U.S. as the top study abroad destination can be categorized as follows:
An English-speaking country, world class high quality education, positive attitude to international
students, prospects of employment and immigration, easy and quick visa application process,
parents, relatives or friends’ recommendation, and lifestyle.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 45
Among these, recommendation from parents, friends and relatives can be viewed as the
Push side of the Mazzarol’s Push and Pull factor theory (2002), for the nature of their economic,
social, and political forces from their source country. According to the interview results, most
Chinese students do value the suggestion, advice and information of their college choice given
from their parents, relatives, and friends, and attach a lot of importance to the social forces
contained in the Push side of this theory. This motivating factor has been the push effect and even
though they did that unconsciously nor systematically.
On the other side, the factors including an English-speaking country, world class high
quality education, international recognized degree, prospects of employment and immigration,
positive attitude to international students, easy and quick visa application process, and lifestyle can
be categorized as the force from the Pull side, which characterizing the nature of the Pull side as
the attraction and features operated by the host country that motivate the international students to
come. The Push and Pull factors theory explained the nature of international students’ choice of
their study abroad destination based on the motivating and significant factors existed in both the
home country and host country.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 46
Analysis
Table 3
The Most Critical and Significant Factors Influencing Students’ Decision-Making process
between Study Abroad in the U.S. and Study Abroad in General
Factors Most
significant
influencing
factors
Second
significant
influencing
factors
Third
significant
influencing
factors
Fourth
significant
influencing
factors
Why do you
choose to study
abroad in
general?
Better courses Difficulty to
gain access
into higher
education in
China
Intend to
immigrate to
the host
country in the
future
To gain
Western
cultural
exposure
Why do you
choose to study
abroad in the
U.S.
World class,
high quality
higher
education
International
Recognized
diploma
Prospects of
employment
and
immigration in
the U.S.
Positive
attitudes
towards
international
students
The Chinese students expressed the view that the most significant factor for them to choose
to study abroad was a better course offered by the institutions outside China. Also, they showed
their disappointment on the fact of having a hard time getting into the good Chinese universities.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 47
The analysis found that the intention of immigration in the host country and the exposure of
Western culture were two other major motives for them to pursue higher education abroad.
The data from this study shows that the U.S. is preferred as a top study destination by the
Chinese students based on multiple factors. The most important factor motivating Chinese student
to study in the U.S. based on this study is the hope of receiving a world-class quality higher
education. The U.S. higher education system is widely acknowledged and appreciated by Chinese
students and parents. The Chinese students stated the point of view that the second most important
factor for them to study abroad in the U.S. was to obtain an internationally recognized qualification,
as they perceived a higher quality courses was better than a local one. The analysis found another
major factor for Chinese student’ choice of the U.S. as their top study destination was the fact that
the prospects of employment and immigration after the completion of their studies in the U.S. The
Chinese students expressed their appreciation of the U.S. immigration policy and wanted to obtain
permanent residency in the U.S. after the completion of their studies. Also, the positive attitudes
towards international students held by the U.S. became another important factor due to the
openness and tolerance embedded in the American culture.
The Chinese students considered the U.S. as their study destination because of the
following factors:
 English-speaking country
 World-class high quality education system
 International recognition diploma
 Prospects of employment and immigration
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 48
 Positive attitude towards international students
 Easy and quick visa application process
 Parents, Relatives, friends’ recommendation
 Lifestyle
 Education agents’ recommendation
Amongst all the English-speaking countries, the U.S. higher education offers high quality
courses and world-recognized education. The Chinese students perceived the U.S. higher
education as of world-class quality and this insight had an impact on their choice of destination.
The findings on the prospects of employment and immigration in the U.S. revealed that the
Chinese students responded positively to the U.S.’s immigration policy of employing and
sponsoring foreign workers. An easy and quick visa application process inspired Chinese students
to consider the U.S. as their top study abroad destination with the increase of visa-processing
capacity and approval rate of student visa granted by the U.S. Embassy in China in recent years.
The findings showed that the factor of parents, relatives and friends’ recommendation was
preferred by some Chinese students as one motive. Some student indicated that they were attracted
by the American lifestyle. Education agents’ recommendation and consultation are the last factors
on the list that influenced students’ choice of placing the U.S. as the top destination.
A minority of students stated that they approach agents for the information of the U.S.
admission application process and visa application process. But in recent years, due to the
diminishing credibility of their service, Chinese students and parents decided to complete the
application process and visa application process on their own. This explained why Chinese
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 49
students perceived the online information provided by the U.S. institutions and attending
education exhibitions as critical factors for their information collection. Most of the Chinese
students preferred to gather the first-hand application information from schools’ official websites.
Some students shared the pointed of view that they would appreciate the online information
written in Mandarin language so they could have a better grasp of the meaning of the information.
They also expressed the desire to have the admission officers with the U.S. school coming to China
so that they could have a face-to-face communication opportunity and their parents could
participate in the information collection process as well.
Conclusion and Implications
This study shed light on the significant factors for Chinese students to place the U.S. as
their top study abroad destination. The significant factors are: an English-speaking country,
world-class high quality higher education, internationally recognized diploma, prospects of
employment and immigration, positive attitude towards international students, easy and quick visa
application process, parents, relatives and friends’ recommendation, lifestyle, and education
agents’ recommendation. In a global international higher education arena, the U.S. is facing an
increasingly tough competition amongst from its competitors, not just from the English-speaking
countries, but also the countries from Europe and Asia. The world-class high quality of higher
education is the most significant and motivating factors for Chinese students to target the U.S. as
their top study destination. How will the U.S. remain the high-level academic endeavor in the
globalized world? The findings showed the factor of prospects of employment and immigration
had an influence on Chinese students’ choice of destination and program selection.
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 50
But international students do have to face the difficulty of job search in the U.S. due to the
economic downhill (Labi, 2010). How will the U.S. sustain the international students’ population
in the global higher education market? Having a positive and friendly attitude towards
international students is another critical factor appreciated by Chinese students. But international
students suffered from cultural adjustment and academic pressure that they were likely to stay in
their comfort zone and had difficulty interacting with domestic students (Trice, 2004). How will
the educational providers and school administrators respond to the international student issues and
cope with better student affairs services in the future? After all, the essence of international student
success is “the ability to support and satisfy the needs of students and ensure the promise of
delivering an excellent study experience, ensuring students’ academic success and fulfilling
students’ career goals” (Yang, 2007, p.9).
This study is a preliminary study, but it serves to provide some information about Chinese
high school college-bound students’ college choice of placing the U.S. as their top study
destination by employing the “Push and Pull” factor theory. It does not intend to draw definitive
conclusions and its purpose and goal is to explore the motivating and significant factors
influencing Chinese students’ decision on choosing the U.S. as their top destination. This study is
limited in several respects. The sample size was small and from only one institution. For this
reason, the findings may not necessarily generalize to other students, but it could be expanded at a
practical level to make it more generalized.
In addition, there are many issues worth exploring further. These include how students
complete their decision-making and college-choice process specifically, the connection between
CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 51
students’ program choice and employment and immigration, and how supportive programs and
strategies facilitate international student’s personal development and academic success.

CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 52
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CHINESE STUDENTS’ COLLEGE CHOICE 58
Appendix
Interview Protocol (for Chinese undergraduate students)
Ethnicity__________________________________________________________
Gender___________________________________________________________
Age______________________________________________________________
Status____________________________________________________________
Major____________________________________________________________
1. Why do you choose to study overseas?
2. How many schools do you apply for? Which countries? How many offers did you
receive?
3. Why put the U.S. in the first place as your study destination?
4. Do you receive any recommendation from friends or relatives? What kind of
recommends?
5. Is cost issue an important factor?
6. Is Immigration a considerable factor in the decision-making process?

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study explored the factors that influenced Chinese college-bound high school students’ college choice to the American universities and colleges as their study destination. In recent years, China has become the top source of sending Chinese students studying abroad and the Chinese students have become the largest international student population enrolled by the U.S universities and colleges, but the study of Chinese international student in the U.S higher education is not in the mainstream of any discipline. “Push and Pull” factor theory and a qualitative study was employed in this research. A sample of six Chinese undergraduate students who finished high school in China and were currently studying in U.S universities were selected to conduct the one-on-one qualitative interviews. Protocol questions were asked to the six Chinese respondents to identify what factors influenced students’ choice of study abroad in the U.S. The findings indicated that the U.S has become a very popular study abroad destination for Chinese college-bound high school students. The most important factors motivating Chinese students to study in the U.S are the high quality of education, along with English-speaking country, internationally recognized degree, immigration, and lifestyle. By understanding the concluded factors influencing Chinese high school students’ choice of studying in the U.S, the policy-makers and administrators in the American higher education can better understand Chinese international students’ needs and expectations of the U.S institutions.

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Asset Metadata

Creator An, An (author)

Core Title Chinese students’ college choice: targeting the U.S as the top study destination

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Master of Education

Degree Program Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs

Publication Date 11/21/2012

Defense Date 11/21/2012

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Chinese students,motivating factors,OAI-PMH Harvest,study abroad,U.S institutions

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Venegas, Kristan M. (committee chair), Li, Jing (committee member), Merriman, Lynette (committee member)

Creator Email aan1@usc.edu,fantasytalker@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-118013

Unique identifier UC11291387

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Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

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