Uni’s admission test demands more than just good grades
Print Edition
ABOUT 100 Chinese mainland students yesterday sat a pre-admission exam for the New York University Shanghai.
The event was the last of the university’s “Candidate Weekends,” held to put potential undergraduates through their paces. About 500 mainland students took part.
The university’s approach to pre-admission differs from traditional tests, which usually comprise an academic examination and an interview.
In one activity, students worked in groups to recreate a structure after glimpsing it only briefly, then relying on information supplied to them by their teammates. The groups had 20 minutes to complete the task and were told to communicate only in English.
Many said they found the task challenging and interesting.
“I quickly forgot what I’d seen but the team inspired me,” Suzy Ye from Sichuan Province said.
“The activity helped me to trust my group,” she said.
Charles Huang from Jiangsu Province said the test was “fun and relaxing.” He said he had earlier taken a pre-admission exam for Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, which was more academic.
“I think the NYU way is better because it values students’ communication skills, which are as important as grades,” he said.
Yu Lizhong, chancellor of NYU Shanghai, said the activity was designed to see if students could listen and cooperate, while also testing their English.
“Students have to be themselves and see others as partners rather than rivals,” Yu said.
As well as the group tasks, each student was given a private interview, sat a sample class and was asked to write an article.
John Sexton, president of New York University in the United States, was in Shanghai to meet the candidates yesterday. He advised students not to accept an offer of a place just to please their parents.
“If you are in doubt, say no, because we will demand a lot of you,” he said.
NYU Shanghai, which opened last year, is China’s first Sino-US joint venture university. This year it will recruit 300 new students, of which half will be from China’s mainland.
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