High anxiety as students await offers both ancient and modern
Print Edition
MILLIONS of high school students are anxiously waiting for letters that will determine their future.
Zhu Yanguo, 18, from Yulin in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, couldn’t wait to get his entrance ticket to university life.
“I am looking forward to the offer so much that I have gone to the post office every day,” he said.
His dream letter, from Shaanxi Normal University, has finally arrived ... handwritten in neat Chinese script.
“In an era when printing technology is updated so rapidly, the hand-written admission letter shows the school’s adherence to traditional culture,” Zhu said.
In a room some 400 kilometers from Zhu’s home, more than 20 professors dipped writing brushes into ink and carefully wrote letters to freshmen in 2,000-year-old script. It is a tradition the university began 11 years ago.
“I can still recall the day I received my offer,” said Duan Yongchang, who is pursuing a doctorate in exercise physiology.
“It conveys the ethos, motto as well as the academic atmosphere of the university. Every student can feel it,” he said.
The delivery of exam results has a long history in China.
In feudal ages, the imperial examination was the only way for ordinary people to enter powerful civil service positions.
The candidate who earned the highest score was escorted home with supreme honor and could receive an edict from the emperor indicating his high status.
Even in modern times, when success is no longer defined solely by academic performance, acceptance letters mean a lot to a family. The college entrance exams, gaokao in Chinese, remain the most important way for young Chinese, especially those in remote areas, to reshape their destinies.
In a time when information can be delivered instantly at no cost, custom admission letters have emerged to add a personal touch for incoming students.
This year, Northwestern Polytechnical University sent out the country’s first augmented reality-embedded acceptance letter. Scanning a QR code on the letter reveals a 3D digital scroll on screen, which displays photos about the history and development of the university.
Three icons on the back of the acceptance letter can be scanned to show off three of the university’s most popular courses — aeronautics, astronautical engineering and marine engineering — with 3D images of the Long March rocket family, China’s self-developed aircraft carrier and an animated character who introduces the courses.
“The offer is not only an invitation. It also embodies the quality and characteristics of our university,” said the deputy director of the admission office, Xie Dan.
“We hope the students can see the school’s innovative spirit and our high expectations for them.”
Universities in Beijing and Zhejiang have also broken admission letter conventions by using recycled paper, adding hand-painted embellishments and even giving away books.
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