BEIJING – Shaken by the shooting deaths of two Chinese students near the University of Southern California, China is unlikely to slow its pace of sending its students to U.S. universities.
The deaths of USC graduate students Qu Ming and Wu Ying, both 23, this week in what police suspect was a bungled carjacking came amid a big jump in the number of Chinese pursuing higher education in the U.S.
Much of that has been made possible by China’s economic growth, which has produced a richer generation of students. But they have also grown up carefully protected by their parents and possibly not as well equipped to handle the cultural challenges in a country so distinctly different from China.
China sent nearly 160,000 students to U.S. universities last year, more than four times the number 15 years ago and more than any other country, according to the U.S.-based Institute of International Education. Chinese students account for nearly 22 percent of international students, who contribute more than $21 billion to the U.S. economy through tuition and living expenses.
Chinese families hold U.S. education in high regard and are trying to give their children an edge in China’s fiercely competitive job market. They are ambivalent about China’s education system, which relies on rote learning and has many problems such as plagiarism, even by professors.
That has resulted in a thriving industry serving students eager to study overseas. Students can pay thousands of dollars for prep schools and courses to cram for the SATs and graduate school exams. They also can pay consulting firms to guide them throughout the college application process.
Zhou Rong, a senior consultant working for New Oriental Vision Overseas Consulting, said the new generation of Chinese students—many growing up in one-child households—often lack life skills such as knowing how to rent an apartment and how to exercise caution.
