High school graduates attracted to study abroad

High school graduates attracted to study abroad
SHENYANG - As millions of her peers rose early to do last-minute cramming(填鸭式用功) for China's national college entrance exam(高考) Monday, Yu Lu was sleeping soundly, as she has been every morning for the last three months.

In March, the 18-year-old high school graduate from Yantai city, in the eastern Shandong province, decided not to sit the exam, long regarded as a destiny-shaping milestone(里程碑) in the lives of young Chinese, after she obtained offers from four prestigious[prɛˈstidʒəs, -ˈstɪdʒəs]( 有威望的, 有声誉的) universities of the United States.
"I chose the University of Washington. It will offer me a scholarship(奖学金) totaling more than $40,000 if study architecture(建筑) there in the next four years," Yu said.

She achieved 29 points in the ACT(美国高考) (American College Test, full mark 36) in December 2009 after five months' English training in the GAC(全球评估证书) (Global Assessment Certificate) at the ACT Center in Qingdao city, Shandong.

Studying in the US would cost a total of $120,000, most of which would be funded by her parents. "Most students in the training center have richer families than mine," said Yu.

Yu believed a degree from a reputable(声誉好的) foreign university will help clinch(锁定) a good job in a tight employment market(比较严峻的就业市场).

"The practice-oriented education(以实践为主导的教育) of a foreign school will give me a competitive edge(竞争优势) in job hunting(求职)," she said.

Wang Luxue, another high school graduate in northeast China's Liaoning province, also favors a foreign university.

"I targeted(选择) overseas schools because they pay more attention to students' all-around development(全方位的发展) and provide a more flexible learning environment(更自由的学习环境)," Wang says.

After being enrolled(入学) at Germany's Jacobs University in Bremen with a full scholarship(全额奖学金) in February, Wang has spent much of her time learning German and life skills, such as driving and cooking, while her peers were preparing for the college entrance exam, known as the gaokao in Chinese.