Translated from original in Mandarin: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/BhpUf4JV3ews5WUUxkW4bA Every admissions season, there is always a group of parents left completely bewildered. "My child scored a 1580 on the SAT, ranks in the top three of the class, won a regional ISEF award, and yet only got into a safety school ranked in the 40s. How is that possible?" They stare at rejection letters, unable to make sense of what happened. Was it a weak recommendation letter? Was it that on

Every application season, the buzz around the University of California (UC) system reaches a fever pitch. Last year, the number of applicants to the three most popular campuses—UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UCSD—surged to a staggering 127,000, 145,000, and 137,000 respectively. For international families, the UC system has long been the holy grail of higher education, promising global brand recognition and strong job prospects. Recently, the UC system released internal tracking data

Translated from original Chinese article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/IKkkyyx1APlj0OxKiW975Q In the U.S. college admissions process, recommendation letters are often one of the most underestimated application components. Students can use their essays to discuss their interests, experiences, and personal growth. However, recommendation letters offer something different: a third-party perspective. A teacher who truly knows a student can provide insight into how that student ask