Can Chinese Language Get Your Students
Admitted to Their Dream Colleges?
2011 National Chinese Language Conference
San Francisco, CA
• Baocai (Paul) Jia, HS Chinese Teacher, Cupertino High School, Cupertino, CA
• Jamie Northrup, Director of Marketing, Middlebury-Monterrey Language Academy, Middlebury, VT
• Michelle Whittingham, Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management and Director of Admissions, University of California, Santa Cruz
• James Montoya (Moderator), Vice President of Relationship Development, The College Board
Meet the Presenters
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• Look at key factors considered in the college admissions and enrollment process
• Examine role of Chinese language knowledge and cultural experiences in college admissions and enrollment
• Learn about tools students can leverage to demonstrate language proficiency and cultural awareness
• Have fun!
Session Objectives
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Let’s play….
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The Rules
• Team who “buzzes” first gets 20 seconds to guess as many answers as they can
• Answers are recorded on flip charts
• Points are awarded for matched answers
• Team with the most points at the end wins
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Let’s meet the families…
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Part One – Admissions Factors
What are the most common factors considered by colleges when looking at a
student profile?
Factors Considered in College Admissions
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Primary Factors(2 points each)
Quality/Rigor of Academic Courses
Academic Performance/ Grades
Test Scores (SAT, SAT Subject Tests, AP®, etc.)
Special Talents, projects, achievements
Additional Factors(1 point each)
Extracurricular Activities Personal Statements /
Essay(s) Letters of
Recommendation Demonstrated Interest
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Part Two – Chinese Language Knowledge & Cultural Awareness
What does demonstration of Chinese language knowledge and cultural
awareness indicate about a student?
Role of Chinese Language Knowledge & Cultural Awareness
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Academic Insights(2 points each)
Bilingual ability Fulfillment of foreign
language requirement Interest / readiness for
advanced study of the language
Potential fit for a major / program (e.g., East Asian studies, international economics, international relations)
Non-Academic Insights(2 points each)
Global perspective Cultural awareness Ability to contribute to
campus diversity Facility with intercultural
communications Eagerness to investigate the
world Ability to translate ideas
into action
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Part Three – Academic Resources & Tools
What academic resources & tools are available for students to demonstrate
proficiency in Chinese language and culture?
Academic Resources & Tools
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2 points each
Take high school courses in Chinese language and/or culture
Take Advanced Placement Chinese Language and Culture Course & Exam
Pursue Chinese language study outside of the high school classroom (e.g., weekend language study, online courses)
Demonstrate Chinese language proficiency through SAT Subject Test in Chinese
Participate in Summer Language & Culture immersion programs (e.g., Middlebury-Monterrey Language Academy, STARTALK programs)
Advanced Placement Chinese Language and Culture Course & Exam
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Content & Skills Covered
Cultural Awareness
• Explores contemporary and historical Chinese culture
• Cover social, geographic, economic, environmental and political topics
Language Proficiency
• Employs 3 communicative modes
– Interpersonal - two-way interaction
– Interpretive – interpret a broad range of written and oral texts
– Presentational – speaking & writing proficiency
Interweaves language and culture to deepen students’ immersion into the Chinese-
speaking world
• Comparable to a fourth semester college/university course in Mandarin Chinese
• Exam:
– Is 2hrs & 15min long
– Assesses proficiency in Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational Communication
– Graded on a 1-5 scale
SAT Subject Test in Chinese
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Skills Assessed
Listening Comprehension
• Ability to understand spoken Chinese
• Based on short, spoken dialogues and narratives
Language Usage
• Correct completion of sentences
• Printed in traditional Chinese characters and simplified Chinese characters, and two phonetic transcriptions (Pinyin romanization and the Chinese phonetic alphabet Bopomofo)
Reading Comprehension
• Understanding of main and supporting ideas, themes, and the setting of passages
Evaluates a student’s ability to understand spoken and
written Mandarin Chinese in the context of contemporary
Chinese culture
• One-hour long test; 85 multiple questions
• 20 minutes of listening and 40 minutes of usage and reading
• 200-800 score scale
• Based on 2-4 years of Chinese language study in high school, or the equivalent
Subject Tests and AP - How do they compare?
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• Focuses on both language proficiency and cultural understanding
• Assesses proficiency in Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational Communication
• Exam is tied to study in the corresponding AP course
• Primarily used for college course credit & placement
AP Chinese Culture & Language Exam
College level test that assess a student’s knowledge, skills, and
abilities, learned in the corresponding AP course
SAT Subject Test in Chinese
• Primarily focuses on language proficiency
• Covers listening and reading comprehension skills
• Can be taken at any time during high school; not tied to a specific curriculum
• Primarily used for college admissions
High school level test that indicate a student’s Chinese language
proficiency based on 2-4yrs of high school level study
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Part Four – Non-Academic Resources & Tools
What non-academic resources & tools are available for students to demonstrate
proficiency in Chinese language and culture?
Non-Academic Resources & Tools
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2 points each
Study abroad / Travel abroad programs
Volunteer work in communities where there are native speakers
Involvement with Chinese language & culture clubs
Participation in local embassy community outreach programs
Involvement with government-sponsored exchange programs in foreign languages
Online language exchange programs
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…and THE WINNING TEAM is…
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Come see us after the session for your prize
Questions?
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