“Which schools are you applying to?”
This is the question that seniors often hear from their peers. An anxious atmosphere hangs over SMIC-I, as stress and the peer pressure overwhelms seniors, affecting their academic performance and overall mental health. Voices of distress can be heard from the seniors; “I have finished some college applications,” stated Ginny Choi (12A), “however, I still have a lot to do. I am continuously revising my personal statement and my supplement essays.” Another senior, Natalie Shi (12B) said, “Right now, I’m most worried over the November SAT because I need high scores to pass the admission requirements for two schools. Also, I’m really worried that all my schools will reject me for my low GPA.”
Aside from college requirements, international students would also have to prioritize college tuition. The education cost for these students may multiply in comparison to domestic citizens. Joy Chang (12A) responded on this topic, “[This] is one main reason that makes me consider applying for universities in Hong Kong or Canada. [They are] alternatives that offer equally high-quality education at a lower cost.”
Additionally, with the recent discrimination toward Asian-American applicants, students of SMIC-I have even more to consider when applying to colleges. Many students claimed—and have proven—that top schools, such as Yale and Harvard University, hold much higher expectations from the applicants of Asian race compared to the other races. Though the colleges are denying these accusations, many students state that this issue show signs of unfairness and racial favoritism, and are hesitant to pay the admission fee. In 2015, Austin Jia, an Asian-American, was rejected despite having a relatively high GPA, nearly perfect SAT scores, and having excellent extra-curricular activities that demonstrated his capabilities. Mr. Jia found it disturbing when classmates of other races, who had grades lower than himself, were accepted by the same highly acclaimed college. Students are now taking action by filing a lawsuit against these institutions (such as Harvard and Yale), with intention of advancing their case to the Supreme Court.
Some seniors expressed their worries upon hearing the news, “I think it’s biased and stereotypical to have higher expectations from Asian students,” stated Erin Chang (12C). “I was affected when I was choosing the colleges I want[ed] to apply to. I avoided the top 20 to 30 schools in the US because they might be really harsh in expectations.” However some students did not care as much. Connie Wen (12B) causally stated, “I’m not good enough to get into any Ivy League schools anyway so it didn’t affect my college application process.” However, she further stated, “hearing about such incident did irritate me since the double standard imposed against Asians is unfair and downright discriminatory.” Ginny, too, spoke out against the discrimination. “After knowing about the Harvard and Yale University incident, I was hesitated to do my college application for universities in the United States. I believe it is unfair, and there should be changes to it.”
With many application deadlines quickly approaching, our seniors are now busier than ever, competing with students from the rest of the world.
Photo Courtesy of Courtney Keating
by Kelly Woo
admin 
While the Asian-American discrimination case is certainly worth following, it doesn’t really matter for SMIC students as students at schools outside the US are (generally) viewed in the context of the location of their school without regard to their nationality. And sadly, it’s an open secret that China has the lowest acceptance rates… The ongoing Harvard discrimination lawsuit, if successful, is unlikely to benefit SMIC students.