1. The role of the GRE is far greater than that of the TOEFL
Applicants with high GRE scores can use them to gain admission to a wide range of graduate and business school programs abroad. At the same time, GRE scores are an important reference factor for universities when awarding scholarships. A low GRE score can lead to rejection, though applicants with a perfect score on the GRE Quantitative section will have an advantage in admissions.
Generally speaking, a high GRE score provides significant help to the applicant, especially when the admissions committee is unfamiliar with the applicant’s undergraduate institution. Because the committee may doubt the academic rigor of an unfamiliar school, even a high GPA from such an institution paired with a low GRE score can lead the committee to question your ability. Conversely, an outstanding GRE score can demonstrate to the admissions committee that your high GPA reflects true ability, not just a lucky outcome from a less competitive university.
If all three GRE section scores are poor, it creates a major weakness in the application. However, if the applicant excels in other areas, a weakness in one section—especially Verbal or Writing—can sometimes be overlooked.
The role of the GRE is often underestimated in some online discussions; after all, admitted students at prestigious schools almost always have very high GRE and TOEFL scores. This is not surprising, since those with high GRE scores generally also have high TOEFL scores—the two exams, both testing English, reinforce each other. So the GRE is not as useless as some forum rumors suggest. For applicants targeting top-50 schools, a GRE score of 320 or above is generally needed.
Admittedly, many U.S. institutions do not set an explicit cutoff for the GRE and may seem to only require taking the test. In reality, however, many schools maintain internal statistical profiles of admitted students in previous years, which clearly show the GRE score ranges of those accepted; it is this data that truly matters. Therefore, for those aiming at top-50 programs, the GRE is of paramount importance and should never be taken lightly.
2. The focus differs between the first and second rounds of U.S. graduate applications
The first round mainly examines hard factors, such as GPA, TOEFL, GRE, CV, personal statement (PS or SOP), recommendation letters, awards, and internship or work experience.
The second round, on the other hand, focuses heavily on lab work, research experience, and publications. Hands-on research with tangible results is the key to securing scholarships. Lab experience is largely evaluated by how much lab-based experimentation was involved in the applicant's coursework and the total hours of experimental learning. As for publications, any paper with a degree of scholarly merit, regardless of the type of journal, can be quite helpful.
3. The vast majority of U.S. schools place great emphasis on GPA
Generally, a GPA of 3.5 or above is considered a strong score, equivalent to roughly 85% or higher on a hundred-point scale. Crossing this threshold makes scholarships much easier to obtain. To be competitive for decent schools, a minimum GPA of 3.0—about 80%—is typically required; otherwise, school options become limited. If the average falls below 75%, the range of graduate programs one can realistically consider becomes very narrow. If the average is below 70%, applying to U.S. graduate schools may become extremely difficult.
Moreover, many admissions officers trust class rank data. If you rank within the top 3 or top 5, consider obtaining an official rank certificate and mailing it along with your transcript to the schools you apply to. Also, even if you don’t quite reach 85%, there’s no need to worry excessively—some scholarships may be out of reach, but research assistantships and tuition waivers may still be possible.
At some Chinese universities, such as the University of Science and Technology of China, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beihang University, and Jilin University, certain departments are known for strict grading, making it very difficult for even excellent students to earn very high GPAs. In such cases, if possible, we can use class rank to demonstrate excellence. For example, a student with a GPA of 3.0 who ranks 10th out of 100 in the class can still show strong academic ability—just that the school grades more stringently.
4. PS: No need to emphasize how outstanding your grades are
In the personal statement, focus on highlighting the challenges you encountered and how you overcame and resolved them. Showcase your strengths and distinctive qualities; appropriate enhancement is acceptable, but avoid going too far. You can write about things that happened, but never fabricate events that did not.
5. Future goals: No need to state you will return to China to serve the motherland
When writing about future goals, concentrate on your personal and career plan for the next few years; it is entirely unnecessary to say, “After completing my studies, I will return to China to serve my motherland.”
6. Recommendation letters: Try to have them written by native speakers
Whenever possible, have recommendation letters written by native English speakers, ideally faculty who have taught you for multiple years or semesters. If you seek letters from prominent figures with whom you have no direct connection, there is little point. Given that not many of us have native-English-speaking instructors nearby, the recommender should primarily be your course instructor, and the quality of the letter must be ensured.
At the very least, it helps if the recommender has a U.S. study background. When writing the letter, be sure to note the recommender’s alma mater and the closeness of your relationship; a recommender who graduated from a prestigious university carries greater weight in the U.S. Admissions officers will certainly read it carefully. Thus, finding the right recommenders can be turned into a strength.
7. Supplementary supporting documents: Sending them or not is optional
Some supplementary application materials need not be mailed; generally, admissions officers will trust what you state in your CV, as long as it is included there. However, if certain award certificates or supporting documents carry strong supplementary weight, they can be mailed—most schools will consider them. For instance, if an internship certificate is closely related to your intended field of study, it is fine to obtain one, but if obtaining it is burdensome, simply mentioning the internship in your CV is enough; there is no absolute requirement to provide a certificate, so don’t fret over not having one.
If the school needs it, the admissions officer will ask you for it. At some institutions, however, such materials may be intercepted by the admissions office because very strict rules govern who may review which materials; their admissions process is highly regulated.
8. Timing of mailing materials can be adjusted according to the school
Mailing requirements vary; some schools have a “first come, first served” tradition, in which case students should mail all required documents before the first-round deadline.
For some other institutions, however, there is no need to mail materials early—submissions are simply locked in the admissions office safe. The professors reviewing materials are strictly prohibited from accessing applicant files in advance. After the application deadline, all reviewing professors convene, unseal the files, exchange them, and carry out a structured, orderly batch review.
9. Many admissions officers are aware of Chinese university rankings
Admissions officers are not completely in the dark about Chinese university rankings. Before reviewing applications, they have ranking lists for universities from various countries, and they indeed look up your institution’s standing.
In China, however, apart from a few schools like Tsinghua, Peking University, USTC, Zhejiang University, Fudan, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, most universities are not vastly different from one another and are generally regarded as being on a similar level. But for certain strong programs, individual universities have their own strengths—for example, Communication at Communication University of China, Finance and Statistics at Renmin University, and Mathematics and Psychology at Beijing Normal University. Admissions officers recognize these programs as well-known, so when applying, it is best to identify U.S. universities that match well with your home institution, which can further boost your chances of success.
10. For academic/research programs and PhDs, “tao ci” (networking with professors) matters a great deal
Tao ci can be very influential, but mainly for master’s programs in academic research fields. For business, media, education, art, and social science disciplines, the impact of such networking is much less significant.
For PhD applications, tao ci is almost always necessary—network first, then apply. Early-stage outreach typically requires the student to present their academic background, and they must research the professor’s background and read some of their publications before posing relevant questions. For doctoral applicants, the main purpose of tao ci is to inquire whether the professor is currently recruiting students and whether funding is available.
