Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Pharmacy Colleges and career opportunities for Pharmacists in USA


Top Pharmacy Colleges & Universities in US

1.    University of California--San Francisco School of Pharmacy
2.    University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill School of
3.    University of Minnesota College of
4.    University of Texas—Austin College of Pharmacy
5.    Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
6.    University of Kentucky College of
7.    University of Michigan--Ann Arbor College of Pharmacy
8.    University of Washington School of Pharmacy  
9.    Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science
10. University of Arizona College of Pharmacy

Pharmacy Degrees in US

Following degrees options are available in US
§ 
PharmD – The doctor of pharmacy is for those who want to become a pharmacist. The PharmD is a professional degree similar to the doctor of medicine (MD) for physicians or a doctor of dental surgery (DDS) for dentists.
§  2 years of Pre-requesite courses and 4 years to complete PharmD
§  Complete Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT).
§  Must take licensure exam to be a Pharmasist
§  PhD in Pharmacy – The PhD in pharmaceutical sciences program prepares tomorrow’s scientists for basic or clinical research. Our PhD program has four multidisciplinary concentrations that reflect our collaborative approach to science.
§  MS in Pharmacy – Master of science in health system pharmacy, which prepares pharmacists for leadership positions in health care.
§  Residency Program – Pharmacy Residency is education a pharmacist can pursue beyond a PharmD.

PharmD Dual Degree Programs

§  PharmD/PhD
§  PharmD/MS
§  Doctor of Pharmacy/Master of Public Health
§  PharmD/JD
§  PharmD/MBA

Graduate Degrees in Pharmacy

For following are Masters program available in the filed of Pharmacy, you will be required to take GRE, TOEFL exams.
§  Medicinal Chemistry
§  Neuroscience
§  Pharmacology and Toxicology
§  Pharmaceutical Chemistry
§  Pharmaceutics
§  Pharmacy Administration
§  Nuclear Pharmacy
§  Pharmacodynamics
§  Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy
§  Forensic Science Programs
§  Forensic Toxicology
§  Forensic Drug Chemistry MS
§  Forensic DNA & Serology MS
§  Forensic Science MS

PharmD

§  PharmD is a 4 year professional degree. If you are looking to get a job as Pharmacist after completing the degree and license exams.
§  You can work in retail pharmacy stores, hospital pharmacy, specialist pharmacy settings.
§  Admission to PharmD requires basic courses related to science.
§  PCAT is usually required.
§  Even if you have completed Bachelors degree, PharmD will take 4 years to complete.

PhD in Pharmacy

§  If you plan to work in research scientist in pharmacy or like to teach then go for PhD.
§  Schools offer Pharmd and PhD Dual degree option.
§  GRE is required for admission.

Career Opportunities
Pharmacists are paid well in USA. If you have background in Pharmacy, you should consider completing Graduate degree, license from USA.
Entry level salary for Pharmacist is around 80,000 per year. You don’t get that kind of salary in any other fields (maybe Doctor, nursing, attorney)

Jobs for Pharmacists

After you complete graduate degree in pharmacy, you can apply for following jobs
§  Clinical Pharmacist
§  Pharmacist
§  Pharmacist in Charge
§  Hospital Staff Pharmacist
§  Hospital Pharmacy Director
§  Retail Staff Pharmacist

FAQ’s on Student Partners Program SPP Canada

Q. I’ve been refused Canada student visa once? Can I apply under SPP progam?                
A. No. To apply under SPP the student should have never been refused a study permit to Canada. If a visa is once refused then the student has to apply outside SPP.

Q. Can I apply without IELTS?
A. No, Minimum score of IELTS 6.0 band is compulsory to under SPP.

Q. Is education loan mandatory to apply Canada student visa under SPP program?
A. Yes, education loan is mandatory to consider an application under SPP. If you have funds and do not wish to take up the education loan, you can apply for visa under general category but not under SPP.
Q. Do SPP Colleges offer an MBA program?
A. Most of the SPP Colleges offer Diploma, Bachelors, Graduate diploma and PG Diploma. Vancouver Island University is in the SPP list and offers MBA program.
Q. My age is 32 years. I want to my PG Diploma in Business Management, can I apply under SPP?
A. Yes, you are eligible to apply under SPP as long as you can show the genuine reason as to why at this age you want to study PG Diploma course in Canada.
Q. I’m married and I want to bring my wife along? Can I apply for an open work permit for her?
A. It is a bit difficult to get an open work permit for a dependent. Though, it is not impossible. There are three ways to apply for a open work permit. Firstly, you can apply for the open work permit while applying for your student visa. Secondly, you may apply for a open work permit for her once you reach Canada. Thirdly, you may apply a visitor visa for her and then upon her arrival in Canada, you may apply for an open work permit.
Q. How good are the colleges which are not a part of the SPP?
A. Canada has a well established education system looked after independently by each province. Even the big universities are not a part of the SPP as they do not come under the definition of Student Partnership Program however they are quality institutions. You need to be cautious while selecting a private school or college. They have their own values for education; student's applying to such institutions will be assessed under general category. Click here to know more about Canadian education system for studying abroad.
Q. What are the chances of getting visa in a non SPP college?
A. Though, applying under SPP the file gets priority assessment in terms of processing time and less documentation. Under General Category the student is required to provide more documentation in terms of financial capabilities and it does not in any way lessen chances of visa approval.
Q. Can I apply for PNP without having studied under SPP?
A. SPP is not linked to PNP. PNP or Provincial Nomination Program has its own requirement. It is open for all the students who have studied under any category and keen to apply for permanent residency (PR) in Canada.
Q. Can I get work permit in Canada if I do not study under SPP?
A. Work permit scheme is open to all the international students who have graduated with proper qualification from any of the accredited institutions. Work permit has its own requirement and each student should qualify those requirements.
According to the present status of work permit in Canada, a student whose duration of course is for two years or more will get a work permit for 3 years in Canada. If the duration of study is for less than 2 years then the duration of work permit will be equal to the duration of study. In addition, for the first six months the student will be entitled to work only inside the college campus.

Canada Student Partners Program SPP in China has different requirements than of SPP in India

Canada Student Partners Program SPP launched in China is a program that creates a special processing channel at the Canadian visa office in Beijing for students destined to ACCC member institutions, with the objective of improving applications outcomes while managing risks to program integrity. Under this program, the student must choose between two options. As indicated in the Document Checklist, each option has a different set of required documents.

Option 1 – No IELTS results required

• Same supporting as required by all students applying for study permits in China, including 12 months’ banking history.
• Confirmation of Pre-payment of first academic term provided by the SPP partner institution.
• Expedited processing of two (2) weeks if the medical examination is competed prior to the submission of the application at the
• Mandatory use of Visa Application Centres.
• Required signature of the Release of Information Form to allow the college to report back to the visa office on your attendance in Canada.

Option 2 – IELTS results requirement
• Same supporting as required by all students applying for study permits in China, with the exception of banking history.
• A requirement of a minimum IELTS overall band core of 5.5.
• Confirmation of Pre-payment of first academic term provided by the SPP partner institution.
• Expedited processing of two (2) weeks if the medical examination is competed prior to the submission of the application.
• Mandatory use of Visa Application Centres.
• Possibility of improved acceptance rates.
• Required signature of the Release of Information Form to allow the college to report back to the visa office on your attendance in Canada.
The Student Partners Program SPP in India initiated by Canadian High Commission, New Delhi has kept IELTS mandatory for all students. SPP program has been very successful in India and its success prompted the Canadian High Commission in Beijing to launch SPP in China.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Germany invites Indian students

The German government has launched a big initiative to attract more students from India under the Year of Germany and India 2011-2012 programme.
"Euro 6 million has been set aside under the programme which is sponsored by our foreign office, Goethe Institute, the Asia-Pacific committee of German business and the federal ministry of education and research. Another Euro 6 million will come from our industry partners. We will highlight various areas of higher education in Germany with a focus on research to Indian students and scholars. The idea is to make German institutions more widely known among young Indians so that they find them attractive destination for education," Jens Buntjen, counsellor in the federal foreign office of Germany, responsible for the German science year in India, told ET.
The German government is now making an effort to reach out to a specific target group in India to make the idea of studying, living and working in Germany more attractive to them. "The core group that we are particularly reaching out to is the English-speaking and academic community between 20 and 40 years. This is a socially dynamic and career oriented younger segment of Indians, who we hope to attract to Germany for higher studies to begin with," Mr Buntjen said. Working with the German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD, the government will highlight courses in science, technology and liberal arts which are available in English across German universities and the increasing international dimension in German higher education.
The fact that there are job opportunities available for international students after they finish their education in Germany and that a very deep knowledge of German language is not essential to live, work and study there are also being highlighted. The global lifestyle of students in cities which play host to Germany's prominent universities and research facilities is being show-cased as part of the initiative to attract Indian students.
Source: Economic Times

Studying in Canada: A welcome to keep you warm through winter

Among British students, Canada hasn’t ranked highly as a destination for education. Perhaps it’s the distance that makes applicants think twice. Perhaps it’s the cold winters. But it certainly isn’t the quality of education, cost of studying or standard of living.
Toronto, the largest city in Canada, has several universities to choose from
Toronto, the largest city in Canada, has several universities to choose from
Canadian degrees, awarded at 90 universities nationwide, are internationally recognised and respected, according tointernationalgraduate.net. Their education system offers “strong student support services, small classes and active campus communities”. And, as Canada spends more per capita on its education system than any other country in the world, tuition rates are lower for international students than they are in many other countries.
As for quality of life, Canada was ranked eighth in the UN’s worldwide Human Development Index 2010. Brits are welcome, too. According to Rob Norris, the minister of advanced education, employment and immigration in the province of Saskatchewan, “There’s a spirit of welcome across Canada. We want to make sure that our campuses and communities are increasingly diverse, international and cosmopolitan,” he says.
Saskatchewan puts its money where its mouth is. Norris explains: “We have made record investment of more than C$2.8bn (£1.8bn) in post-secondary education in the past three years. That includes a 3,000 per cent increase in funding for student housing, and new dollars in key areas where we want to be leading in innovation.” Namely, science and engineering, responding to the area’s wealth of natural resources, including arable land, uranium, oil and the mining industry.
Recession is not a word that appears in the Canadian dictionary. Within the province of Saskatchewan alone – an area the size of France – there are currently more than 9,000 job vacancies (saskjobs.ca). “We’re not shy about saying to international students there are career opportunities here,” says Norris. “In Saskatchewan, we’ve just made some improvements to our regional immigration system to allow [post] graduate students to stay for a couple of years [after completing their studies] to enable them to find career opportunities.”
There’s also the graduate retention programme, which enables graduates with honours degrees from Saskatchewan universities to qualify for up to C$20,000 (£12,800) back if they stay and work in the province for seven years.
But that’s jumping ahead. Students contemplating Canada as a destination should first consider fees, which vary greatly. British students pay around C$11,000 (£7,000) a year at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, C$18,000 (£11,500) at York University in Toronto, and $24,000 (£15,300) at the University of British Columbia, according to their websites. As for postgraduate study, costs range from $3,780 (£2,412) a year at Memorial University in Newfoundland to $17,500 (£11,039) at the University College of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia.
As for a visa, you shouldn’t need one. A study placement of up to six months is yours for the applying. For longer study, UK nationals need a permit, for which the Canadian High Commission requires you to have been accepted to a university in Canada, and have proof that you can pay for tuition fees and living expenses. It estimates the latter to be around $10,000 (£6,300) per year, plus CA$4,000 (£2,500) for the first dependant and CA$3,000 (£1,900) for each subsequent dependent. You need a clean criminal record and an equally clean bill of health. It takes eight to 10 weeks to process applications, and costs around £75, which is usually non-refundable, regardless of success.
For those applying to study in Quebec, things are a little different. You will need to get a certificate of acceptance from the Quebec government. 
Overall, though, there are few immigration barriers to UK students. Dr George Maslany, from the University of Regina, confirms: “There’s not much red tape. It takes about two months, but usually anyone from Britain who applies for a permit gets it.”
Financial assistance may be available in scholarships and bursaries. These are numerous and most are competitive, awarded on academic merit rather than financial need. But at the Dr David Hannah, associate vice-president of student and enrolment services at the University of Saskatchewan, says: “We have a guaranteed entrance scholarship programme for undergraduate students, which gives them anywhere from C$500 (£320) to C$3,000 (£1,915) for their first year of study, depending on their academic qualifications. They don’t even have to apply for that, it’s automatic.”
Similarly, places on Canadian courses are almost exclusively awarded on academic qualifications. There are some exceptions, for example medicine often has an interview process. Hannah says: “It’s usually based on secondary school performance. With UK students, we typically look for three A-levels of at least D grades. In some courses it might be higher – for business courses, for example, we’re looking for B grades.”
With the strong and long-standing connections between Canada and the UK, students should have little trouble settling in. “We are very respectful of our traditions, including the monarchy and the Commonwealth, which plays a vital role within our culture and community,” explains Norris. “There’s an affinity here that, from the feedback we get from students and scholars from the UK, gives a tremendous feeling of being at home.”
Hannah agrees: “Because of our Commonwealth connections, our university system is derived from the English and Scottish systems. I think that would be a lot of comfort for students coming to any Canadian university.”
Another plus, for British linguists, may be Canada’s bilingualism: in parts of the country, it is possible to study in either French or English. Most, however, benefit from the lack of language barrier. Maslany jokes “British students don’t have any difficulty as Canadians are devoid of any accent, but UK students have a range of accents. It can take a little while for us to familiarise ourselves with those!”
And the big chill? “The first winter here can take some adjusting,” Hannah admits, “but all of our buildings at the University of Saskatchewan are connected through interior walkways, so you don’t have to spend too much time outside in the cold. In the summer, temperatures top 30C, and from the middle of April until mid October, it’s really very pleasant around here.”
Norris concludes: “The mood in Canada is one of real optimism. We are very student orientated, with universities that are held in high regard. This is a land that’s focused on the future.”
Source: The Independent

Pack your bags, a world of opportunity is only an ocean away

"Go West, young man,” was the legendary advice given to young Americans living in the East Coast during the mid 19th century; the nub of the message being that untold opportunities awaited those who could harness the land’s natural resources in the vast expanse of the interior and beyond. These days, the advice could comfortably be aimed at British school-leavers, for whom study opportunities in North America are becoming ever more feasible and attractive.
Mexico is a popular choice with students seeking to combine a foreign language with their studies
Mexico is a popular choice with students seeking to combine a foreign language with their studies
The latest figures, produced by the US-based Institute of International Education, show a two per cent rise in the number of Brits studying at US universities. Nearly 9,000 of them headed across the pond in the academic year 2009/10, and anecdotal evidence suggests the figure is rising.
This is creating a welcome increase in the workload of the US-UK Fulbright Commission, best known for sending exchange students in both directions across the Atlantic and which also provides information and advice to British students interested in applying to American universities for an entire degree course. The commission is expecting applications and admissions to rise even further, while the message emerging from schools in England with links to Fulbright’s education arm suggests growing interest among sixth formers in studying in the US. One of the main reasons for this, and one forcing almost every student to consider the entire range of higher education options, is the steeply rising tuition fees.


Little more than a decade ago, homegrown students paid nothing for tuition at English universities. But, now all universities charge just over the £3,000 mark, and in autumn next year, most institutions look set to raise those fees to £9,000. This is, quite understandably, leading school leavers to look across the Channel to Europe, where university education remains free, or relatively cheap, and to the US, where fees are no longer much more than in the UK.
“British students and parents are feeling the squeeze between rising tuition and budget cuts at UK universities,” says Lauren Welch, director of advising at the Fulbright Commission. “The gap is closing rapidly between tuition rates in both countries, and students are going to study where they can get the most bang for their buck. Many students are saying ‘when you’re already paying up to £9,000, what’s another £3,000 to study in the US?’”
This analysis is supported by teachers working in British schools who see the changing trends of university applications among their sixth formers. “The turn-off factor that used to be there when students realised the costs of studying in the US is becoming much weaker now that fees are rising here,” says Chris Conway, head of careers at Shrewsbury School, which recently hosted an information conference for interested sixth formers, which was attended by students from 30 state and independent schools.
Around three students a year leave Shrewsbury to start university courses in the US, most recently at the University of North Carolina and Harvard. Having visited the US and been impressed by the quality of university education there, Conway is becoming an ever more vocal advocate of the American option. “I’m much more proactive about it these days, rather than reactive,” he says. “I say they would be silly not to consider it as an option.”
So what does it cost to study in the US? “ Each university is autonomous and is able to set its own fees,” says Welch. “But for the academic year just ending, the average tuition fee at public universities was around $19,500 (£12,000) and private universities, of which there are many more in the US than in the UK, charged an average of $27,000 (£17,000).” On top of that come living costs, of course. Fulbright estimate these to be about $9,000 (£5,500) a year, but it must be borne in mind that most universities in the US offer grants and bursaries for the most deserving and academically attractive students to help meet some of these costs.
The admission process to universities in the US follows a similar timeline to the UK, but there is no equivalent of UCAS, so applications are made directly to universities. Another difference is that, under what’s known as the liberal arts system, all degree courses in the US – usually four years in length – begin with either a year or two devoted to a broad range of arts and science subjects, with specialisation coming only later in the course. One common factor is that applicants will have to sit a standardised general aptitude test – either the SAT or the ACT – at a centre in the UK. Universities will also want to know GCSE and A-level grades, and see references from teachers and other adults.
But offers are not usually conditional solely on A-level results. The London office of the Fulbright Commission runs a comprehensive advice service for anyone interested in applying, a key milestone in which is the annual USA College Day in London when representatives from more than 100 American universities set up stands. Last year, around 4,000 British students attended the event, while this year’s event, on 1 October, is expected to attract even more. 
In Canada, universities are also keen to increase the number of British students enrolling on courses, a figure that has remained steady at around 1,100 a year for the past decade. “A growing number of Canadian universities are offering entrance scholarships to international students,” says Helen Murphy, from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). “We want to attract different students from all over the world. This is because of the great drive towards internationalism, but also because it adds to the richness of the classroom.”
Like the US, tuition fees in Canada are set by individual institutions, and last year averaged C$16,000 (£10,300). The Canadian government runs a website (www.educationau-incanada.ca) offering advice for foreigners thinking of studying there and the AUCC has a similar offering (www.aucc.ca). Be aware that the government says the application process can be time-consuming, and should be embarked upon at least a year before the intended start date of your chosen course.
For students who aren’t attracted to the thought of spending three of four years away from the UK on a degree course, there is always the option of a year out within an undergraduate course at a British university. One of the destinations on the American continent where this can be done is Mexico. A group of British universities have come together, with the help of the British Council, to form the Mexico-UK Study Abroad Consortium (MUSAC). They are the universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Nottingham, Southampton, and Strathclyde. Here, the main difference to studying either in the US or Canada is that most of the time classes will be taught in Spanish. For this reason, the option proves most popular with British undergraduates who already have a language string to their bow. At Strathclyde University, for example, it is the degree students who are mixing international business and a modern language that choose the Mexican option in greatest numbers. Like all exchange students, though, these undergraduates have the chance of spending a month with a Mexican family before the first term, to give their language skills a boost before walking into their first lecture.
With so much choice and so little known about overseas universities, make sure you attend the Student World Fair 2011 at the Emirates Stadium on 8 October, where you’ll get the opportunity to meet with more than 40 international universities. Seewww.thestudentworld.com for more.
Source: The Independent

Testing time for study abroad

Li Yanqi scored 653 on the latest national college entrance exam, the gaokao, which she thinks is above the entry requirement for Tsinghua University, her first choice.
Unlike her peers, though, she has scheduled no parties to celebrate. She is devoting herself this summer to another round of study - preparing for the SAT, a standardized college admissions exam in the United States.
Testing time for study abroad
Zhang Ke gives a training course for students who will take SAT at a training school in Ziming Building in Beijing. SAT is a standardized college admissions exam in the United States. [Zhang Tao / China Daily]
The 2011 gaokao was Li's second attempt. Last year, she failed to get into Tsinghua with a score of 630. After another year of preparation, she sat for the exam again, but Tsinghua no longer tops her list.
"The score may not be high enough for my dream major, architecture," said the 19-year-old. "I think it is a better idea to try the top 20 universities in the US than retake the exam."
What she needs now is a high SAT score.
The SAT Reasoning Test takes three hours 45 minutes and costs $75 for international students. The top mark is 2,400, combining three 800-point sections: mathematics, critical reading and writing.
Testing time for study abroad
There are no SAT test centers on the Chinese mainland, so candidates must go to Hong Kong or Singapore to take the test, which is scheduled six times a year for students from the mainland.
About 200 mainland students took the SAT in Hong Kong in 2003. The figure rushed to 7,000 in 2008 and to more than 20,000 last year, said Tony Chan, manager of the international and professional examinations division of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, in an earlier interview with China Daily.
In contrast, the number of students taking China's national college entrance exam has dropped for three consecutive years, from 10.5 million in 2008 to 9.3 million this year, according to the Ministry of Education.
Target: Overseas
At least some of the "missing" students have turned their targets abroad. A study last year by Education First, an international education company that specializes in language training, found that 41 percent of about 3,000 parents interviewed plan to send their kids abroad right after high school.
The first choice of most parents is the United States.
About 40,000 undergraduate students from the Chinese mainland were studying in the US last year, 52 percent more than in 2009, says the Open Doors Report 2010 released by the Institute of International Education. And the 2009 figure was 60 percent higher than the total the year before.
To deal with the student boom, some top 50 universities in the US raised their entry requirement for Chinese students' SAT results from 1,800 to 1,900. And the market for SAT-preparation courses is booming.
Students prepare for the SAT primarily in one of three forums: at international schools, where all the graduates attend college outside the mainland; in international classes at public high schools, where small groups of students aim at universities abroad; and through private professional training agencies.
Hou Shijun, who founded Beijing Ziming Education and said he was the first to enter the market of professional SAT training on the Chinese mainland, said students surged from only seven in 2004 to more than 2,000 in Beijing alone last year.
He said the number has risen by 20 to 30 percent every year, and there are about 25,000 to 30,000 SAT-prep students across the country, "most in their first year or second year in high school."
Starting early
It's not only high school students in China who go in for SAT training. Many Chinese students who attend high schools abroad are also keen on the course.
Testing time for study abroad
Testing time for study abroad
Yin Hang, 16, has just finished ninth grade - her first year in a private school in McLean, Virginia - and returned to China for summer holiday. Like many of her friends, she asked her mom to reserve a seat in an SAT-prep class.
"High schools in the US won't emphasize training dedicated to SAT test until 11th grade. Before that, all the related courses are simply about proficiency in the language rather than targeting any tests," she said.
"It's not that I can't keep up with my class in the US. I just want to know more about the test before taking it and see what kind of score I get. Test training in China never lets you down."
Critical thinking
Hou said it's important that parents and students understand the SAT is designed to assess critical thinking, not English proficiency, so excellent English alone is of no use. Kang Xinghua, 28, who has taught SAT classes for five years, agrees.
He said the vocabulary needed for the SAT is 12,000 to 15,000 words, more than the requirement for a Chinese university graduate who majored in English. But it's not the English that hinders students taking the SAT; it's the learning methods and study habits picked up over the years, "the lack of a Western way of thinking and the ability to make logical deductions."
Kang said he is researching a book he will write about SAT training, and he just returned from the US, where he talked to 20 professors at top 50 universities. "Almost all of them told me that the problem lies in vocabulary only when a student scores between 500 and 600 in reading."
He said the mean scores of college-bound US seniors have not exceeded 510 in the past 34 years, according to data released by the College Board, which developed and administers the exam.
Too few teachers
Of all the forms of SAT training classes, Hou said market share is dominated by training schools such as his Ziming Education and Beijing-based New Oriental Education and Technology Group.
Some public high schools work with professional training centers, he said, but the centers themselves don't have enough teachers to handle the boom in students.
For example, Jinling High School in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, has offered an international class for four years, but it could end this year. "We are running out of teachers to support the class," said a consultant named Chen at USA Daxue, which provides SAT teachers to Jinling High School.
Still, students keep applying for such classes and are accepted by top 20 American universities, some with scholarships.
More than 70 students, 20 percent of the graduates, from the high school affiliated with Fudan University in Shanghai have been accepted by foreign universities, about seven times as many as five years ago. About 60 students in the high school affiliated with Renmin University in Beijing will start higher education abroad this year, 50 percent more than last year.
"Public high schools have their own advantages in running international classes," said Wang Yongmei, who is in charge of enrollment in the class at Beijing Changping No 1 High School. The classes last longer, she said, and target more than the SAT test.
Grade point average is important, she said, along with "social practices like charity work, and other training that is valued by foreign universities, so that students can be qualified for top universities in the US not only in terms of test scores."
It's expensive
This kind of training doesn't come cheaply.
Muazzem Hussain, 30, is a British teacher in the international school at a public high school in Changshu, Jiangsu province. He said all 24 of his students come from rich families that own private businesses. The cost of the full curriculum each year is 200,000 yuan (about $30,940), he said.
Like many schools, Hou's training school (the one high school student Yin attends) offers SAT classes of various lengths, from one week to one year. A weeklong intensive training session costs about 4,000 yuan (about $620), and a yearlong class costs almost 20,000 yuan (about $3,200).
In addition, Hou said, the cost of pursuing a bachelor's degree in the US far exceeds that of a master's. "More than 1 million yuan is the basic."
But Chinese parents see a payoff ahead.
Wang Zhijuan, Yin's mother, expects her daughter will have better job opportunities after she finishes university in the US. But she cares more about the independence Yin gained in just her first year of study abroad.
"She came back confident, with good manners, expressing herself gracefully in front of strangers, unlike other kids her age, who would normally shy behind their parents," she said. "I think the money, about $50,000 a year, is worth it."
Secondary profit
Not only education institutions have determined to seize the SAT training market. Travel agencies have seen opportunity there, too.
Gong Changwu, manager of BTG International Travel and Tours, said the company has begun cooperating with education agencies to send groups of students to Hong Kong since 2005.
"At that time, there were only about 80 students taking part in the SAT test in Hong Kong through our company," he said. "Now the number is over 600. And we are simply a very small share in the market."
The service costs 4,000 to 6,000 yuan, depending on accommodations. The trip usually lasts four days and three nights, leaving a full day before the test day.
Gong said do-it-yourself travel planning has cut into agency business, but SAT travelers are different. Parents call for complete relief of making travel arrangements and are willing to pay for it.
Source: China Daily