By Rebecca Portnoy, Communications Manager, Concordia College

Jan. 16, 2019:  Concordia College New York has begun to evaluate Chinese applicants using results from the gaokao, China’s intensive exam for high school seniors.

The famously high-pressure test is administered over two days and covers a large body of knowledge. Preparation requires a year or more of dedicated study. The test is taken by around nine million Chinese students each year.   

While colleges and universities in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have accepted the gaokao for more than a decade, the practice is not yet common in the U.S., and Concordia joins just a small number of schools using this innovative approach to applicant assessment.

John McLoughlin, senior director of enrollment, said, “Our acceptance of the gaokao for admission will position Concordia to be more competitive in recruiting and retaining students from China. It is also an acknowledgment and demonstration of respect for China’s quality educational system.”

International students represent about 12% of the on-campus student body at Concordia, a small Christian college with a uniquely global feel. Living and learning with people from all over the world, students build an international network on their way to graduation. Accepting the gaokao will be another way to build on the value the college’s global outlook gives its students.  

Photo courtesy Concordia College

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