Process keeps parents on their toes

Applying for college in China is a complicated process, varying from province to province and sometimes year by year.

Unlike many overseas universities, which set admission standards for years at a time, policies in Chinese universities change constantly.

The one fixed element in the application process is the gaokao, the national entrance exam being taken by 9.42 million students this year. Exam scores are critical to placement, as each university program sets a student quota for each province and admits students accordingly, based on their scores.