Zinch.com Launches Its First Overseas Service to Connect Chinese Students with US Higher Education Programs and Scholarships

BEIJING, April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Zinch.com, the social network connecting high school and college students with educational and scholarship opportunities, announced the launch of a comprehensive Chinese-language website, and associated services, to help Chinese students choose American undergraduate and graduate programs – and to help American Admissions Officers find the best-fit Chinese candidates. The new site can be found at www.zinch.cn.

Almost 100,000 Chinese students are now studying in the United States, up 21% from last year, according to the Institute of International Education (IIE).  Since Chinese students apply to multiple American programs, and not everyone is accepted or can attend, total applications from China are estimated to exceed 5 million per year.  For many top US schools, Chinese students are now the single largest overseas applicant cohort. This increasing demand, coupled with rapidly-changing trends in China (such as formation of new high schools and undergraduate curriculum changes at universities) can make it difficult for US Admissions Officers to understand fast-evolving characteristics of the Chinese applicant pool. At the same time, lesser-known schools are eager to attract more students from China.  

"Chinese students have long made the US their most popular study-abroad destination, and in recent years the number of applicants to programs of all kinds has exploded," said Anne Dwane, CEO of Zinch.com. "We've heard from many of the Admissions Officers who already use Zinch.com to recruit American students that they need help identifying the best-fit students from among so many seemingly similar Chinese applicants."

To help schools fine-tune their selections from the large and growing pool of prospective Chinese students, Zinch.com has launched a Chinese-language website where Chinese students can complete a detailed, confidential personal profile to showcase themselves to American Admissions Officers.  The profile is intended to complement schools' existing application process, not replace it.

The website also includes a searchable database of more than 6,000 American undergraduate and graduate programs, more than 1,300 videos from schools, and a comprehensive "How to study in the US" guide.  All information is free to students, supported by advertising purchased by American schools.

Before getting access to this treasure trove of content, Chinese students must complete a short, live phone interview in English with the company's Beijing call center, in order to verify candidates' spoken English skills.  This process is important, given admissions officers' interest in candidates' English skills.

To further help admissions officers understand the rapidly changing environment in China, the company also launched a "China Market Intelligence" service for American schools.  Included are monthly white papers on topics such as the role Chinese parents play in selecting a university, or how to choose which educational fair to attend in China.  The service also includes quarterly webinars about the latest trends in China, and on-demand advice about recruiting best practices in China.

The Zinch China Chairman, Tom Melcher, heads up a Beijing-based team that develops and maintains the Chinese-language website and related advisory services. A fluent Chinese speaker whose experience in China dates back to 1982, Melcher is a graduate of Yale and the Harvard Business School, and launched several Chinese internet start-ups before joining Zinch.com. He is the author of the best-selling book in China on selecting American undergraduate programs, and is frequently quoted on the subject by China's major media.

"Chinese students are admitted to universities in their own country by scoring well on a single, national test and then getting "matched" to schools," notes Melcher, "so for them, learning how to compare many different US schools and how to present themselves in a unique way that goes beyond their test scores is a real challenge. That's why we've designed Zinch.cn to help educate them about the admissions process for undergraduate and graduate study in the United States.  We pull together a lot of the best information available, and present it in ways that make it easy for them to understand."

"We are pleased to offer this new resource to Chinese students and to any American school interested in finding qualified Chinese applicants," said Dwane.

About the Company:

Zinch.com is the social network connecting students with opportunities: colleges, scholarships, study abroad opportunities, and graduate schools.  At Zinch.com, over 2 million students have created professional profiles to showcase themselves as more than test scores.  Zinch.com profiles 6,000 American undergraduate and graduate programs, and lists $1.9 billion in scholarships.  Admissions Officers trust Zinch.com to help them recruit students who would fit well at their institutions.  Visit the company at www.zinch.com.

SOURCE Zinch.com

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