2025/04/11 by Wanyi Xie, Yifan Liu · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Global Educational Reforms and Inequalities #Higher Education Research Studies #School Choice and Performance
paper · doi:10.1080/09620214.2025.2490950
openalex publication_date 2025/04/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14
This study explores how Chinese first-generation college students (FGCSs) admitted to elite universities perceive their high schools’ roles in equipping them with essential capital for success in an exam-based selection system. Based on qualitative interviews with 21 FGCSs from two elite Chinese universities, the research identifies four forms of capital developed through specific high school practices: (1) routinisation of test-taking habits to develop learning capital, (2) symbolisation of rankings and hierarchical tracking as ‘success’ to foster aspirational capital, (3) promotion of school-mediated connections to enhance social capital, and (4) cultivation of interpersonal care and support to build emotional capital. While these practices support university admissions, they also introduce mental health challenges and overlook the students’ needs for holistic development. This study contributes to the international discourse on disadvantaged students in elite university admissions by examining both the benefits and limitations of China’s exam-focused schooling system.