The documents you control
Everything else in your application is issued by somebody else and can only be collected, certified and translated. The written materials are different: they are produced for this application, which makes them the part worth spending real time on, and the part where a generic submission is most visible.
They are also the part most often mishandled in translation. A statement written in one language and then translated reads like a translation, and a reader who works in both languages will notice. Where a programme is taught in Chinese and you can write in Chinese, write in Chinese.
This is a suggestion rather than a rule, but the reasoning is straightforward: if your Chinese is good enough for the programme, demonstrating it in the statement is free evidence. If it is not, a fluent translation raises a question the interview will answer anyway.
Length is specified, and it varies
There is no single required length. What exists are specific numbers published by individual universities and scholarship agencies, and they differ enough that using the wrong one is noticeable.
| Source | What it specifies |
|---|---|
| Peking University, master's applicants | A personal statement with a research plan, around 1,500 words |
| Peking University, doctoral applicants | A personal statement with a research plan, around 3,000 words |
| Beijing Normal University, scholarship postgraduates | A study plan of over 1,000 words |
| Chinese embassy scholarship announcements | Commonly a few hundred words for undergraduate applicants, more for postgraduates |
Take the number from the announcement you are actually applying under. If two apply — a university's own admission system and a scholarship agency's system — they may specify different lengths, and each wants its own.
Who may write your references
Chinese universities and the scholarship agencies both tend to specify the referee's rank rather than leaving it open, and both commonly ask for two letters.
- Peking University asks postgraduate applicants for two recommendation letters from professors or associate professors.
- Chinese Government Scholarship announcements ask for two letters from an associate professor or above, written in Chinese or English.
The rank requirement is the part people miss. A warm letter from a supervisor who does not hold the specified rank may not satisfy the requirement, however good it is. Check the rank before asking, because asking again is awkward and slow.
A letter written in a language other than Chinese or English will need a translation, and where the university requires notarised translations, that applies to references too. Ask your referee early enough to leave time for it.
A research plan is not a personal statement
For postgraduate applications the two are frequently requested together, and they answer different questions. The statement explains why you, and the plan explains what you intend to work on. A document that is entirely biography with a paragraph of intentions at the end tends to read as the former pretending to be the latter.
Where a programme is research-based, the plan is also the document a prospective supervisor reads first. It is worth writing it with a specific supervisor's work in mind, and worth naming that work, since a plan that could have been sent to any department in China usually was.
Frequently asked questions
How long should my personal statement be?
It depends on where you are applying. Peking University specifies around 1,500 words for master's applicants and 3,000 for doctoral applicants, Beijing Normal University asks scholarship postgraduates for over 1,000, and embassy scholarship announcements commonly specify a few hundred words for undergraduates. Use the number in the announcement you are applying under.
Who can write my recommendation letters?
Chinese universities and scholarship agencies usually specify rank. Peking University asks for two letters from professors or associate professors, and Chinese Government Scholarship announcements ask for two from an associate professor or above, in Chinese or English. Check the rank requirement before you approach a referee.
Should I write my statement in Chinese or English?
Both are generally accepted. If the programme is taught in Chinese and your Chinese is strong enough for it, writing in Chinese is worth doing — it demonstrates the ability the programme requires. Otherwise write in the language you write best, and have it translated if required.
Do recommendation letters need to be translated?
If they are written in a language other than Chinese or English, yes. Where the university requires notarised translations of supporting documents, that requirement covers references too, so leave time for it when you ask your referee.