My disbelief in the claim about go helping to get into top universities was not because I didn't think that such talents can help people to get into universities in general.

Rather, my disbelief was specific to some Asian countries, and also due to what I know about them. I've noticed that the process for getting into college differs from my experience in the USA. To be fair, I know more about Japan and Korea than about China. But from discussion I've had with individuals from these countries, the entrance exams are very meaningful, and in some cases, can be almost the sole determining factor for whether you get into a school.

This varies, of course, for other countries. In my own case, I received scholarship money just because of a paper I wrote. My test score had no bearing on it. But this doesn't seem to be the case in Japan and Korea based on experiences that have been relayed to me by friends. From what I heard, in those countries, the exam score is basically everything.

It was my mistake to assume that the same would hold for China, so I was amazed that go playing would have any influence on whether you could get into a university. It is fascinating to know that I was wrong about this, and I'm glad to have learned something new from this discussion.

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be immersed

Yes, but the level of Go necessary is quite high! 4 dan in China is about 6 dan in the US, and Chinese 6 dan is ridiculously strong. Still, it's great that universities give entrance points for go strength!

in asia, without a university degree you're screwed. why do you think there is so much competition in china, all the pressure the kids have to do well in school. i would say that it is the completely the other way round, as in america im sure you can find a decent job, maybe even an apprenticeship, without have to go to uni. in china, if you dont have a uni degree, youll probably end up collecting rubbish.

More important, is AGA going to qualify any more? Maybe I've missed the news on this. Adding 2 a year might be too much to ask, I understand that, but when is the next set of qualifiers?

This is what I was wondering. How many pros is the AGA going to qualify and what is the time frame?

I do think we should try an support the pros we have though. As in, if you're considering lessons, maybe look at Gansheng Shi first? If I can manage to get some extra money together sometime in the near future, I hope I can get some lessons from him .

In absolute terms, a person without a college degree is probably better off in the US--they'll end up richer than their counterpart in China (just because the average wage in the US is several times higher).

But in relative terms, I have my doubts. Over 40% of people age 25+ in the US now have either an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree. Jobs that traditionally did not require a college education (and which would not require a college education in many other countries) now require it. So your opportunities in the US are extremely limited if you do not have a degree, unless you're in just the right field, or are preternaturally talented like those Harvard dropouts who found tech companies.

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Occupy Babel!