The first fair of its kind in the city since the SARS outbreak began saw about 500 local high school graduates meet with agents of 100 universities in 16 countries including the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. Also the fair welcomed more than 100 other people considering studying abroad.

Most of the graduates were good students who had performed well at school but felt they had done poorly on the national college entrance examination and probably won't get into top universities in China this autumn.

"Though the final result of the exam won't come out until late this week, those students who felt unsatisfactory about their performance have started seeking alternatives," said Zhang Weijian of Edu Shanghai International Co Ltd, which organized the event.

In China, high school graduates sit a college entrance examination each summer, with their results dictating which universities they can enroll in. Usually, only a small portion of students can enter top-tier universities.

A growing number of students who do poorly on the exam but had good marks in school have opted to study abroad in recent years. According to local education authorities, some 20,000 Shanghai students go abroad to study every year, half of whom have no university education.

"I was too nervous during the exam and I must have failed. I know I am waiting for nothing but bad news," said Zhou Ji, a high school graduate. "Maybe I could choose a satisfactory major in a university abroad due to my good performance in high school."

His parents said they are willing to support their son despite the high cost of studying overseas.

"We would try our best to support him as higher education of good quality is important for his future development," said Zhou's mother, who accompanied the teen to the fair.

Zhang Youde, a sociologist from Shanghai University, said the one-child policy in China is pushing many parents to put all of their hopes on their only child, hence they are willing to pay for anything that can help their children have a better life.

However, industry insiders warned parents and students not to blindly invest in an overseas education.

(Eastday.com June 23, 2003)