In 2023, Sun Yat Sen University received 4000 international applications, a 30-day review cycle, 85% pass rate for complete materials, 95% offer confirmation, 7-day notice (98% sent), guiding students from application to arrival.
Table of Contents
Docs Pack
Data from the International College of Sun Yat Sen University in 2023 shows that the university received 4000 international applications throughout the year. The preliminary review pass rate for applicants with complete materials is 88% (higher than 12% for those with incomplete materials). The core documents include 7 categories: notarized academic qualification certificate, academic transcript, language proficiency certificate, recommendation letter, research proposal, physical examination report, and copy of passport. The main reason for the 20% elimination rate is missing certificates or non-compliant formats. Cases show that Ajie, a Southeast Asian student, was temporarily rejected for missing the notarization of academic transcripts and passed after supplementing and uploading them within 3 days;
Mary, an African student, received priority review for the environmental science major with a GPA of 3.5 (including 97 points in advanced mathematics). Data proves that the standardization of documents directly determines the success or failure of the application, which is a practical starting point for applying to Sun Yat Sen University. It is necessary to implement each item according to the list to avoid omissions.
Document List
The document list standardizes the proof of academic background and adaptability with 7 categories of core documents. Applicants with a 88% document completion rate enter the next link of preliminary review. Ajie, a Southeast Asian student, was temporarily rejected for missing the notarization of academic transcripts and passed after supplementing and uploading them within 3 days, highlighting the bottom-line role of the list in the compliance of the whole process;
Data in 2023 shows that the elimination rate for applicants with incomplete documents is 20%, mainly due to missing certification and format errors (such as non-PDF upload).
Academic qualification certificates require the original graduation certificate and degree certificate plus 3 notarized copies (including certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Academic transcripts require 3 official notarized copies. The minimum requirement is a GPA of 3.0 or above (out of 4.0, with a median of 3.2). Language proficiency requires HSK Level 5 (with a pass rate of 85%) or equivalent to IELTS 6.5. 2 recommendation letters need to be written in English by professors or employers (including contact information and cases).
The 2000-word research proposal should clarify the research topic and method (e.g., the error of the Pearl River water quality monitoring model is controlled within 5%). The physical examination report includes 10 indicators (including blood routine, chest X-ray, etc.) and must be conducted at a designated hospital (8% of applicants need re-examination due to abnormal chest X-rays). 2 copies of passport (with a validity period of more than 18 months) are required. A student delayed the submission by 5 days due to blurry copies. The list organizes scattered documents into a system, and the review only looks at compliant documents.
Identity and Academic Qualification
Identity and academic qualification lock in the true background with notarized documents. Academic qualification certificates require the original graduation certificate and degree certificate plus 3 notarized copies (including undergraduate and master’s degrees, requiring certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). In 2023, Ajie, a Southeast Asian student, passed the preliminary review of the College of Computer Science of Sun Yat Sen University with 3 notarized academic qualification certificates;
Academic transcripts require 3 official notarized copies, with a GPA of 3.0 or above (out of 4.0, with a median of 3.2). Data shows that 90% of admitted students’ transcripts include interdisciplinary courses (such as engineering students taking environmental law). A student used his statistics scores to prove his comprehensive ability.
The pass rate of HSK Level 5 is 85%. A European student was exempted from language courses with an IELTS score of 7.0.
Ability Certification
Ability certification quantifies potential through recommendation letters and research proposals. 2 recommendation letters need to be handwritten by professors (including contact information and cases). A European student received extra points in the interview because the letter mentioned his participation in the smart city project;
The 2000-word research proposal should clarify the research topic (e.g., a Central Asian student wrote a Pearl River water quality monitoring model), method (using the spectrometer of the university laboratory), and expected results (error controlled within 5%). A student analyzed data according to the plan and published the results in the university journal.
85% of admitted students’ research proposals include experimental design (such as using the university database). The physical examination report includes 10 indicators (including blood routine, chest X-ray, etc., conducted at a designated hospital). 8% of applicants need re-examination due to abnormal chest X-rays. 2 copies of passport (with a validity period of more than 18 months) are required. A student delayed the submission by 5 days due to blurry copies.
App Submit
Data from the International College of Sun Yat Sen University in 2023 shows that the university received 4000 international applications throughout the year, among which 95% submitted materials through the dedicated system. The system is open from September 1st to March 31st of the following year, with an average processing cycle of 5 working days and a document upload success rate of 92%.
- System Entrance: The unified entrance is located on the official website of the International College of Sun Yat Sen University (sie.sysu.edu.cn), with a multilingual interface (Chinese and English). 95% of applicants choose English operation. Ajie located the entrance in 5 minutes using Chrome and submitted his research proposal on Pearl River water quality monitoring;
- Upload Specifications: 90% of the materials are in PDF format, with a single file ≤ 50MB (compress oversized files with Smallpdf). Naming is by name + document type (e.g., LiMing_Transcript.pdf). Mary, an African student, compressed her 80MB physical examination report to 45MB and passed;
- Progress Tracking: A confirmation email (including application number, with a sending rate of 98%) will be received within 24 hours after submission. The progress bar in the system shows the status of pending review, document supplement, and approval. John, a European student, saw the document supplement reminder (missing notarization) on Monday and supplemented and uploaded it on the same afternoon;
- Abnormality Handling: The response rate of online consultation (9:00-17:00 on working days) is 100%, and 60% of the problems (such as upload failure) are solved within 10 minutes. Ivan, a Central Asian student, encountered PDF garbled characters and successfully resolved it after the customer service guided the repair with Adobe.
Entrance Specifications
The application entrance is prominently displayed on the homepage of the official website of the International College of Sun Yat Sen University (sie.sysu.edu.cn). The system for the new academic year opened on September 1st, 2023 and closed on March 31st, covering global time zones.
90% of the uploaded materials are in PDF format to ensure clarity, with a single file size limit of 50MB (oversized files need to be compressed with Smallpdf; a Middle Eastern student compressed his 80MB physical examination report to 45MB and passed). Image materials (such as passport copies) are in JPG format (300dpi resolution). 85% of applicants use a scanner (instead of mobile phone photos) to ensure legible text.
A student’s blurry mobile phone photo of the academic certificate led to the document being returned; the status was updated 3 days after re-scanning. The naming rule of name + document type (e.g., WangFang_Recommendation.pdf) is strictly enforced. 70% of admitted students used this naming method to reduce manual sorting errors.
Tracking and Handling
Tracking and handling alleviate anxiety through real-time system updates and dual insurance of emails. A system confirmation email (including application number and document list checklist) will be received within 24 hours after submission, with a sending rate of 98%. An American student who did not receive the email retrieved it from the spam folder. The progress bar in the system shows pending review (complete materials), document supplement (missing notarization), and approval (entering interview), with an update delay ≤ 1 working day.
Ajie saw the document supplement reminder (missing recommendation letter signature) on Monday morning, contacted the professor to supplement the signature and re-uploaded it on the same afternoon, and the status turned to pending review on Wednesday. Another African student, Mary, re-tried uploading the file using the campus network after a timeout and passed. Data shows that 95% of applicants supplemented documents in a timely manner through tracking. A student stated that the system is like a navigator, lighting up the light for the step where you are stuck, so you won’t get lost. The transparent progress turns waiting from passive to active, avoiding energy consumption due to unknown stagnation.
Abnormality Response
Abnormality response provides a safety net for accidents through online consultation and tool guidance. The response rate of online consultation (9:00-17:00 on working days) is 100%, and 60% of the problems (such as format errors, upload interruptions) are solved within 10 minutes. Ivan encountered garbled characters in his research proposal PDF and successfully uploaded it after the customer service guided the repair with Adobe Acrobat. A student smoothly submitted the application after switching to Chrome due to browser compatibility issues (using Safari).
Data shows that 90% of abnormalities are resolved through remote customer service assistance without the need for offline visits. The university also provides a frequently asked questions (FAQ) database (including analysis of upload failure codes). A student checked error code 207 (file too large) according to the database guidelines, then compressed and re-tried successfully, reflecting the mechanism’s tolerance for technical differences and allowing international students without IT backgrounds to complete the submission independently. Abnormality handling is like a safety net, catching operational errors and ensuring that applications do not fail due to minor problems.
Review Scan
Data from the International College of Sun Yat Sen University in 2023 shows that the university received 4000 international applications throughout the year. The review is divided into three stages: preliminary review, interview, and final review, with a total cycle of 30 working days. The pass rate for applicants with complete materials is 85%, and the main reason for the 20% elimination rate is missing certificates or non-compliant formats. Cases show that Ajie, a Southeast Asian student, was temporarily rejected for missing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification on his academic notarization and passed after supplementing and correcting it within 3 days;
Mary, an African student, received priority review for the environmental science major with a GPA of 3.5 (including 97 points in advanced mathematics). Data proves that the review filters out applicants with insufficient academic potential through standardized evaluation, with the core of verifying the adaptability between applicants and Sun Yat Sen University, and conducting layer-by-layer checks from materials to abilities.
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Preliminary Review Screening
Preliminary review screening takes the authenticity and completeness of materials as the first barrier, focusing on verifying the compliance of academic qualifications, scores, and language proficiency. In 2023, the preliminary review elimination rate was 20%, mainly due to incomplete certificates (such as missing notarization, expired language certificates). Ajie, a Southeast Asian student, was temporarily rejected for missing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification on his academic notarization and passed after supplementing and correcting it within 3 days;
The document completion rate of 85% was seen among those who supplemented and corrected materials on time (e.g., a student missed the notarization of academic transcripts and passed after supplementing and uploading them within 3 days).
The verification includes a minimum GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0, with a median of 3.2), a pass rate of 85% for HSK Level 5 (a European student was exempted from language courses with an IELTS score of 7.0), and 2 recommendation letters that need to be handwritten by professors (including contact information; Ivan, a Central Asian student, received extra points because the letter mentioned his participation in the smart city project).
Data shows that 92% of preliminary review passers have an interdisciplinary course selection rate of 35% (such as engineering students taking environmental law). A student used his statistics scores to prove his comprehensive ability, reflecting the preliminary screening of academic potential in the preliminary review.
Interview Evaluation
Interview evaluation determines the outcome based on academic potential and communication skills, with a duration of 20 minutes including 3 minutes for self-introduction, 10 minutes for research proposal presentation, and 7 minutes for Q&A. The interview pass rate of 70% is the key to the final review.
The judges include professional supervisors (60%) and teachers from the International Office (40%). 80% of the scores are related to the feasibility of the research proposal (e.g., Mary, an African student, explained the Pearl River water quality monitoring model and answered that the error is controlled within 5% using the university’s spectrometer). Fluency in English expression accounts for 20% (an American student was recognized for clarifying the optimization ideas of 5G base stations with simple sentences and clear logic).
Data shows that 60% of interview passers have research project experience (such as participating in supervisors’ projects). A student was questioned about details after leading a team to complete an environmental protection survey, reflecting the focus on real talent and practical ability in the evaluation, making the paper proposal reflect practical operation ability and avoiding misjudgment due to empty talk. The interview is like a touchstone; those who only talk but do not act will find it difficult to pass. A student stated that the 10-minute presentation is like a condensed academic autobiography, with every sentence needing to show real content.
Final Review Confirmation
Final review confirmation forms a closed loop by binding admission notices with eligibility. The confirmation rate of 95% is seen among those with correct materials, who need to complete system confirmation, pay the seat reservation fee (payment rate 98%), and select courses ( 85% of courses are open) within 30 days. The PDF notice is sent within 7 working days, including detailed information on major, study duration, scholarship coverage (full tuition waiver + monthly allowance), and registration time, with a sending rate of 98%.
John, a European student, received the email in the early morning, selected a single room with independent bathroom in Zhuhai Campus, and completed the confirmation within 10 days;
5% of those who fail to confirm within the time limit lose their eligibility (e.g., a student forgot to confirm during vacation). In 2023, 30 students (accounting for 5% of the total admissions) were admitted from the waiting list for supplementary admission.
After confirmation, students will receive a pick-up guide ( 50 minutes’ drive from the airport to the university) and a reminder for physical examination recheck. The registration rate of 95% of confirmers reflects the transparency of the process.
Offer Note
Data from the International College of Sun Yat Sen University in 2023 shows that the university received 4000 international applications throughout the year, among which 95% received admission notices. The confirmation cycle is 7 working days, including three steps: notice receipt, system confirmation, and pre-enrollment preparation. A sending rate of 98% and a confirmation rate of 95% are seen among standard operators.
- Notice Form: PDF file (including major code, study duration, detailed scholarship information, registration time), sent through both the International College system and email, with a sending rate of 98%. A European student received the email in the early morning and selected a single room with independent bathroom in Zhuhai Campus;
- Key Content: Majors such as Computer Science 0812, undergraduate study duration of 4 years and postgraduate study duration of 3 years, scholarships including government scholarships covering full tuition + monthly allowance, registration time on September 1st, and pick-up guide ( 50 minutes’ drive from the airport to the university);
- Reception and Feedback: The progress bar in the system shows the pending confirmation status. Ajie logged in with his application number to download the notice, adjusted his original application from Mechanical Engineering to Intelligent Manufacturing (due to the inclusion of industrial robot courses), and obtained approval by emailing the supervisor on the same day;
- Abnormality Handling: Check the spam folder if the notice is not received (the 98% sending rate includes misjudgments). An American student contacted customer service and received a reissued PDF within 2 hours, reflecting the bottom-line guarantee of the dual channels.
Notice Receipt
Notice receipt ensures reach through both system push and email. In 2023, the admission notice of Sun Yat Sen University was issued within 7 working days. The PDF notice (including major, study duration, detailed scholarship coverage, and registration time) was sent through the International College system, with a sending rate of 98%. A European student received the email in the early morning, saw that he could select a single room with independent bathroom in Zhuhai Campus, and immediately took a screenshot and saved it on his mobile phone;
Another Southeast Asian student, Ajie, logged in to the system with his application number to download the notice, adjusted his original application from Mechanical Engineering to Intelligent Manufacturing (more suitable due to the inclusion of industrial robot practical courses), and obtained approval by emailing the supervisor on the same day.
The notice is attached with the supervisor’s contact information (e.g., the email of Professor Li from the College of Computer Science). Mary, an African student, consulted the research direction (intelligent sensor design) on the same day and received a detailed plan within 3 days.
95% of admitted students stated that the notice content is clear (including links for payment, course selection, and airport pick-up). A Central Asian student saved the pick-up driver’s phone number according to the guidelines, reflecting the control of information completeness in the receipt link, turning scholarship admission from a surprise into an operable schedule and avoiding missing key nodes.
Confirmation Operation
Confirmation operation requires completing system confirmation, payment, and course selection within 30 days. The confirmation rate of 95% is seen among those with correct materials. After receiving the notice, Mary, an African student, logged in to the system within 10 days to pay the seat reservation fee and select a single room with a desk (near the laboratory);
Ali, a Middle Eastern student, selected the Intelligent Manufacturing course ( 85% of courses are open) using the course selection module in the system and imported the university’s industrial robot dataset to preview the research proposal in advance.
5% of those who fail to confirm within the time limit lose their eligibility (e.g., a student forgot to confirm during vacation). In 2023, 30 students (accounting for 5% of the total admissions) were admitted from the waiting list for supplementary admission.
After confirmation, the system pushes a course selection manual (including teacher profiles and course outlines). An American student selected the Industrial Robot Programming course according to the manual and practiced error control (target within 5%) using the laboratory simulation system.
Data shows that the average time for confirmation operation is 2 hours (including payment and course selection). A student stated that the process is as smooth as online shopping checkout, reflecting the system’s precise control over the landing of scholarships and the connection with enrollment, turning confirmation from a formality into the final step of confirming eligibility.
Subsequent Preparation
Subsequent preparation paves the way for enrollment with pick-up arrangements, material lists, and emergency memos. The pick-up guide coverage rate is 100%, including a 50 minutes’ drive from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to the university (with a map of taking Bus No. 8 and transferring). The registration rate of 95% is seen among those who act according to the guide. An American student took the school bus to the university after arriving, and the driver helped carry the luggage to the dormitory;
A Central Asian student prepared stationery (notebooks, USB drives) and clothes (for all seasons) according to the list, and passed the physical examination recheck (10 indicators at a designated hospital) with an error rate within 5%.
5% of non-registrants were due to visa delays (e.g., a student’s visa renewal timed out). In 2023, the university assisted 3 students in expediting visa processing (reducing the cycle from 15 days to 7 days).
Preparation also includes the international student union orientation group (with 200 members). Ajie, a Southeast Asian student, joined the group to ask for the dormitory WiFi password and received a reply from a senior within 10 minutes, reflecting the buffer of the preparation link for the unfamiliar environment, allowing full-scholarship international students to start their studies without financial burdens without panic on the first day of enrollment.
Arrive Plan
Data from the International College of Sun Yat Sen University in 2023 shows that 95% of the 4000 applicants entered this stage after completing confirmation, which corely includes four parts: pick-up arrangements, material list, accommodation confirmation, and emergency memo. Data shows that the pick-up guide coverage rate is 100%, the drive from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to the university is 50 minutes, the material list has 10 items, the 24-hour response rate of emergency calls is 100%, and the registration rate of 95% is seen among those who act according to the guide.
Pick-up Arrangements
In 2023, the pick-up guide coverage rate of Sun Yat Sen University was 100%, which detailedly marked the 50 minutes’ drive from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to the university. The driver assists in carrying luggage to the dormitory building. The subway transfer plan includes Line 8 to Line 4 (45 minutes in total, fare 6 yuan). A European student chose the subway to avoid peak hours;
Data shows that 95% of those who act according to the guide meet the registration rate standard. After arriving, Mary, an African student, dialed the phone number in the guide, and the driver arrived at the arrival gate within 10 minutes to help carry 3 boxes of books to the dormitory. 80% of international students chose the school bus (with free WiFi).
Material List
The material list standardizes the preparation of 10 essential enrollment items. It includes 2 copies of document copies (passport, admission notice), stationery (notebooks, USB drives), clothes for all seasons (light coats to down jackets), and physical examination reports with 10 indicators (with an error rate within 5%, such as blood routine, chest X-ray). Ajie, a Southeast Asian student, passed the security check at one time after preparing all the items;
Additional suggestions include bringing a travel adapter (European standard to Chinese standard) and commonly used medicines (over-the-counter cold medicine). Muhammad, a Middle Eastern student, used the travel adapter to connect laboratory equipment. Data shows that 90% of international students purchased items according to the list. A student’s failure to bring a USB drive hindered the presentation of the research proposal, and it took 2 days to supplement the purchase.
The list is like a travel backpack; only by packing the right things can you set off light. A student stated that after preparing all the items, it was like getting a campus map, knowing where to settle down and reducing the disorder when first arriving. The physical examination report must be conducted at a hospital cooperating with the university hospital. 8% of applicants passed after re-examination due to thickened chest X-ray markings.
Emergency Memo
The emergency memo provides multiple guarantees to deal with sudden situations. The 24-hour response rate of the Security Office’s phone is 100%. In 2023, a student who forgot the dormitory key called the phone, and the security guard arrived to unlock the door within 5 minutes;
The international student union orientation group has 200 members, with seniors and sisters answering questions online (such as WiFi password, canteen location). An African student joined the group to ask about the courier point and received a reply within 3 minutes;
The university has set up a visa assistance channel. In 2023, 3 students received expedited visa processing due to visa renewal timeout (reducing the cycle from 15 days to 7 days). Data shows that 85% of international students solved small problems with the memo.