Higher Education and Career Prospects in China

Felicia F. Tian is an Associate Professor of Sociology in Fudan University, China. Her research interests include transition to adulthood, social networks, and social stratification and mobility. She published From Youth to Adulthood: Social Transformation, Class Differentiation, and Transition to Adulthood in Urban China [In Chinese] (2016).Lin Chen is an Associate Professor of Social Work in Fudan University, China. Her research interests include qualitative research methods, social identities, interpersonal relationships, decision-making, and long-term care. She published Evolving Eldercare in Contemporary China: Two Generations, One Decision (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016).

• Introduction.- Rural-Urban Inequality in Chinese Higher Education.- WU, the Prestigious Path, and Initial Difference.- Advantage Begets Advantage.- Keep Searching, Keep Trying: Always Have the Hope.- Building My Résumé: Every Experience Counts.- Forging My Own path: Becoming the Person I Plan for Myself.- Conclusion.