Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 40 - 39: Will You Give Up For Me?

At that moment, Qi Yi couldn’t help but start to contemplate those issues he was somewhat reluctant to face, yet were indispensable to consider.

The kind of issues regarding his future with Yan Yan.

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy again.

Qi Yi still hadn’t figured out how Yan Yan’s future and his could converge into a shared future for the two of them.

On the steps of Federation Square, Qi Yi and Yan Yan sat quietly, their fingers interlocked.

"So, you’re graduating this year, too, right? What do you plan to do after graduation? Continue studying?" After a long silence between them, Yan Yan finally brought up the inevitable topic that both of them had to confront.

Since she had decided to be with Qi Yi, the future was a topic they could not possibly avoid.

"I’m done with studying." These three words were all Qi Yi could think of.

"Then for your final semester, you must have already received job offers, right?" Yan Yan suddenly felt a weight on her heart.

"I’ve got a few," Qi Yi replied succinctly.

"Are there any you’re really satisfied with?" Yan Yan continued to inquire.

"UBS and Barclays," said Qi Yi, mentioning two of the company offers with a calm demeanor.

"Wow! UBS and Barclays! Grandpa, how did you manage that?!

Are they both in Silicon Valley? Are you going to the investment banking division? You call this ’a few’?

After the Subprime Mortgage Crisis, the headcounts for these top-tier investment banks have been generally shrinking. note 1

And you got offers from both of them! Aren’t you a statistics major?

If I had known this was going to happen, why didn’t you apply for the Financial Mathematics program when you applied to Peking University?

Wow! I don’t even know what to say, Qi Yi, I’m so proud of you!" Yan Yan was genuinely excited.

UBS and Barclays were among the top investment banks in the world.

Even MBAs graduating from the world-renowned Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, ranked number one globally, would find it difficult to secure an offer from either of those investment banks.

And yet, Qi Yi, a math student, seemed to have landed them effortlessly.

Many people feel that the national college entrance examination, just one exam, is supposed to determine a person’s entire life; it’s not a fair system.

But in reality, it may already be the fairest examination in the world.

In the United States, the tuition for a good university is so high that an average family’s child would find it unaffordable.

And no one can question a school with their transcript as to why, if two people have the exact same test scores, one is admitted and the other is not.

American society’s worship of capital is simple and direct.

Fairness has always been a relative concept.

To get into a top institution like the Wharton Business School, you first have to compete with your background, your connections, and then your achievements.

For these top-tier investment banks, whether they are setting up new branches or hiring new people anywhere in the world, first and foremost, they look at whether your background is solid and whether it might be beneficial for the company’s future, then they consider your talent or even your appearance.

Backgrounds can vary significantly, be it economic or political; as long as the background is solid, any aspect will do.

MBAs from Wharton Business School have the easiest time finding jobs at top-tier investment banks worldwide.

Because the selection process the school uses to admit students is extremely strict.

The students either stand out in the competition of connections or have the strong endorsement of industry magnates who manage billions of US dollars.

Of course, for those without strong connections or backing, it’s not entirely impossible.

But in any case, for the few remaining students lacking such backgrounds, attending Wharton Business School alone provides enough opportunities to establish a strong network. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

In today’s United States, if you’re not from a middle-class family, you simply can’t afford to send your child to a top 20 university, as none of these schools have tuition fees lower than sixty thousand US dollars.

This might sound like a sensational statement.

Especially a few decades earlier, when China’s economy was relatively behind, in the era just after economic reforms were initiated, many financially struggling Chinese students went to study in the United States.

How could these people afford such exorbitant tuition fees?

The profile of China’s early overseas students vastly differs from the large numbers of students self-funding their studies abroad today.