The SAT Is to America as ____ Is to China

As a high school student in Beijing, Xi Zhao cleared a hurdle applying to U.S. colleges that Americans don't face. The SAT college-entrance exam isn't offered in mainland China, so Zhao flew to Hong Kong and South Korea to take it twice. She earned the maximum 800 in math and 2080 out of 2400 overall—a score that helped her get into the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Not being able to take the SAT on the mainland "is a hassle," says the 20-year-old, now a junior with a 3.8 grade point average. "It's not fair that other students can just take the test at their high schools and we have to travel for hours."

The number of Chinese undergraduates in the U.S. has quadrupled in four years. Now, the nonprofit College Board, which owns the SAT, PSAT, and Advanced Placement programs, is seeking the education ministry's permission to start offering the SAT on the mainland. "We've had serious discussions with Chinese officials," says Board President Gaston Caperton. "They recognize it's a big burden on parents."