Unique admission letters help universities stand out

At this time of year, colleges rack their brains on the design of their college admission letter in order to stand out and get more applications from outstanding senior high school graduates.

While some universities try to show their technological prowess, others try to woo applicants with profound language.

The admission letter from University of Science and Technology Beijing, made from an ultra thin steel called "5G steel", has taken this competition to the next level.

5G steel got its name for being mainly used in 5G base station signal receivers, signal transmission filters and integrated circuit boards.

Manufactured to be as thin as 0.07 mm, 5G steel was co-developed by the university and the Shougang group.

Founded in 1952, University of Science and Technology Beijing, initially known as the Beijing Institute of Iron and Steel Technology, is the first institution of higher education for thr iron and steel industry in China.

The admission letter symbolizes the fact the university rose from steel and has expressed hopes that its students can acquire a steely determination to make more contributions to the country, according to a post on Weibo.

Along with the 5G steel admission letter, one from Nankai University in Tianjin also created quite a buzz on social media.

Besides the regular admission letter, what makes it so special is it contains two lotus seeds from Huai'an in Jiangsu province, the hometown of their alumnus Zhou Enlai, the first premier of China.

In China, the lotus is admired for emerging from murky waters and blooming into a beautiful flower, representing the journey of attaining enlightenment and rising above challenges in life. It is also seen as a symbol of beauty, grace, and resilience.

The school hopes admitted students can plant one seed in his hometown, meaning they will never forget where they are from and stay true to their original aspiration.

The admission letter from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong province is also eye-catching.

It contains a brick of Pu'er tea from Fengqing county in Yunnan province. Fengqing is the designated assistance county for the university, which pledges to offer help in various areas. Including a tea brick is also a way to market agricultural products. The brick weighs 99 grams, signaling 99 years since its founding. The brick is also a kind of metaphorical expression to call on the students to "add bricks", or make contributions to the country.

Beihang University in Beijing also has some surprises in its admission letter.

It contains a aircraft model Beijing 1, the first light passenger aircraft in China, developed by the university. With the joint endeavor of its over 1,000 students and teachers, the aircraft took off successfully in 1958.

The admission letter of Harbin Institute of Technology in Heilongjiang province contains a red bookmark coated in a special material used by Tianwen 1, China's first mission to Mars program.

The coating has been applied to the Chinese flag displayed on Tianwen 1's Martian orbiter and the red patterns of the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic mascots Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon on its landing platform.