Yang Xiao, 31, from Shenyang in Liaoning province, has achieved admission to a postgraduate program at the prestigious Tsinghua University after eight attempts. Yang, who previously worked as a security guard, had long aspired to attend Tsinghua since childhood, according to the mainland media outlet Jiupai News.

After taking the national college entrance examination (gaokao) in 2013, Yang was accepted into the Central Academy of Fine Arts, where his distinctive painting style was considered a better fit. He graduated in 2018, returned to Shenyang, founded an art school, and maintained a stable relationship.

Driven by his childhood dream and a promise to his girlfriend, Yang applied for postgraduate study at Tsinghua. His first attempt was discouraging, as he scored over 100 points below the required acceptance threshold. To avoid disappointing his girlfriend, he let her believe he had already begun his postgraduate studies, hoping to succeed the following year.

Yang’s persistence ultimately paid off, and he is now ambitiously pursuing a PhD at Harvard University.

Sources