They chatted along the way and soon arrived at the hotpot restaurant. After parking the car, the three of them headed inside together.
Tony Snow and the others spent about an hour eating. Finally, Martin Sharp drove Tony to the subway station so he could head back to campus.
Before Tony got out of the car, Martin asked his daughter, "So, what do you think of his teaching? Is he any good?"
"He's actually really good," Lina replied. "Even though he's just from Hailin Technical University, I think his teaching style is more effective than those tutors from big-name schools. He explains concepts clearly, and he's way more relatable than those older, rigid teachers. Plus, we have so much in common—we actually have stuff to talk about."
"Right? I got the same impression. One of his professors told me Tony's grasp of biology is already stronger than some grad students. I'm honestly thinking of offering him a position at my company after he graduates." Martin chuckled. "Since you like his tutoring, stop pushing him away and focus on your studies. You've only got two months until your college entrance exam. Don't waste this chance—you'll regret it later."
"I know, I know... you're always lecturing me." Lina rolled her eyes, pulling out her phone and tuning him out.
By the time Lina and Martin got home, Tony was still on the subway, scrolling through his phone.
He had just begun looking into summer research camps when a payment notification popped up. Martin had transferred him 600 dollars for the tutoring session.
"Sweet!" Tony grinned. That kind of cash for two hours of work? No complaints.
With this payment, combined with what he'd earned last semester tutoring, he now had about $3,000 saved.
He initially opened a shopping app to look for a gift for Clara Quinn, his girlfriend. But after a brief pause, he exited the app, transferred $1,000 to his mother, and then returned to shopping.
He soon picked out a zippered jacket Clara might like—safe sizing, no need for bust measurements—and placed the order after checking with customer service.
Then it was back to researching summer research programs.
Tony had heard a little about summer camps run by top universities—week-long academic retreats where selected students visited labs, met with professors, and underwent evaluations like interviews, written tests, or lab demonstrations. Those who impressed the faculty could be granted an "Outstanding Participant" award, which often translated into direct admission to grad school.
Different universities had different policies. Some gave direct offers to outstanding participants. Others placed them in a "priority candidate" pool, meaning they had to still submit applications in the fall but would be fast-tracked. And some required further interviews despite the summer camp recognition.
Tony navigated to the official site of Nankai University's School of Life Sciences. Though the 2015 Summer Camp announcement hadn't been released yet, last year's info was still online.
He searched "Summer Camp" in the site's search bar. The first few results included the 2014 participant list, a wrap-up notice, and the announcement itself.
Clicking into the 2014 notice, Tony read through the eligibility:
Good moral standing, law-abiding, honest, and mentally and physically healthy.
Third-year undergraduates majoring in relevant fields.
Strong academic record and English proficiency.
Passion for biology, with clear scientific goals and research potential.
"Not bad," Tony muttered. "No GPA minimum... but of course they'll still check it."
One of the required materials was an official transcript, so Tony knew GPA still mattered in practice. With his poor freshman and sophomore record, he didn't stand a chance.
The camp itself lasted three days:
Day 1: Check-in and orientation
Day 2: Lab tours, academic sessions, written assessments, and faculty exchanges
Day 3: Talent showcase, interviews, final wrap-up
Nankai University even offered free room and board, round-trip train ticket reimbursement, and group insurance.
"Nice perks," Tony noted.
He sighed, realizing that if his pending mathematics paper were accepted, he might gain more options—but only for math departments, not biology.
After more digging, Tony found a blog post from a past camper outlining their experience. It explained that while the university promised direct admission to outstanding participants, they later told her that the quota had already been filled. She was placed on a waitlist, depending on whether another student backed out.
"Yikes... so even if you get selected, there's no guarantee." Tony grimaced.
Just then, his phone buzzed with an incoming WeChat call. It was his mom.