Recent weeks have seen a substantial increase in efforts to counteract the spread of COVID-19. Despite a variety of challenges, the current situation has necessitated innovative measures which, although seemingly inconvenient, have also helped highlight strengths of ESC’s multi-faceted operations structure. For Chinese students both within China and beyond, the virus has taken a serious toll on even the most basic aspects of student life. Test date cancellations, school lock-downs, and curtailing of cross-city transportation have all contributed to difficult, unprecedented circumstances.
Thankfully, ESC’s pre-existing Global Scholars and i-Team structures have enabled us to onboard Beijing-based consultants to a remote-work platform. Over the course of several years, ESC has built up a truly dynamic virtual office-space, whereby remotely located counselors work with high-school students across the United States, while Beijing-based counselors work in a closer, face to face capacity.
Although present events have certainly proven challenging, ESC’s unique business model has allowed for a highly successful online work onboarding process for Beijing-based counselors currently unable to return to China. Meanwhile, close familiarity with innovative examination formats such as the Duolingo English test and Initialview’s interviewing platform has helped us to work around cancelled dates for examinations such as the TOEFL.
In these highly unusual circumstances, ESC is proud to offer the highest standard of educational consulting services, both in-person and remotely. With the virus affecting a wide range of aspects within college applications, dedicated consulting services are as important as ever in assisting Chinese families and students to best assess appropriate next steps in the application process.
Despite such temporary difficulties, we’re excited to see how this period of growth helps us once we return to our Beijing office. We are closely monitoring WHO statements on the Coronavirus, and as soon we hear of a consensus regarding stabilization of the current situation, we will resume operations anew at our main office. In the meantime, we are proceeding with our spring recruitment, so if you have applied or are interested in a position with us, then please rest assured, knowing that we are moving enthusiastically ahead with plans to reintegrate our team back into Beijing as soon as the situation proves safe and convenient to do so.