China's Gaokao Regional Quotas

China's Gaokao regional quotas create a geographic lottery where Beijing students need scores 80 points lower than peers in Henan or Shandong to enter top universities like Peking University—a gap wider than the one between #3's affirmative action debate and legacy preferences. In 2025, Beijing's admission rate for Tsinghua was 1.1%, compared to Henan's 0.03%, making birthplace a stronger predictor than ability.