Pressure to be the best is extremely high in Chinese academic culture. There are so many people with similar skills and resumes, so the competition to get into top universities, both locally in China or abroad, is steep. When I advise  students regarding university plans, I try to emphasize that there are more than the top ten universities in a country. Part of choosing a university is acknowledging how you learn best, for example whether that is in a large classroom or a small one. From there, they can think about what they enjoy doing. Do they love figuring out a scientific problem? Do they love to perform? Do they love business strategy? Whatever makes them feel excited, I help them find programs, scholarships, or databases to further investigate their goals. This way the pressure of being the best at everything seems a little less stifling, and the students can focus on reaching a goal that they are passionate about.