Chinese University Surprises New Students With AR Acceptance Letters

This fresh take on college acceptance letters is as interesting as it is unnecessary.

You’re all familiar with those cliche college acceptance scenes from film and television, right? You know, when an overexcited high schooler rushes to their mailbox and tears open a letter from that huge University they applied to? It’s a classic experience that many college students can remember fondly as they finish paying off that art degree as a barista at a coffee shop (believe me I know).

All jokes aside, it would be pretty cool if that big moment you’ve been waiting months for was just a little more, well, exciting.

That’s what the Northwestern Polytechnical University University in China is attempting to accomplish, notifying its most recent group of successful applicants via augmented reality acceptance letters. It’s a neat little shake up to the traditional format by displaying a digital model of the university along with information regarding its history.

“Although the admission notice is just a piece of a paper, the carefully embedded AR technology serves to show a cutting-edge temperament and a sense of pride,” Xie Dan, admissions office deputy director of NPU told state media outlet People’s Daily.

The experience also dives into the details of the universities most acclaimed subjects, specifically in the fields of aeronautical, astronautical and marine engineering. So while this 21st century piece of paper might not fully take the sting out of signing those student loans, it might at least bring a small smirk to the face of a surprised applicant. Too bad it requires a cumbersome and lengthy set-up that even the most patient tech enthusiasts would find irritating.

Once an applicant receives the letter, they have to download WeChat, if they don’t have it already, and use the popular app to scan a QR code located on the acceptance letter. They will then be prompted to download the universities own NPU AR app. This program will then be used to view the informative digital spectacle.

So if you’re keeping count that’s two apps you’ll have to go through. Granted most students in China already have WeChat installed, it may not be exactly the “cutting-edge” vibe the university was attempting to cultivate with this venture. Still, it’s pretty cool seeing augmented reality seep into every nook and cranny of modern culture.