Here is episode 1 of the BBC documentary on Chinese education that I promised. The story of Wu Yufei is particularly interesting for those of us who want to know how a student gets into a Chinese elite like Tsinghua:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XGDBwEK4HI
@OHMomof2 I think you are conflating the elite prep schools with the special talent category. The elite athletes I mentioned above were much more than national champions. Deng Yaping, for example, has won 6 world titles and 4 Olympic golds. She enrolled in Tsinghua as a mature student.
Here is a more in depth description of what it takes to get into an elite prep like Renmin. Hint: exams at grade 6: