The part tests don’t cover
The TOEFL tested your English in a quiet room with a timer. Life in the US happens everywhere else: a seminar where everyone talks at once, a career fair where you get thirty seconds, an interview that opens with small talk, a group chat that moves faster than you can translate.
Your English is fine. Nobody taught you the rest: how people actually talk, the unwritten rules, and the few sounds that make people say “sorry?” That part can be learned, and it’s what we teach.
You can pay someone to edit your essays. Nobody can go to the coffee chat for you.
Why we started
Three things we kept seeing
WorldWise started with friends in CSSA and the Chinese international communities around us. Smart, hardworking people, and the same gaps kept showing up in three places.
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On campus
Making friends outside their circle was hard. The clubs and connections that make college worth it run on casual talk and shared references, and they stayed just out of reach.
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At recruiting events
At networking nights, international students stood off to the side. They had the grades and the skills, and still couldn’t start a conversation with the recruiter.
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In interviews
They knew the material. Finance interviews are as behavioral as they are technical, and coming across as a person in a short conversation is hard for anyone. It’s harder when you aren’t confident speaking.
Recruiting services can get a door opened. They can’t make you feel at ease once you’re inside, and college works the same way.
So we built WorldWise around that missing piece: how you sound, how you come across, and the rules nobody writes down.
A note from us
Hi
We’re Leo and Victor, twin brothers at Brown and UChicago. The problem is fixable, and it’s more fun to fix than it sounds.
Book a free call. We’ll listen, do a quick speaking check, and give you two things to work on. If coaching isn’t right for you, we’ll say so.
Is this only for students?
No. It’s for anyone whose first language is Chinese who wants to be understood and feel at home here: high school, college and grad students, and people building a career in the US. You can also start before you move.
Is Decoded really free?
Yes. No sign-up, no email wall. We write it because it’s useful, and because some readers end up wanting coaching. Most won’t, and that’s fine.
Are you part of Brown or UChicago?
No. We’re students there, but WorldWise is our own thing. Neither university is affiliated with it, endorses it, or sponsors it.
Start with a free call
About 30 minutes on Zoom, in English or Chinese. You leave with two things to work on either way.