Hey everyone! I've been creeping on this thread for awhile now, but I was an alternate that recently got promoted to a finalist for Chinese!! I'm super excited to have made it this time around (I was super heartbroken when I got rejected the first time last year ^-^;) but if in the future people are looking back at this thread and see this, don't give up!! I've been so nervous since I got the alternate e-mail, but I am ecstatic I am going to participate in the program this year!
As a side note, I'll be going to Dalian University of Technology, so let me know if there are any groups I need to join! I requested access to join the CLS Chinese Facebook group and am waiting to be accepted.
Best of luck to the rest of the alternates, don't give up hope!