This study, which builds upon an ongoing longitudinal study that began in 2013, delves into the social experiences of rural students attending China’s elite universities. While previous studies have often described these experiences as “inferiority complex”, we argue that they should be interpreted and understood through the lens of social mobility and reframed as “self-underestimation” of social competence. This “self-underestimation” stems from the disconnect between their familiar cultural norms and their new social status, that is, a common experience during upward social mobility. Due to a perceived deficiency in “knowledge” and “cultural skills”, rural students interviewed mostly reported feelings of “lack of confidence” and tended to negatively assess their social competence. The prolonged self-doubt often leads them to avoid exploring non-academic areas. Analyzing the structural aspects of rural students’ self-underestimation is crucial, as it not only reveals the social causes and nature of these experiences but also challenges prevailing stereotypes and suggests ways to empower these students.