Yes, I did, through a travel agency near Zhongshan Station. But I’m not sure if they regularly provide that service; my boss knows one of the agents there, and that’s how it got done (with a bit of a discount too).
I waited until I had complete hotel information before applying. I was a little worried because I applied for a regular tourist visa, even though I was going there for university stuff - but I didn’t have any kind of official invitation paperwork, so I couldn’t apply for a business visa. Anyway, it all worked out. Even though I applied for a single-entry visa, they gave me a double-entry visa, valid for six months.
A tiny bit of my brain suggested “Hey, you can go to China again in Chinese New Year!” And the rest of my brain ordered that tiny bit to shut the hell up.