The admissions logic of universities is changing, you can go to Tsinghua University with one line, and you don't need to take the college entrance examination to read Peking University...

More and more colleges and universities are opening up special admission channels for some non-traditional "top students" and "partial talents" and "eccentrics" in special fields

In April, the admissions office of Tsinghua University announced the enrollment method of the 4 physics talent training "climbing plan", which attracted the attention of many parents and candidates. The most striking thing is the sentence in the policy, "Candidates who have obtained the qualification of our university's climbing plan must in principle reach the admission control score line of the first batch of undergraduate students of the same subject in their province in principle."

Many high school parents are curious: what kind of talents are needed for the climbing plan to admit Tsinghua directly?

In addition to Tsinghua, which other universities have similar special enrollment programs? In this regard, more than one college admissions officer told reporters that it is not surprising that Tsinghua introduced such a policy, because this is one of the important trends in college recruitment. "The era of partial talents and eccentrics has come."

Benchmark against Peking University

Tsinghua introduced the training of physics talents

"Climbing Plan"

According to the official introduction, Tsinghua University's climbing plan aims to discover comprehensive and outstanding students with outstanding physics talent at an early stage in middle school, in order to cultivate more first-class innovative talents in physics and physics-based high-tech fields, so that they can become the future leaders of the world's scientific and technological development and pioneers in the high-tech field.

The enrollment target of the climbing program is middle school students who have shown outstanding potential in physics and are interested in lifelong scientific research, and can meet the basic requirements for high school graduation. In addition, students who have won the final of the Olympiad in physics and other disciplines and meet the guarantee qualifications stipulated by the Ministry of Education can also be selected for the climbing program after examination.

The admission policy of the climbing plan mentions that according to the training characteristics of top-notch talents in physics, in order to ensure that the student's academic level meets the basic admission requirements of Tsinghua University, candidates who are qualified for the climbing plan must in principle reach the admission control score line of the first batch of undergraduate students of the same subject in their province (for provinces with merged undergraduate batches, the admission control score line of the first batch of undergraduate students shall be implemented according to the special type control score line determined by the relevant provincial admissions authorities). According to the policy of the Ministry of Education, members of the national training team of the Secondary School Olympiad who are recognized do not need to take the college entrance examination to be admitted.

It's worth noting that climbing programs aren't limited to senior students either. The admission policy of the climbing plan also mentions, "Non-graduating students who have obtained the recognition qualification will take the college entrance examination supplementary registration in their province with our school's "Shortlisted Recognition Certificate", and will be admitted by our school alone after meeting the admission requirements." ”

In fact, Tsinghua University is not the first university to introduce an enrollment plan for top-notch talents in physics. In 2022, Peking University released the "Outstanding Talent Training Program in Physics", which plans to recruit outstanding middle school students who have a strong interest in physics, show outstanding physics potential and specialties, and are interested in engaging in physical science research, and mainly recruit students from the third year of junior high school to the third year of high school in China. In 2023, the "Physics Excellence Program" plans to select no more than 100 candidates to be admitted to Peking University for the "Physics" major. Candidates admitted through the program are not allowed to transfer to other majors at the undergraduate level after admission.

One point that has attracted much attention from parents is that domestic students who have obtained the admission qualification of the "Physics Excellence Program" do not need to take the college entrance examination, and the admission procedures will be handled by the admission examination agency of the province (autonomous region or municipality directly under the central government) where Peking University News is located in accordance with relevant regulations. In other words, students who are top-notch in physics can directly obtain the admission notice of Peking University through a series of selections of the "Physics Outstanding Talent Training Program" as early as the third year of junior high school.

Top innovative talent projects in major universities

What exactly are they?

In addition to Tsinghua Peking University, many well-known universities in China have also issued relevant enrollment plans for individual disciplines and specialists.

Tsinghua University

"Yau Chengtong Mathematics Elite Class"

In 2018, Tsinghua University added the "Chengtong Yau Mathematics Elite Class", with the famous mathematician Chengtong Yau as the chief professor, to help a small number of students with mathematical talents grow rapidly in the field of international mathematics.

According to the enrollment method of Tsinghua University's 11 "Yau Chengtong Mathematics Elite Class" released in November last year, this class recruits third-year graduates of ordinary high schools who meet the registration requirements for the 2023 unified college entrance examination with excellent grades, outstanding innovation potential, and are interested in engaging in mathematical research, and who have shown mathematical potential and expertise during middle school, as well as students in the second year of ordinary high schools. Shortlisted students (except members of the national training team of the Discipline Olympiad for Middle School Students) whose college entrance examination scores reach the admission control score line of the first batch of undergraduate students of the same subject in their province to meet the admission requirements.

Tsinghua University "Chengtong Yau Mathematical Science Leading Talent Training Program"

In 2021, Tsinghua University launched the "Yau Chengtong Mathematical Science Leading Talent Training Program", which recruits 3 outstanding middle school students from all over the world every year, and admits them to Tsinghua University's Mathematics and Applied Mathematics major (eight-year program), relying on Tsinghua University's Qiuzhen College for training, using the "2+3+<>" training model, from undergraduate to doctoral level.

For the Mainland, it mainly recruits first-year high school and second-year high school students, and especially outstanding junior high school third and third year high school students can also apply. Mainland students who have been shortlisted and passed the preparatory examination do not need to take the college entrance examination, and Tsinghua University will directly submit the application to the education authorities of each province for admission.

Peking University "Mathematics Elite Class"

According to the 2023 "Mathematics Elite Class" enrollment brochure of Peking University, the program recruits students in the second and third years of ordinary high schools who are interested in engaging in mathematical research (especially excellent ones can be appropriately relaxed), and those who meet one of the following conditions: the first prize winner of the national final of the Chinese Mathematical Olympiad; or those who have mathematical expertise and have achieved excellent results in mathematics related learning and practical activities at home and abroad.

Candidates who are eligible for admission must register for the college entrance examination of their province (among them, non-graduating candidates will go to their province to make up the college entrance examination according to the notice of Peking University), and the college entrance examination results must reach the local undergraduate admission control line, and students who have obtained the guarantee qualification are admitted according to the guarantee procedure.

University of Science and Technology of China Junior Class, Junior Class "Innovation Pilot Class"

The junior class and the "Innovation Pilot Class" of the junior class of the University of Science and Technology of China are all for the second year of high school and below, and recruit middle school students who have a strong interest in basic disciplines, outstanding specialties in mathematics and science, excellent comprehensive quality, and are interested in serving the major strategic needs of the country and engaging in science and technology work in related fields in the future. Students must pass the preliminary examination, college entrance examination, and re-examination for admission.

The "Innovation Pilot Class" of the junior class of USTC is aimed at basic disciplines and cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields, and is committed to cultivating high-level top-notch innovative talents who lead China's basic scientific research and future technology development. Admitted candidates will combine their professional strengths and interests in the second year of high school, and will be elective in the top and strong majors in various basic disciplines of the school.

Xi'an Jiaotong University "Junior Class"

According to the 2023 "Junior Class" enrollment brochure of Xi'an Jiaotong University, the program enrolls about 200 junior high school students with extraordinary intelligence, all-round development of moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor, and physical and mental health. Students selected for the "junior class" can be directly admitted as college students in the "junior class" of the school without the high school entrance examination; Those who pass the academic performance during the preparatory period can directly enter the undergraduate study of the university without the college entrance examination, and choose the university major according to the academic performance and comprehensive evaluation of the preparatory stage; Those who meet the requirements and conditions of the relevant management regulations of the University during the undergraduate study period of the University can be exempted from the postgraduate entrance examination and directly guaranteed to be a master's student (or long-term doctoral student) of the University.

Southeast University "Junior Student"

According to the 2023 "Junior Students" enrollment brochure of Southeast University, the school plans to enroll no more than 10 science students under the age of 70 with excellent grades, outstanding intelligence, and professional talents and specialties under the age of 30 who are in the second year of high school (inclusive) or below. Students need to take the college entrance examination, and finally be admitted according to the comprehensive score of <>% + <>% of the school test score.

Sichuan University

"Cyber Security Junior"

In 2018, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, Sichuan University began to implement the "Cyber Security Young Students" program. The program mainly selects high school sophomores who have a persistent interest in the field of cyberspace security, are determined to study cyberspace security technology, and have won the first prize of the informatics competition league. As long as they are strictly selected and meet the pre-set standards for the college entrance examination, the selected students can be admitted as undergraduate students majoring in cyberspace security and cultivated through special training programs.

39 universities "strong base plan"

In 2020, the Ministry of Education issued the Opinions on Carrying out the Pilot Work of Basic Discipline Enrollment Reform in Some Colleges and Universities (also known as the "Qiangji Plan"). The "Qiangji Plan" highlights the supporting and leading role of basic disciplines, and the relevant universities combine their own characteristics of running schools, focusing on mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and history, philosophy, paleography and other related majors. So far, a total of 39 universities have implemented the "Strong Foundation Plan".

Taking the 2023 Qiangji Plan Enrollment Brochure of Sichuan University as an example, high school graduates who meet the 2023 college entrance examination registration conditions, have excellent comprehensive quality or top-notch basic disciplines, and are interested in engaging in science and technology in related fields in the future can apply for registration. Candidates who apply for registration are divided into the following two categories: candidates with excellent results in the college entrance examination; Candidates with outstanding talents and performance in related subject areas, who have won the second prize or above in the national finals of the National Five University Olympiad for Middle School Students in high school.

The policy gives such preferential treatment of which students do colleges and universities want to recruit

If we comb through the admissions plans of the above universities, we will find that almost all universities mention such keywords - "specialty", "expertise", "interest", "aspiration".

On April 4, at the 9 Sichuan First New College Entrance Examination Talent Selection and Talent Training Summit Forum held by Chengdu Business Daily, Red Star News, Red Star Education and the admissions offices of eight "double first-class" universities in Sichuan, many college admissions officials also clearly mentioned that the new college entrance examination gives students more subject choices and emphasizes students' personal interests and specialties. The new college entrance examination will also provide a more "silky" admission channel for young people with talent, expertise, love and ambition under the premise of fairness and justice.

We can see that the number of universities participating in the "Qiangji Plan" has increased from 2020 in 36 to 39 today; Following the University of Science and Technology of China, Xi'an Jiaotong University, and Southeast University, Sichuan University has also launched the "Cyber Security Junior Student"; Peking University Tsinghua University has also introduced a relevant training plan for physics talents after the mathematics talent training plan. More and more colleges and universities are opening up special admission channels for some non-traditional "top students" and "partial talents" and "eccentrics" in special fields.

Liao Aimin, deputy director of the admissions office of Sichuan University, told reporters in an interview that colleges and universities are willing to reduce their scores in order to select middle school talents with real "innovation" potential. Although there may still be problems such as insufficient quantity and low quality of talents in the selection and training of top-notch talents in basic disciplines, in the future, it is necessary to gradually improve the selection and evaluation system of top-notch innovative talents in basic disciplines, and take the "strong foundation plan" as the starting point to open up more special channels for students with outstanding talents in basic disciplines, "partial talents" and "eccentric talents".

Some college admissions officers told reporters that in the past, I saw too many students who only scored high but did not love their majors, admitted to top majors but did not know what to do in the future, and finally some students had to change majors or even drop out. The selection of top-notch innovative talents under the new college entrance examination is precisely to break the old model of pure "paper score", emphasize students' love and expertise for majors, accurately select these talented, specialized, loving and ambitious students, and then guide them to the most suitable major.

Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star News reporter Yin Keran