Candidates should not register for too many university preferences.

This year's university and college admissions season has seen many universities and colleges introduce different admission methods to meet the needs of applicants, such as opening new majors and subject combinations for admission. The admissions regulations this year also have some changes for both applicants and universities.

However, experts advise that to maximize their chances of admission, candidates should carefully research information about each school and avoid applying to too many options.

According to the circular amending and supplementing some articles of the Regulations on university and college admissions for teacher training programs of the Ministry of Education and Training, this year's admissions process has 4 changes compared to 2017.

Specifically, the regional priority points in the admissions process have been reduced to just 0.25 points, half the amount from last year. The Ministry of Education and Training does not set a "minimum score" for training programs, except for teacher training programs.

This year, admission scores are rounded to two decimal places instead of to 0.25 points as before, and universities must publicly disclose the employment rate of their graduates one year after graduation for the previous two years.

These changes are all aimed at restoring autonomy to universities in the admissions process, reducing the inadequacies of preferential points in the selection process, and adding more information channels for candidates to choose their majors and universities.

Following the changes in regulations, many universities and colleges nationwide have altered their admission methods, admission requirements, and opened new majors. In particular, many schools have introduced new subject combinations for admission to meet the needs of candidates, such as: Literature, History, English; Literature, Civic Education, Foreign Language; Mathematics, Biology, History, etc.

Mr. Bui Xuan Nam, Vice Rector of the University of Mining and Geology, stated: "In 2018, the University of Mining and Geology will continue to conduct admissions according to the three methods set by the Ministry of Education and Training. In particular, for some majors within the university, we have expanded the exam subjects to increase choices for students. However, we still ensure that the core requirement is that all majors include Mathematics, which is a fundamental subject. It can be said that it is a subject that can be learned in any profession if one has a good understanding of mathematics."

Along with announcing admission information, schools also announce incentives for each training program, especially those with specific characteristics, to attract applicants, such as scholarships and job placement assistance.

According to Mr. Tran Khac Thac, deputy head of the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training Department at the Water Resources University, the reason some majors are struggling to recruit students is not because graduates are unemployed, but because of changes in students' career choices.

These students want easy jobs with high salaries in big cities, so they don't like technical fields that require hard study and work in specialized environments.

"The Water Resources University has some majors that are difficult to recruit students for, such as Marine Engineering, Hydrology, Hydraulic Engineering, and a few others. However, these majors are essential for socio-economic development, so the university continues to maintain and promote them."

"For majors that are difficult to recruit students for but are in demand by society, the school currently has many policies and mechanisms in place. For example, incentives for students during their studies, job placement assistance, and connections with businesses and employers," Mr. Thac said.

University leaders advise candidates to carefully consider information about majors, professions, and job opportunities before registering for admission. Even though the Ministry of Education and Training has abolished the minimum admission score and universities have expanded admission methods with many new subject combinations, candidates must still possess genuine ability to succeed in university programs. If the subject combination for admission differs significantly from the curriculum, learning will be difficult because students will not have the same fundamental knowledge base.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Hiep, Rector of Hanoi University of Industrial Textile and Garment, advised: "Although the Ministry has abolished the minimum entrance score, if the entrance score is too low, the training process will be very difficult. Secondly, it is very likely that students with excessively low entrance scores will not have the capacity to absorb the knowledge at the university level. It is very possible that they will drop out of university, leading to unnecessary waste for their families, society, and the school."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phung, Head of the Higher Education Department, Ministry of Education and Training, also stated that while candidates can register for multiple preferences, they will only be admitted to one preference that matches their exam scores in each admission round.

If you have chosen a field of study that matches your abilities and interests, and is in high demand from businesses, you should apply for three to five majors. These should include a lower-than-average major, a major equal to your ability, and a major higher-than-average major to guide your career path.

Candidates should not register for too many options, or apply to majors and universities that do not match their abilities in order to get into university at all costs, because they may not be able to keep up with the training program or find a job after graduation.