University admissions 2025: When the virtual world outweighs the real one.

Ensuring fairness for candidates

According to the Ministry of Education and Training's guidelines, the virtual filtering process consists of six rounds. The first round is on August 17th, and the final round is on the afternoon of August 20th. This process aims to ensure that each candidate is only admitted to one of their registered preferences, following the principle of considering preferences from the first to the last.

Once a candidate is accepted into a particular program, the system will stop there and remove them from the virtual admissions list in subsequent rounds. This helps to reduce the number of candidates who are accepted but not actually enrolled, and allows universities to implement their admissions plans more conveniently and accurately.

After the virtual filtering process is completed (5 PM on August 20th), training institutions will enter the admission scores and selection results into the system. They will then review and prepare to announce the first round of admission results according to the general schedule. Universities may announce the cutoff scores from 5 PM on August 20th to 5 PM on August 22nd (this regulation does not apply to police and military schools).

This year, Hanoi University of Science and Technology continues to chair the Northern virtual filtering group. Ho Chi Minh City National University is in charge of the Southern virtual filtering group.

Associate Professor Vu Duy Hai, Head of the Admissions and Career Guidance Board at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, stated that for Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the task of leading the Northern region's virtual filtering group has been implemented for many years and has become a unified, rigorous, and accurate process.

Each step in the selection process is a commitment to society regarding transparency and accountability from the entire team. Candidate registration data must be kept confidential, securely stored, and readily available for cross-checking upon request.

With these adjustments this year, Hanoi University of Science and Technology has collaborated with other units in the group to update and refine the software, adjust processes, and develop a comprehensive technical solution for the entire system.

Mr. Hai believes that, from a technical perspective, the virtual filtering process is like a "test" for the information technology system of Hanoi University of Science and Technology. The massive amount of data transmitted continuously in a short period requires a stable infrastructure and rigorous backup and verification procedures. This also necessitates contingency plans for various unforeseen situations. Most importantly, the virtual filtering process must ensure absolute accuracy, fairness, and transparency throughout the entire admissions process.

A large number of students are admitted through fraudulent means in lower-ranked schools.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, this year, nearly 850,000 candidates registered for university entrance exams. The total number of registered applications was approximately 7.6 million, averaging nearly 9 applications per candidate. In previous years, the average number of applications was around 5 per candidate. The reason for the surge in the number of registered applications is that this year there was no early admissions process; all of the candidates' applications were "gambled" on this initial filtering process.

In 2025, the total number of applicants to the National Economics University is expected to increase by approximately 25% compared to 2024. At the Banking Academy, the number of applicants is projected to increase by 26% in 2025 compared to 2024, with one-third of applicants holding international certificates. According to Mr. Nguyen Quang Trung, Deputy Head of the Communications and Admissions Department at the University of Commerce, the number of applications has increased 1.5 times compared to 2024, leading the university to predict that the cut-off scores may be higher than initially expected.

This year, preliminary statistics show a significant increase in the number of candidates with English certificates such as IELTS, TOEFL ITP, APTIS (General), APTIS (Advanced), and VSTEP applying to the Academy of Journalism and Communication compared to 2024, estimated at tens of thousands of applications. Although the average score for English in the high school graduation exam is low, the converted scores from these certificates still result in high admission scores. It is predicted that the majors with the highest admission scores will remain the popular ones in the field of journalism and communication, such as Multimedia Communication, Marketing Communication, Television Journalism, and Online Journalism.

This year, the number of applications has surged, while the number of applicants has only increased by about 100,000, equivalent to the increase in enrollment quotas at universities. The unusually high number of applications at some higher education institutions does not necessarily mean they will fill their quotas or select the right students. Because early admissions were not conducted this year, and some applicants registered for multiple options, the filtering process is based on the ranking of applicants' preferences. Therefore, having many applications does not necessarily mean a high cutoff score, and having few applications does not necessarily mean a low cutoff score. Lower-ranked universities are often considered safer choices for many applicants.

When the Ministry of Education and Training announced the distribution of scores for the high school graduation exam, experts predicted that universities would use the same cutoff scores as in previous years, which were 25/30 points or lower, but this year the cutoff scores would drop significantly. Associate Professor Dr. Le Dinh Tung, Vice Rector of Hanoi Medical University, affirmed that the cutoff scores for the university's top majors would remain the same or slightly higher than last year (from 28/30 points or higher).

Hanoi University of Science and Technology is predicted to have many top-tier majors with admission scores ranging from 26.5 to over 28 points. Therefore, for schools and majors with high admission scores in previous years, it is unlikely they will decrease this year. The competition this year will be among the top 2 and 3 schools and majors.