Students nowadays still prefer central universities, located in big cities like Hanoi and HCM City, to schools in more rural areas, which explains why until now, when the new school year began two weeks ago, many universities have not enrolled enough students.

Students register to study at Hue city University

Many universities are still trying to enroll students to study at third choice schools (those failed exams at their first and second choices universities, can try to register study at a third university). Yet there are not many students left.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau University in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, is seeking 1000 more students for some departments, including information technology, petrochemical construction work technology, cooking technology, accounting and business administration, and English. Le Van Toan, Head of the Training Division of the university, reported the school has received only 200 applications for university level (4-year training) and 200 for junior college level (3-year training).

Central Highlands University is also trying to enroll students for 10 majors, including ones in high demand in the area, including food preservation and processing, environment technology, biology, and vegetation protection.

However, an official from the training division of the school admitted there are not many applications, because students today do not like studying agriculture and forestry. They think that they will have to work hard after graduation, while their salaries will not be high.

Dong Thap University in Dong Thap province is seeking 551 students for some majors, including land management, cultural management, social works, English, Chinese and graphic design. Students only need university entrance exam marks equal to the floor mark announced by the Ministry of Education and Training to be enrolled. Still, the school’s leaders anticipate it will be very difficult to enroll enough students.

At Hue University, a big university in the central region, nearly all member schools of the university are seeking students under their third choice. The University of Foreign Languages at Hue University is looking for 85 students, the University of Agriculture and Forestry is looking for 100, while the Medical and Pharmaceutical University needs 118 more. Other schools, including the Pedagogical University and the University of Sciences are in the same bind.

Even study branches considered as “hot” majors lack enough students. In Ba Ria-Vung Tau, the province famous for the oil and gas industry and tourism, the university finds it difficult to enroll students for petrochemistry, business administration and tourism.

Binh Duong University in Binh Duong province is now also seeking third choice students for popular study branches like business administration and banking.

It would surprise everyone to know that these universities received very high numbers of applications every year, but lack students. In 2010, nearly 31,000 students in Lam Dong province registered to sit university entrance exams. Of these, 4800 students registered to study at Da Lat University in the province. Of the 49,711 students in Dak Lak province, registering to sit the university entrance exams, 14,855 students registered to study at Central Highlands University in the province.

The problem is that students only register at the universities, but they do not take the entrance exams.

In theory, choosing these universities would be a wise choice, because this allows them to save money in travel and accommodation. Few make this choice, because good students prefer studying at big schools in big cities. Meanwhile, students with low learning abilities do not pass the exams.

Source: Nguoi lao dong