by Jenny Shern The door to higher academia is creaking open wider, nudge by nudge. You can now enter a university not only through the Joint College Entrance Exam (JCEE), but also through the “recommendation exam” program, initiated just this year, or the “gifted students” program, now in its fourth year. Both alternative channels of college admission aim to identify and select the top students in each senior high school. The recommendation exam differs from the gifted student program in that students participating in the former must do well in all subjects, whereas gifted student program candidates require a high level of competence in only one designated area.
For the English recommendation exam, students can be nominated by their senior high schools if their average grades in all subjects, including English, are in the top tenth percentile. If they then pass an exam held by the College Entrance Examination Center in five designated subjects, they are eligible to participate in an English exam held by the universities. “Gifted students” must be among the top two percent in their schools in English, and maintain an average of above 75 in humanities-related subjects, in order to be recommended to participate in a joint aptitude and intelligence test. If they pass, the students are sent to a six-day English camp where they are further tested in English composition, reading and listening comprehension, and oral skills. Finally, the students are assigned to a university program, based on their scores and individual preferences. Most “gifted students” seem generally satisfied with the program. A typical reaction: “I like it. We don’t need to take the Joint College Entrance Exam, but just have to be competent in English to enter a good university.” And the benefits work both ways; special admission programs enable universities to recruit top students in each specialty, thus enhancing their overall program. On the other hand, while special admission students are usually glad to have an “easy in” to a university, department courses do not always jive with their interests. There is also the danger that special admission students start to rest on their laurels in English, and fail to advance in other academic areas. How do other students react to having special admission students in the department? “I can’t even sense their presence. I don’t think they’re any different from the rest of us,” said one freshman. Some, however, think otherwise. “Special admission students have special privileges,” commented another freshman. “This year, department policy allows them more freedom in selecting courses; for example, they can skip Freshman English and get an early start on a second foreign language.” Some regular admission freshmen end up feeling neglected. They feel that the special admission students get the best foreign professors in the department, and that professors usually pay more attention to them and make higher demands of them. Other sophomores, juniors and seniors have observed that professors usually get to know the special admission students first. Some regard it as unfair that the special admission students should receive so much one-to-one attention. And some of the special admission students will admit that certain professors do expect more from them. “Since special admission students are generally more confident of themselves, they tend to ask more questions and stand out in the tougher classes, like Intro to Western Lit,” remarked one special admission student. Another common phenomenon among freshmen is the feeling of being pressured by the special admission students, while at the same time desiring to emulate them. Some are intimidated or even shocked when they discover just how well the special admission students can handle English. The tables may be turned, however, after the freshman year. Regular admission students may discover they do better than their special admission classmates in elective courses in which language ability is of only secondary importance. Some special admission students add that they at times feel pressured or overwhelmed by other students as well. Their classmates expect them to excel in many areas, including leading discussions, being assigned to the top oral training classes, or turning up on the Dean’s List. They often find others’ expectations hard to live up to, and feel that they are not really as terrific as everyone seems to think they should be. On the whole, most students seem to conclude that special admission programs are a good way of getting into college. And some regular admission students feel that the programs are necessary in order to maintain a high level of achievement in the department for other students to measure themselves against. a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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