University application results have been announced, and admissions rates and seat utilization rates have slightly increased compared to last year, with vacancies hitting a four-year low. However, the number of vacancies in medical programs has reached a five-year high. Vacancies at the nation’s top universities — National Taiwan University (NTU), National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) — remain high, warranting serious attention.
Reviewing this year’s university placement results, although the number of overall vacancies has decreased, NTU has 188 vacancies, NTHU has 52 vacancies, NYCU has 135 vacancies, National Chengchi University has 183 vacancies and NCKU has as many as 237. Medical programs are short 137 seats in self-funded tracks and six seats in publicly funded tracks. Chung Shan Medical University originally planned to admit 70 students, but only placed 39 — a vacancy rate of nearly 50 percent.
The head of the College Admissions Committee stated that the number of applicants to medical programs has increased, and that they remain a top choice among high-scoring candidates. Thus, the vacancies likely stem from applicants being admitted to multiple universities simultaneously and securing admission through the Stars Program — through which schools directly recommend their top students to universities for admission — thereby leaving several vacancies after a competitive selection process. Although this explanation appears reasonable, it fails to address the core of the issue.
Declining birthrates have led to insufficient placements in lower-tier universities, undoubtedly driven by supply and demand. However, the phenomenon of top medical and elite university programs being passed over is the result of institutional flaws.
Some have suggested increasing the screening multiplier — the mechanism that uses a department’s planned intake to determine the maximum number of students who advance to the second round of application reviews — while others have proposed expanding the number of waitlisted candidates, arguing that such measures would solve the problem. However, screening ratios are already set at three to five times the admission quota. A further increase would lead to a number of issues.
First, it would increase the administrative burden on university departments, making it difficult to recruit qualified personnel. Second, the resulting increase in revenue could lead to accusations of profiteering. Lastly, the probability of getting admitted would decrease, leaving most applicants with nothing to show for their efforts. Expanding the screening multiplier would not fundamentally resolve the underlying problem — it would only introduce additional drawbacks. Similarly, increasing the number of waitlisted candidates might slightly alleviate the vacancy issue to some extent, but it is not a fundamental solution.
Under the current university application system, students may list up to six preferences. However, listing too many options can lead to duplicate admissions. This year, NTU allowed up to five department choices and NTHU up to six. Driven by a preference for prestigious universities, students often select multiple departments within the same institution, resulting in multiple admissions and vacancies in the final allocation process.
Similar to the exam-based placement system, the number of preferences allowed in the university application process should be significantly expanded to allow for a choice of up to 50 university departments per applicant. After ranking their preferences, candidates would then be automatically filtered by the system, allowing a maximum of four university departments to pass the initial selection.
Without being constrained by a limited number of choices, applicants could freely select programs according to their interests.
This would not only reduce cases of high scorers being placed in lower-ranked universities or failing to gain admission at all, but it would also alleviate scheduling conflicts in admissions exams and interviews, further resolving the vacancy problem — a comprehensive, one-stop solution.
The university application system has been in place for many years, and accounts for half of university admissions. However, top medical programs and elite universities continue to experience annual vacancies, and no action has been taken.
This not only undermines university admissions, but harms innocent students.
The authorities must repair the gaps in the system by expanding the number of selectable preferences for university applicants, revising and strengthening supporting measures and thoroughly eliminating this major institutional flaw.
Wen Shun-te is a senior-high school principal.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
