Using AI to help students choose the right major

The record 7.6 million applications for the 2025 college admissions season has heightened concerns about choosing the wrong major. Using AI to support career guidance could help students choose the right major and study the right subjects.

Báo Tuổi Trẻ•14/10/2025

AI - Ảnh 1. — Students gather information at the University Admissions Application Fair organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper - Photo: THANH HIEP

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) to career guidance will yield results ranging from analyzing student abilities and forecasting labor market trends to suggesting smart application strategies. This presents a new opportunity for the 2008-born generation of students to choose the right major and university, reducing pressure and boosting their confidence before entering university.

I don't fully understand the field I'm going to choose.

The 2025 university admissions season has seen a record number of applications. Over 849,000 candidates submitted 7.6 million applications, averaging nearly 9 applications per student – almost double the number from 2024.

This reflects the mindset that the more applications you submit, the more secure you feel. However, in reality, nearly 20% of admitted students do not confirm their enrollment, not to mention many who, after being admitted, become uninterested in their chosen field, leading to switching majors, dropping out, and wasting time and money. The core issue is not the number of applications, but whether you truly understand which field suits you best.

For many years, students primarily chose their majors based on: exam scores compared to previous years' cutoff scores; opinions from parents, teachers, and friends; available information; or social trends ("hot" majors). This approach easily leads to "choosing a major based on trends." Many students only realize after one or two years of study that their major is not suitable, forcing them to change direction or drop out.

Two major changes to the 2025 university entrance exam are the elimination of early admissions and the conversion of exam scores to a single scale. This makes it difficult for both students and admissions experts to predict the cut-off scores, thus, with the old career guidance system, it is inevitable that candidates will register for many different options to reduce risk.

5 steps to applying AI

The development of AI brings about a new approach. AI is not just a search or word processing tool, but is also becoming a "career guidance companion" for students.

Step 1 - Collecting Personal Learning Data: Students use their subject scores, mock exam results, extracurricular activities, hobbies, talents, and AI to scan transcripts and study logs, automatically compiling them into a "personal competency map".

Step 2 - Take a career aptitude test with AI: Students can use free websites or AI tools instead of traditional paper tests. Use the results to have the AI analyze your answers, matching them to career data in Vietnam to provide various scenarios for your reference, such as: which career groups suit you, and which career groups should you avoid.

Step 3 - Using AI to understand labor market trends: While previously it was difficult to find information about the labor market, now AI can read job reports and forecast workforce needs for the next 5-10 years simply by having users know the keywords. For example, the semiconductor, logistics, information technology, and healthcare industries are all analyzed by AI based on real job data.

Step 4 - Create a matrix of future career paths: The AI can be tasked with "simulating" three scenarios related to academic ability and admission scores (high - average - low). For each scenario, the AI suggests options in three groups: Dream - Feasible - Safe. This allows students to have a personalized career path map, reducing the pressure of randomly submitting dozens of choices.

Step 5 - Plan your goals and discuss with real people: Before officially submitting your application, discuss the AI results with your teachers, parents, and admissions advisors. The AI provides you with data, but the final decision is yours, based on your own circumstances and desires.

Based on the data

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Therefore, while AI can do many things, remember that it is just a tool. By combining machines, heart, and reason, you will be able to choose a career path that is both data-driven and aligned with your passion, and confidently enter the 2026 university entrance exams.

In other words, AI cannot replace the role of humans, but it is a powerful tool that helps both students and parents feel more confident in their decisions about choosing majors and universities.

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Dr. Le Thi Thanh Mai

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dung-ai-giup-hoc-sinh-chon-dung-nganh-2025101409344537.htm