Many top schools still consider transcript scores as "attached"

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - At many top universities, academic transcripts are still used in admissions but as an "attachment".

To date, many universities have stopped using high school transcripts in admissions. However, a number of top universities still continue to use transcripts for admissions, but only as an "additional" criterion.

According to the latest information from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, in 2025, the university will discontinue using academic transcripts as a separate admission method, but will continue to use them in the combined admission method with specialized aptitude test scores.

Students at a college admissions fair in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Hoai Nam).

Accordingly, in the specialized exam, candidates only need to take one main subject from the admission combinations. For the remaining two subjects, the school will use the average score of the six semesters from grades 10, 11, and 12. The weighting of the scores between the main subject and the other two subjects may change, with the main subject receiving a higher weight.

This is a combined admissions method that the school has been using consistently since 2024 and is considering continuing to use it in this year's admissions season.

According to a representative from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, the university maintains the use of academic transcripts in combination with competency assessment scores for admissions to avoid exam pressure for candidates, especially in the context of the 2018 General Education Program which has undergone many changes.

At the same time, the school is also considering using a greater weighting in the specialized aptitude test for admissions this year.

At the University of Technology (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) - one of the leading universities in the country in the field of engineering - high school transcripts are a small component among many components of the comprehensive admission method.

High school transcript scores are used in the comprehensive admission method of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, along with many other criteria depending on the applicant, such as the aptitude test score of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, high school graduation scores, international certificates, etc.

Not to mention, the school also takes into account interview scores, achievements in arts and sports, and social activities.

At the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City), academic transcripts are only a small part of the first method of direct admission and priority admission.

Specifically, this includes admission based on high school academic results for candidates with outstanding achievements, especially in social activities, arts, and sports .

Admission is based on high school academic results combined with IELTS, TOEFL iBT certificates, or Vietnamese language proficiency for candidates who graduated from a foreign high school program.

Admission to the 2+2 joint training program with foreign countries, majoring in English and Chinese, will be based on a combination of high school transcripts and international certificates.

According to the admissions plan of Ho Chi Minh City Open University, in 2025, the university will offer direct admission and priority consideration in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training; admission based on high school graduation exam results; admission based on the VSAT exam and the aptitude test of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City; and admission based on the university's own scheme.

With this school's unique admission method, academic transcripts are used in the following order of priority: candidates with good academic and behavioral records + foreign language certificate; candidates with good academic and behavioral records; academic transcript + international foreign language certificate; and admission based on academic transcripts.

According to the leader of a university in Ho Chi Minh City, many universities still use academic transcripts in admissions because evaluating transcripts offers certain advantages for both the educational institution and the candidates.

Students can proactively choose their schools during their high school studies, reducing exam pressure, and schools can also proactively manage their student recruitment.

However, according to him, school transcripts are now less considered an independent admissions method by schools, especially public schools, due to their "somewhat lack of reliability".

Therefore, schools using academic transcripts along with other criteria such as high school graduation scores, foreign language certificates, and scores from their own entrance exams can both reduce pressure and ensure quality.

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology still uses academic transcripts in its comprehensive admissions method (Photo: Hoai Nam).

The Ministry of Education and Training also recommends that schools should set an additional minimum quality assurance threshold (cutoff score) based on the high school graduation exam score for the academic transcript-based admission method.

Furthermore, to ensure the quality of academic transcripts and prevent candidates from neglecting their studies, according to the revised admission regulations, if applying for admission based on academic transcripts, the second semester of the 12th grade must also be considered.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nhieu-truong-top-dau-van-xet-diem-hoc-ba-theo-dien-dinh-kem-20250304101433998.htm