New student withdraws application because of being assigned to a major against his/her wishes, what does the school say?

Many new students of the International University (Ho Chi Minh City National University) decided to withdraw their applications just a few days after the school announced the results of their majors.

By the afternoon of September 10th, 16 new students at the International University (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) had withdrawn their applications after learning that their assigned majors did not match their initially chosen fields of study - Illustration photo AI

The reason is that new students are being placed in majors that don't match their initial preferences, causing considerable anxiety and frustration for many families.

Classified as an "unusual" profession.

On September 6th, the International University announced the results of the major assignments for new students of the 2025 cohort. However, many parents said they were extremely surprised to find their children assigned to majors that they had not applied for.

Ms. T., a parent in Ho Chi Minh City, said that her daughter applied for admission to the logistics and supply chain management major (this major is grouped by the school within the engineering field along with many other majors) and has been accepted into the school.

"However, it wasn't until enrollment that my child learned they couldn't be admitted to their chosen major and had to participate in an allocation process based on the school's preferences and scores."

"When the subject allocation results came out, I was assigned to civil engineering. I was confused because I didn't know why I was assigned to that major, when I hadn't even applied for it. The family decided to withdraw the application and transfer to a more suitable school," she said.

On the morning of September 8th, many parents and new students also came to the school to withdraw their applications. Some expressed frustration that their children had been assigned to majors completely different from their initial plans. This led them to decide to take their children to other schools to seek opportunities to study their preferred major and to keep up with the academic year schedule.

The announcement of major allocation results after students have completed their enrollment deprives many of the opportunity to choose a university or major again from the beginning. Many new students confide that they feel confused, disoriented, and at risk of studying a field unrelated to their major throughout their four years of university.

"The university ensures fairness in the subject allocation process."

Speaking to Tuổi Trẻ newspaper , Ms. Nguyen Thanh Tam, Deputy Head of the Undergraduate Training Department at the International University, confirmed that as of the afternoon of September 10th , 16 new students had withdrawn their applications after learning their major assignment results. The university has processed the withdrawals and refunded the tuition fees.

According to Mr. Tam, the school's major allocation process is carried out almost identically to the university admission principles stipulated by the Ministry of Education and Training . When candidates are admitted to a group of majors, they will register their preferred majors in order of priority.

The school then reviews each candidate's score and assigns them to specific majors in descending order, until that major is filled, at which point they move on to the next preferred choice.

"The university has two main admission methods: high school graduation exam scores and aptitude test scores. When considering majors, we will choose the score that is most advantageous for the student. This approach aims to ensure fairness and increase the chances of students getting into their desired major," Mr. Tam said.

According to him, about 90% of students are assigned to their first or second choice major. However, more than 10% of students are dissatisfied because they have to study their third or fourth choice major. Given the limited enrollment quota for each major, this is unavoidable.

There are opportunities to pursue a double major or switch majors after the first year.

To address this situation, the school's leadership stated that they have implemented a dual-major program for students within the same field of study. Accordingly, students studying a first major can still enroll in a second major if they have a good academic record or higher. The knowledge base between the two majors within the same group may overlap by 60-70%, so studying concurrently does not create excessive pressure.

"For example, civil engineering students can enroll in a logistics program after their second year. They only need to complete the different modules between the two majors to receive two official degrees upon graduation," Mr. Tam explained.

Associate Professor Dr. Dinh Duc Anh Vu - Vice Rector of the university - added that the school's management board has decided to provide special support for students in the 2025 cohort.

If students initially enroll in logistics but are assigned to a different major, after completing their first major, they will be exempt from tuition fees for additional courses required to obtain a logistics degree.

"From now on, the school is also strengthening its training capacity to be able to accept more students transferring majors next year. After the first year, if students achieve good academic results, they can absolutely apply to transfer majors within the group without incurring any additional time or cost," Mr. Vu affirmed.

The admissions information needs to be clearer.

Despite the school's support policies, many parents still believe that admissions information needs to be more public and transparent, especially regarding opportunities to enter each major within the group.

"If my child had known they would be assigned to civil engineering, they wouldn't have chosen this field in the first place. It's unacceptable to wait until after enrollment to announce the official majors," one parent shared.

The group-based admissions process allows universities to be more proactive in their training programs, but it also demands greater responsibility in advising prospective students. For students, choosing a major is a crucial decision that impacts their entire future career path.

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TRAN HUYNH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tan-sinh-vien-rut-ho-so-vi-bi-phan-nganh-trai-nguyen-vong-truong-noi-gi-20250910214530496.htm