University Admission Flashcards

In China's Gaokao system, '平行志愿' (parallel preferences/parallel volunteers) means:

Answer: Students can list multiple universities at the same preference level, and admission proceeds by score order checking each in sequence until one accepts

'平行志愿' allows students to list A, B, C, D universities at the same preference tier. Admission computers check A first; if unqualified, proceed to B, then C, then D — in order of the student's list.

The '985 Project' (985工程) and '211 Project' (211工程) in Chinese higher education refer to:

Answer: Elite university designation programs where selected universities receive special funding and resources to develop into world-class research institutions

985 Project (launched 1998): top 39 universities receiving major funding for world-class development. 211 Project (1995): 116 key universities receiving significant national investment. Both were superseded by the '双一流' (Double First-class) initiative in 2017.

The '高考移民' (Gaokao migration) phenomenon refers to:

Answer: Students registering in provinces with lower Gaokao admission thresholds to improve their chances of entering elite universities

'Gaokao migration' involves students registering their exam residency (户籍) in provinces with relatively more lenient admission scores (e.g., Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Xinjiang) to gain admission advantage to top universities.

In the reformed Gaokao system (新高考, implemented in most provinces from 2021), students in '3+1+2' provinces choose their elective subjects as:

Answer: 3 required subjects (Chinese, Math, English) + 1 required choice (Physics or History) + 2 electives from remaining 4 subjects

'3+1+2' means: 3 required (语数英) + 1 mandatory choice (Physics or History, graded on absolute score) + 2 freely chosen from Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Politics (graded on rank-conversion score).

What is the '专项计划' (special quota program) in Chinese university admissions designed for?

Answer: Providing additional quota spots for rural students from underdeveloped areas to attend elite universities

'专项计划' (special quota programs) include 农村专项 (rural special quotas) and 地方专项 (regional special quotas) to improve access to top universities for students from rural and underdeveloped areas.

The phrase '一本' (yī běn, First Tier) in Chinese university admissions refers to:

Answer: The first batch of universities in the traditional admission system, generally including key national universities with higher admission score cutoffs

'一本' refers to the first admission batch (第一批次) in the traditional system, which included key national universities (211/985) with higher score thresholds. 二本 was the second batch with lower thresholds.