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

Many new students of 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afternoon of September 10, 16 new students of the International University (Ho Chi Minh City National University) had withdrawn their applications after learning that the results of their majors did not match their initial chosen majors - Illustrative photo AI

The reason is that new students are placed in majors that do not match their initial wishes, causing many families to worry and be upset.

Classified in a "strange" industry

On September 6, International University announced the results of major classification for new students of the 2025 class. However, many parents said they were extremely surprised when their children were placed in a major that the candidates did not register their wishes 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 (which the school classifies in the engineering group with many different majors) and was admitted to the school.

"However, when my child entered school, he found out that he could not study the major he had chosen and had to participate in a placement process based on the school's wishes and scores.

When the results of the major were out, I was placed in the construction engineering major. I was confused because I didn't know why I was placed in that major, even though I didn't register. My family decided to withdraw my application to transfer to another more suitable school," she said.

On the morning of September 8, many parents and new students also came to the school to withdraw their applications. Some people were upset when their children were assigned to a major completely different from their original orientation. This made them decide to send their children to other schools to find opportunities to study their favorite major and to keep up with the school year's progress.

Announcing the results of the major after the students have completed their enrollment causes many students to lose the opportunity to re-choose their school or major from the beginning. Many new students confided that they felt confused, disoriented, and at risk of studying the wrong major during their four years of university.

"The school considers the division of majors to ensure fairness"

Speaking to Tuoi Tre , MSc. Nguyen Thanh Tam - Deputy Head of the University Training Department of the International University - confirmed that as of the afternoon of September 10, 16 new students had submitted applications to withdraw their applications after learning the results of their majors. The school has resolved the withdrawal and refunded the money paid.

According to Mr. Tam, the school's major classification process is implemented in a similar way to the university admission principles prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training . When candidates are admitted to a major group, they will register their major preferences in order of priority.

The school then considers each candidate's score and assigns them to majors in descending order, until that major has enough quota, then moves on to the next choice.

"The school has two main admission methods: high school graduation exam scores and competency assessment scores. When considering majors, we will choose the score that is most beneficial for students. This method is to ensure fairness and increase the students' chances of getting into the desired major," said Mr. Tam.

According to him, about 90% of students are assigned to majors according to their first or second choice. However, there are still about 10% of students who have to study majors from their third or fourth choice, so they are not satisfied. In the context of limited quotas for each major, this is inevitable.

Opportunity to study double major or change major after first year

To address this situation, the school’s leadership said it has implemented a dual-major training program for students in the same major group. Accordingly, students studying the first major can still register to study the second major if they have good academic performance or better. The knowledge base between two majors in the same group can overlap by 60-70%, so studying in parallel does not cause too much pressure.

"For example, students majoring in construction engineering can register to study logistics after their second year. They only need to complete the different modules between the two majors to receive two regular degrees after graduation," said Mr. Tam.

Associate Professor Dr. Dinh Duc Anh Vu - Vice Principal of the school - added that the board of directors has decided to provide special support for students of the 2025 class.

If students initially register for logistics but are assigned to another major, after completing the first major program, they will be exempted from tuition fees for additional credits to obtain a logistics degree.

"Right now, the school is also increasing 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 completely apply to change majors within the group without spending any more time or money," Mr. Vu affirmed.

Need more clarity in admission information

Although the school has support policies, many parents still believe that admission information needs to be more public and transparent, especially regarding opportunities to enter each major in the group.

"If my child had known that he would be assigned to the construction engineering major, he would not have chosen this major from the beginning. We cannot wait until after school to announce the official major," one parent shared.

Admission by major group helps schools to be proactive in training, but also requires greater responsibility in advising candidates. Because for candidates, choosing a major is an important decision, affecting their entire future career journey.

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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