Gaokao reveals unhealthy college contest

Peking University and Tsinghua University, the two most prestigious institutions of higher education, dived head on into a competition to attract top scorers immediately after the results of the national college entrance examination (known in Chinese as gaokao) were announced. Media reports say the two highest scorers from Hebei province were admitted by the two universities on the very night the results were announced.

The education authorities have instructed the exam departments not to release the details of the top scorers. But every year the top scorers have drawn the attention of the media, schools and the public alike, and the competition between the country's two top universities has exposed the unhealthy college admission criteria. The two universities' emphasis on scores reflects not only their weakness for top scorers, but also their neglect for cultivating talent.

Generally, good universities across the world organize follow-up surveys to analyze their graduates' performances and interaction with people in the real world, and adjust their admission criteria according to the results. Some reports suggest a few universities have reduced their admission quotas for Asian students after their surveys found that even Asian students who score high marks lack creativity and the ability to plan out their lives.