Universities lower admission cutoff scores but still lack students

Many private universities as well as major public schools are repeatedly having to conduct additional admissions, particularly at branch campuses

In some cases, admission scores are already low, yet universities have still failed to fill their quotas

Several private universities in HCMC, including Hong Bang International University, Hoa Sen University, Gia Dinh University, Van Lang University and Nguyen Tat Thanh University, have conducted additional admissions for several consecutive years, with some holding multiple rounds

Major <a href="https://jiuniversity.com/fiu-ranks-among-top-25-public-universities-in-times-americas-best-colleges/" title="FIU ranks among top 25 public universities in TIME’s America’s Best Colleges”>public universities have also had to recruit additional students after the main admissions round, particularly at branch campuses. Within Vietnam National University, HCMC, the International University conducts additional admissions almost every year.

Ton Duc Thang University also regularly recruits additional students, particularly at its branch campuses, despite relatively low admission scores. University of Economics HCMC has also conducted additional admissions at its Vinh Long campus

A university representative said additional admissions are not inherently negative, and one year of additional recruitment is not enough to assess a university’s quality or brand. However, if the situation continues for many years and involves large numbers of students, the university needs to reassess its appeal to applicants

According to the representative, applicants may gradually develop the perception that such a university is “easy to get into,” potentially affecting its long-term brand positioning.

Possible reasons include quotas being set too high, academic programs failing to match market demand, admitted students choosing not to enroll, or intensifying competition among universities. Therefore, additional admissions should not automatically be equated with a weak university. The real concern is when the situation persists without the university identifying the causes or implementing changes.

University admissions should not focus solely on filling quotas. The goal should be to make students actively choose a university in the first admissions round.

A strong brand should create the perception that “if you want to study here, you have to apply now,” rather than “leave it for later; the university will still be recruiting if needed.”

Additional admissions should therefore be viewed as a short-term adjustment mechanism. In the long term, universities need to strengthen the appeal of their academic programs, education quality, employment prospects and brand value

The representative said it is particularly concerning that not only private universities but also branch campuses of major public universities have to conduct additional admissions. This poses a difficult challenge in maintaining and building a university brand.

A university may have a strong reputation at its main campus, high admission scores and strong appeal among applicants. But when it opens a branch in another locality, students do not automatically assume that “branch campus = main campus.” They still have questions about the location, faculty, facilities, internship and employment opportunities, degree credentials and opportunities for further study.

Opening a branch campus can help a university expand its scale and pursue its development strategy, he said. But making that branch genuinely attractive is a different challenge. If a branch has to recruit additional students every year, particularly when its admission threshold is already low, the question is no longer simply “How can we fill the quota?” but “Why are students still not choosing us?”

Universities should not recruit students at all costs

While many universities are trying every possible way to fill their quotas, some are willing to leave places vacant rather than conduct additional admissions

“We can have five to 10 vacant places, but that does not mean we should recruit students at all costs. If we lower the admission score too far, we may fill the quota, but it could damage the university’s brand,” a university rector said

Assoc. Prof. Do Van Dung, former rector of HCMC University of Technology and Education, said having to recruit large numbers of additional students, particularly after lowering admission thresholds, is a negative sign. Parents and applicants can easily interpret it as evidence that the university lacks students and therefore has to lower its standards

However, the impact varies. Top universities or highly sought-after programs are unlikely to suffer significant reputational damage from limited additional recruitment. By contrast, universities or programs that are already less attractive and repeatedly recruit large numbers of additional students can easily acquire a reputation for being “easy to get into,” which could affect the perceived value of their degrees.

According to Dung, additional admissions can result from many factors, including financial pressure. Private universities and financially autonomous public universities rely partly on tuition revenue; failing to fill enrollment quotas can reduce income and force them to scale back operations. But if additional recruitment becomes a routine way of “collecting tuition,” while education quality and graduate employment outcomes do not improve, the university is trading long-term credibility for short-term revenue.

Le Huyen