Which is more important when applying for college entrance examination, school or major? How to choose school and major for college entrance examination?

At present, college entrance examination results have been released in various places, and candidates have entered the critical period of filling out applications and choosing majors. The "Catalogue of Undergraduate Majors of Ordinary Higher Education Institutions (2020 Edition)" published by the Ministry of Education contains a total of 12 professional categories, 92 professional categories, and 703 majors. There are indeed many questions for candidates and parents when it comes to choosing a few majors from so many majors to fill in their application forms. Among them, the most frequently asked question is: Should I choose a school first or a major first?

In this regard, Liu Chuanyong, director of Shandong University's undergraduate admissions office, said that the best option for candidates is to enter a good university and study their favorite major. If it is not possible to have both, they may wish to refer to the saying "choose a famous university with high scores and choose a major with medium scores."

"The scores for famous schools are generally higher. If the scores can be reached, candidates are expected to give priority to famous schools." Liu Chuanyong explained that, on the one hand, going to university is not just about studying a major, nor is it just about becoming an expert in a certain field in the future, but about becoming a talent, which is closely related to the comprehensive education in university. Good universities have relatively rich educational resources. In addition to receiving good professional education, students can also enjoy other high-quality resources.

Interdisciplinary compound capabilities are an essential ability for future talents. Liu Chuanyong suggested that candidates should choose comprehensive universities. “Science students can be exposed to the atmosphere of liberal arts; liberal arts students can use science majors to cultivate scientific thinking. These are very important for the cultivation of talents.”
On the other hand, good universities are full of outstanding students. Studying with outstanding students from all over the world can turn pressure into motivation and enable you to grow rapidly.

In addition, Liu Chuanyong told Guangming.com that it doesn't matter if students fail to study their ideal major when they enter a good university. There are many opportunities to change majors during the learning process. "At Shandong University, all majors are open. As long as you are good enough and pass the exams, you can transfer to your ideal major," said Liu Chuanyong.

If the college entrance examination results are not very ideal, candidates can give priority to studying a major they like in an ordinary university. Liu Chuanyong said that interest is crucial to the choice of major, and choosing a favorite major will be more conducive to students' future development. "If students study hard during their undergraduate studies, it is a very good path for them to go to schools with relatively high subject assessment levels to study for a master's or doctoral degree in the future," said Liu Chuanyong.