How much can AI help you fill in your college entrance examination application form? Just a supplement!

□ Zhang Gailun, a reporter from Science Times

The national college entrance examination has come to an end, and the scores of most provinces will be released in late June. By then, another test will come - "filling in the application form".

There is a saying that "it is better to apply for a good application than to get a good score on the exam". However, Lou Lei, an expert in college entrance examination policy interpretation, believes that this saying is too exaggerated - the score is the basis for filling in the application form. Of course, when the scores are close and the rankings are similar, filling in the application form becomes important.

In 2024, another 7 provinces have joined the ranks of the "New College Entrance Examination". In the areas where the "New College Entrance Examination" is implemented, the information required to fill in the application form is more complicated. There is no distinction between liberal arts and science, no distinction between the so-called "first-tier" and "second-tier", and the application form is truly parallel. Some areas can even fill in 112 applications.

In this case, using tools to assist in filling out applications is almost an inevitable choice.

On June 13, at a media communication meeting on college entrance examination information services, a company introduced that candidates only need to enter some basic information, plus their province, test scores and test ranking, and the system can automatically generate a set of volunteer application plans with different levels. On this basis, further screening can be provided to meet the user's personalized needs.

The reporter found that by searching the keyword "AI application portal" on the search engine, one can find a batch of college entrance examination application tools such as蜻蜓卷文, Youtu Education, College Entrance Examination AI Intelligent Planning System, New College Entrance Examination, and Palm College Entrance Examination.

Li Yongpei, former principal of Ningbo Middle School in Zhejiang Province and a special-grade physics teacher in Zhejiang Province, pointed out that as the scope of college entrance examination volunteers is further expanded, the requirements for parents and candidates to obtain information are actually getting higher and higher, and the accuracy, timeliness and adaptability of information are becoming more and more important. To obtain information efficiently, you need to use good tools. For example, through artificial intelligence (AI), you can understand the ranking of colleges and universities, understand which schools and majors you can apply for with the subjects you choose, and understand the professional characteristics of different schools. "College entrance examination information service products can be toolboxes or consultants." Li Yongpei said.

However, AI is only auxiliary. What relevant product providers need to do is to ensure the authority and accuracy of the data, lower the threshold for product use, and give users a good experience. Xia Yatong, the person in charge of Quark College Entrance Examination products, emphasized that to make good use of artificial intelligence, parents and candidates also need to have a basic understanding of college entrance examination policies and the employment market, and candidates must also have a basic plan for their interests and future directions. "When filling out applications, artificial intelligence can be an information organizer, data analyst, and application consultant, but the final choice still depends on the parents and candidates themselves." Xia Yatong said.

Not only AI tools, but even the highly popular and expensive "one-to-one volunteer service" in the market cannot make decisions for parents and students. Lou Lei believes that no matter how experienced the experts are, if they don't spend enough time to understand the candidates, they can't provide the most suitable volunteer application consulting services for the candidates; moreover, ordinary experts don't have the energy to provide high-quality volunteer planning for multiple candidates in a short period of time.

The Ministry of Education's "Sunshine College Entrance Examination" points out in its suggestions for candidates and parents on filling out applications that when filling out applications, one must accurately position the application and pay attention to the gradient; consider factors such as the nature of the school, region, and interest in the major based on personal wishes; try to obey professional adjustments (school major groups); and be sure to carefully read the college admission regulations.