Pride or Management

Worried about tumbling down in the world college ranking, University of Tokyo, for the first time in its history, is introducing new admission system based on recommendation. Its targets are the students with high English efficiency, professional-level business experience or major achievement in international science Olympics. Although it is recognized as an attempt to shift from knowledge-based admission, the university is too proud of itself to widen the entrance for various students.

The entrance system of Japanese colleges is different between public schools and private ones. Public schools, most of them are national university, requires two exams, common basic exam and independent exam of each school. The first step is called College Entrance Examination Center Test held in mid-January. Referring to the result of Center Test, each student decides the university he/she will apply. The independent exam will be held on the same day late February.

While it demands all candidates to take the Center Test, University of Tokyo introduces exemption of the independent test to the students who have advantage in specific fields. The Medical Department, one of the most talented students in Japan will enter, will require 100 point or more in TOEFL iBT for recommendation admission applicants.

On the background of the decision, there was a need of the university to collect various types of students. In Times Higher Education World University Rankings last year, University of Tokyo was located in 23^rd position. Although it was the highest among universities in Asia, UoT still has long way to catch up the top three, California Institute of Technology, Harvard and Oxford. To enlist excellent students from other countries, the university needed to change its admission policy extremely dependent on knowledge in five subjects, Japanese language, English, science, math and social study. For example, 100 pts in TOEFL iBT is very high score for Japanese students, while it what U.S. top colleges ordinarily require for international students.

However, UoT could not give up knowledge. By mandating applicants to take the Center Test, it still requires broad range of knowledge. Private universities have already introduced admission system based on achievement in art, music, sports, English efficiency or activities in overseas. As long as national schools insist on producing bureaucrats with broad knowledge, they will not collect various kinds of potential leaders.