Cambridge University admissions rumor reflects parents' ambitions

SOME CHINESE MEDIA OUTLETS have recently reported on a "new initiative" by the University of Cambridge that it will admit the top 0.1 percent of students in the gaokao, or college entrance examination. In an interview with Beijing News, Zhang Feng, a media practitioner, comments:

The university has made no changes to its admission policy for Chinese students. I don't know why this "new initiative" has been fabricated and widely circulated by the media. It may stem from a recent speech made by Stephan Toope, vice-chancellor of Cambridge University, at Peking University.

When asked about whether Cambridge University will compete for excellent students with Chinese universities, he said that gaokao scores are not the only indicator deciding whether an applicant is admitted, and that other factors also play a role in Cambridge University's admissions system. "Why we accept Chinese gaokao results is that we want to measure our applicants with as much information as possible," he said.