17-05-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Early guidance key to university admission success
A panel on equitable access to higher education today discussed how many students don't realise the competitiveness of certain university programmes before applying for them.
PETALING JAYA : School counsellors and civil society groups play a critical role in helping students understand the university admissions process, said a panellist during a discussion on equitable access to higher education here.
A member of the panel, Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman marketing and partnerships manager Raenuga Indran, also said that discussions about university options should start during Form 3 or 4, or immediately after SPM results are out, when students are more receptive.
'Access to information is a big predictor of student success,' said Raenuga.
'Counsellors and NGOs can make a huge difference in guiding students.
'Students preparing for SPM are too focused on exams to think about what comes next.'
The panel discussion, which was organised by non-profit Architects of Diversity (AOD), also agreed that universities must be more transparent about admission requirements.
One audience member suggested that universities publish anonymised data on the highest, lowest and median grades of accepted students.
'It would help applicants make smarter choices,' he said.
He added that this push for data transparency could reduce student disappointment and help them choose between safer or more competitive options.
Another panellist, Doria Abdullah from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), said many students did not realise how competitive certain programmes were.
The senior lecturer noted that many students applied without knowing their chances of admission – a key weakness in the current university admission system.
'In 2013, getting into some engineering courses required a CGPA of 4.00,' she said.
The third panellist, AOD executive director Jason Wee, said academic performance doesn't always predict course suitability.
He also raised the growing problem of course-career mismatch, with students ending up in fields unrelated to their strengths or interests.
The panel discussion followed the release of an AOD report which highlighted how debates about higher education often focused on two extremes – inherited privilege versus strict meritocracy.
The report called for a more balanced approach.
The AOD report also recommended giving students more information about non-university options, such as on the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) pathway, to expand their opportunities beyond traditional degree programmes.
