A high-school student surnamed Yang (楊) gained admissions to several prestigious medical schools recently. However, when Yang shared his “learning portfolio” on social media, he was caught exaggerating and even falsifying content, and his admissions were revoked. Now he has to take the “advanced subjects test” scheduled for next month.
With his outstanding performance in the general scholastic ability test (GSAT), Yang successfully gained admissions to five prestigious medical schools. However, his university dreams have now been frustrated by the “flaws” in his learning portfolio. This is a wake-up call not only for students, but also teachers.
Yang did make a big mistake, as integrity should never be compromised, and this is a lesson that he should remember. However, we should also look at the system that pushes students forward and sometimes causes them to stumble along the way.
Did the medical schools originally accept Yang just because he claimed in his learning portfolio that he won a “best debater” award in a contest and that he never went to a cram school? Maybe not. Successfully gaining admissions to five prestigious medical schools means that his academic strength and potential must have been exceptional. After all, medical school admissions focus more on GSAT scores, as well as the following written test, oral interview and practical demonstrations rather than portfolios, which serve more as references.
The problem lies in that “diverse performance” is becoming a coliseum for entering higher education. Are some students being forced to perform a carefully choreographed, but potentially distorted, show on the academic stage that is the learning portfolio?
Of course, Yang’s exaggeration and embellishment of his portfolio should be seriously examined and corrected. Still, I cannot help but wonder: Is he the only one who has chosen to take this shortcut under the existing academic pressure? It is likely that this is just the tip of the iceberg, reflecting a strategy that many students need to adopt to stand out from the crowd. Such portfolios do not help relieve their school pressure. Due to the vague review standards and aspects of university admissions, some students have learned how to “please” the system, creating a perfect image to meet its expectations.
I would like to remind Yang: Setbacks can also make you stronger, and one fall does not equal permanent failure. The problem lies in the fact that you choose the wrong way to present yourself. This is a human error that can be corrected, rather than a birth defect that cannot be fixed. I wish you a “rebirth” through the test next month, and hope that you find the value of going to a medical school.
Lin Po-kuan is a junior-high school teacher in Tainan.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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