Understanding the 平行志愿 System
The 平行志愿 (parallel preference) system, now used in most Chinese provinces, allows students to list multiple universities simultaneously at the same preference level — unlike the older sequential preference system where the first choice had to be exhausted before the second was considered. Understanding how 平行志愿 processes applications is essential for maximising admission probability.
How 平行志愿 works: the student lists universities in order of preference (A > B > C > D, etc.) within a tier. The system processes all applications simultaneously: first, it checks whether the student's score meets University A's minimum score threshold. If yes, the student is considered for University A. If no, the system moves to University B — and so on. The critical insight: the system does NOT check programme (专业) preference within a university first — it checks whether the university's overall score threshold is met, then attempts to match the student to their highest-preference programme within that university. If the score meets University A's threshold but no requested programmes within A have remaining capacity, the student is NOT admitted to A and does NOT move to their next choice B — they instead face the risk of being assigned to a remaining programme they did not prefer (服从调剂 — accepting redistribution) or going unmatched in that tier.
Strategic implications: (1) Set University A as a genuine stretch target, not an impossible reach — if A's score line is typically 720 and you scored 695, including A provides essentially zero benefit. (2) Set Universities B and C as realistic targets within ±10-15 points of your score. (3) Set University D as a safe option with a score line 20+ points below your score. (4) Enable 服从调剂 (willingness to accept programme redistribution) for all universities in your filing — disabling it increases the risk of going unmatched in a tier.
Programme selection within universities: list preferred programmes in order within each university application. If the university uses a high-score-first method (分数优先), students with higher scores in your cohort fill their top programme choices before you fill yours. If the university uses a programme-first method (专业优先), a student is considered for their first-choice programme first — if not admitted there, moved to second choice within the same university.