Tutoring Authority Chen Li: Think About University Before Choosing a High School!

With nearly 200,000 students sitting the junior-high CAP exam and results now released, many families with soon-to-be high schoolers are plunging into the school-selection battle! Teacher Chen Li, with more than 40 years of tutoring experience, advises parents and children to communicate and reach a consensus. When filling out high school preferences, take a longer view — even trace the university admissions pathways first, and the high school choice will fall into place much more naturally.

"How on earth do you choose a high school?" "Does a school's distinctive character matter under the new curriculum guidelines?" "Should I go to a general high school or a vocational school?" Tutoring authority Chen Li habitually draws on big-data analysis when giving advice: "Look at the competitive landscape three years from now, and the answer to how to choose a high school will practically announce itself!" Multiple admissions pathways emphasize aptitude-based development; once families confirm their goals early and understand the various university entrance channels and rules, parent-child consensus is easy to reach.

Scores Caught in the Middle

When CAP exam scores land right between the cutoffs of two schools, listing the higher school risks falling off the safe list while listing the lower one risks missing an opportunity. In the Taipei-Keelung district the top five preference choices all carry the same score, so the problem is minimal — but in other admissions zones a sense of direction is genuinely needed. Tutoring authority Chen Li suggests that if scores consistently meet the bar, simply put the preferred school first with no hesitation. The real dilemma arises when scores are stuck in the middle: when choices look equally attractive, weigh commuting distance and transportation — schools that are closer to home and easier to reach should take priority.

Play to Your Strengths

Three years down the road, universities offer flexible talent-selection pathways for students with different educational backgrounds and special abilities. Specialized talent pathways, for instance, do not require GSAT scores, while enrolling in a local community high school can open the door to university Stellar Recommendation quotas. Through these two routes, students have a genuine shot at top national universities. When parents understand the full range of university admissions channels, they can choose a high school that plays to their child's strengths and achieve twice the result with half the effort.

You Have to Love It

"When choosing a high school, you absolutely have to like it yourself!" Teacher Chen Li said earnestly. By the time students graduate from junior high they are already 15, and most have at least some sense of the direction they want to grow in. Interest is one of the great motivators for learning; the entire journey through school is about building and showcasing capabilities for the future — liking the school and liking the program is what keeps students moving forward smoothly.

Once scores are in hand and students have some thoughts about high school choices, many prospective freshmen proactively head to cram schools for trial lessons. Based on Teacher Chen Li's four-plus decades of observing students, he notes that in the past more students came to cram school because their parents required it; today's children think more independently and the majority attend trial classes and select courses on their own initiative.

Right after the CAP exam, prospective freshmen begin inquiring about courses and signing up for trial lessons — mainly goal-driven students getting a head start. Some aim to build a competitive edge early; others focus on shoring up their weak spots. There are of course also those still exploring which academic cluster suits them best; Teacher Chen Li advises that during the exploration process, students should first establish a solid foundation in core subjects like math and language arts.

At cram school, teachers work to cultivate a "thinking constitution" in students. Under the new curriculum framework, teaching mathematics means building students' capacity for mathematical imagination and guiding them to think through problems rather than training them to be problem-solving machines. Getting that one-step-ahead competitive edge means advancing simultaneously in depth and breadth; the goal is for every student to refine their own unique strengths and move forward unimpeded on the path to higher education.