Peking University, July 18, 2021: A Chinese high-school graduate's decision to turn down a full law scholarship at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) to major in Marxism at Peking University (PKU) has made headlines and earned the support of netizens in China.
Wang Yijin, a fresh graduate from a high school in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, was admitted in both PKU and HKU, with the latter offering her a HK$680,000 ($87,000) full scholarship to cover four years of tuition.
In the end, Wang chose to dedicate herself to the study of Marxism for the next four years, telling Chinese media outlet The Paper that she "will find joy in studying Marxist Theory."
Wang, who has broad interests, said that she and her family spent days choosing between law, international politics and management, adding that she doesn't hate the other majors but just has a deeper interest in state affairs.
"I've been eager to be admitted to PKU since my first year in high school," said Wang, whose parents are both Chinese teachers who appreciate the value of patriotic education, according to the report.
Her parents are not the only people to show support to the graduate. Chinese netizens have chimed in with voices of support, calling the decision "wise" and "confident."
"HKU can be a good choice and the scholarship can be tempting as well. But sticking to one's dream is more important," said one netizen. "Impressive!"
PKU started sending out admission letters on Sunday and Wang was the first to receive the letter on the same day, according to a statement from PKU.
Those admitted will be the first students to take part in the School of Marxism's newly established undergraduate program.
According to the Sichuan Educational Examination Authority, the cutoff score for national college entrance examinees in Sichuan to be admitted to a first-tier liberal arts university was 541, while Wang achieved an impressive 643, 102 points higher than the first-tier admission line.
"You can choose freely from the top universities in China with such a high score, from Fudan University to Renmin University of China and so on," a principal of a high school told the Global Times on Monday.
Written by: Lou Kang
Source: Global Times
