Ritsumeikan University has started AO selection from the 2023 entrance examination, with the completion of a study program designated by the faculty as an application requirement.It is attracting a great deal of attention as the first attempt in Japan to lead to progressive learning at university.We asked Mr. Hideyuki Kumagai, the administrative director of the Admissions Center, about the purpose of its introduction and the results of the first year.
It doesn't matter which subjects you have "taken"
Which subjects/units have you “acquired”?
“I want to conduct an entrance examination that allows new students to develop their studies at the university at a higher level.”
The new AO selection introduced by Ritsumeikan University has this thought.It is a groundbreaking system that allows students to apply for the AO selection after studying and completing a unit of designated subjects that are particularly important in each faculty in a prescribed program.Mr. Kumagai explains the background of the introduction as follows.
“In entrance exams that do not have written exams, whether or not you have taken high school courses and your grades are used in the selection process. For many years I have wanted to see which unit of the subject I have mastered."
In the first year, it is held in the Faculty of Economics, the Faculty of Sports and Health Science, and the Faculty of Food Management.All faculties require mathematics, but each faculty designates a particularly important unit of mathematics.
"What kind of basic academic skills are required depends on the admission policy of the department. If you can show that this knowledge is necessary to study in this department, the students' sense of purpose will increase and they will be able to work more proactively. ”
Another big advantage is the assurance of diversity.In conventional AO selection, the average grade is often a requirement for application, but schools with different grading methods, including overseas, cannot even apply.If it is a specialized high school, there may be no courses that are required for application.On the other hand, with this AO selection, it can be expected that a diverse range of students will gather because the school curriculum and learning history are not considered.
Individually optimized AI learning system
Used for pre-enrollment education for successful applicants
For learning, use the “Faculty Designated Unit AI Learning Program (commonly known as the UNITE Program)”. Using the AI learning system "atama + (Atama Plus)", it is characterized by efficient learning with a curriculum optimized by AI according to one's proficiency level.If there is a unit you are not good at, you can go back to the unit you need to understand and learn.After studying, students will take a certification exam for each unit, but even if they fail, they can try again as many times as they wish within the period.
The application and study period for the program is from May to August of the third year of high school (3 entrance exam).It takes about four months to apply, study the required units, and pass the certification exam, so it is very convenient for high school students who want to devote themselves to club activities and extracurricular activities.
If you pass the AO selection and are admitted to the university, you will continue to study the next most important unit after the unit you studied in the UNITE Program before entering the school.This pre-enrollment education is one program.
Candidates who study independently
This year, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences will also implement
According to the university, students from all over the country, as well as from overseas, have gathered to take the exam, expanding opportunities for a variety of students to take the exam.The results for the first year are shown in the table.In addition, all the graduates have taken the certification exam multiple times, and it can be seen that the graduates were highly motivated and engaged in learning under a certain degree of difficulty.
“Although the certification exam is only for obtaining the qualifications to apply, many students are studying hard.In the entrance exam, the university needs to correctly convey the significance of studying to the examinees, but there is no way to communicate it. I realized that I could encourage students to take the initiative in learning.”
This is a new AO selection that encourages the independence of examinees, but the 2024 entrance examination will also be held in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and there are plans to expand to three or four faculties in the future.In addition, the number of subjects will be increased, such as making chemistry a target subject in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Mr. Kumagai says, "I want students to cultivate academic ability as a means and a vision for the future as a set."Ritsumeikan University positions it as a "futuristic entrance examination based on the principle of mastery," and will further expand it as an "initiative in which examinees can challenge equally if they work hard."
Administrative Director, Admission Center, Ritsumeikan University
Mr. Hideyuki Kumagai
