On March 2025, 3, an educational observation training session for "Discover!", a career support project for high school students, was held at J. F. Oberlin University's Shinjuku campus. This training session allowed high school teachers and university officials to observe the "Discover! Inquiry Camp," a multi-day program for high school students. Prior to the visit, J. F. Oberlin University's Director of Admissions, Koji Takahara, gave a lecture on the theme of "J. F. Oberlin University's aims and prospects for high school-university collaboration," based on his perspective on student recruitment and university entrance exams for 27 years.
Starting in 2022, "comprehensive research time" will be introduced into the high school curriculum, and year-end entrance exams such as "comprehensive selection" for university entrance exams are expanding. The environment for university admission has changed so much in the last 30 years that it may be difficult for parents in their 40s and 50s to understand right away. In this column, based on the lecture materials of Mr. Takahara of J. F. Oberlin University, we will explain the current situation, which has changed into an era in which not only academic ability but also research activities are evaluated.
From an era where there were about 180 universities for about 530 million high school graduates to an era where there are about 100 universities for about 800 million high school graduates
Taking the year 1992 as an example representing the parent generation, there were about 180 million high school graduates, with a university enrollment rate*1 of 26.4%. The university enrollment rate*2 for current students was 19.2%, and the enrollment rate* for current students was 54.2%. Only one in four people were able to enroll in university, and even if they tried to enroll in current students, nearly half ended up repeating the entrance exam. This was the era. In an industrial society,We need people who can do what is decided quickly and accurately.The university entrance exam was"Correct answer type"English learning is necessary to prepare for life, learning and interaction with the global environment. <br> IT Skills (programming logic) is necessary to prepare for the needs of the future.<br> Financial literacy is necessary to prepare for creating, managing and being smart with time and wealth.<br>
Taking the year 2022 as an example of the younger generation, there will be about 100 million high school graduates, with a university enrollment rate of 56.6%. The university enrollment rate for current students is 55.3%, and the enrollment rate for current students is 91.8%. More than one in two people go on to university, and unless there are extraordinary circumstances, it is possible to enroll in university without having to retake exams. In this knowledge-based society,We need people who have the ability to "create" new knowledge and the ability to "involve" othersThe university entrance exam was"Imaginative type"It is changing into.
*1 University enrollment rate: Number of students enrolled in university / population of 18-year-olds
*2 Current student college enrollment rate: Number of current students enrolled in college / Number of high school graduates
*3 Current student enrollment rate: Number of current students entering university / Number of current students applying to university
In these unpredictable times, the ability to take action has become important. University entrance exams will also begin to evaluate this ability.
The term "three elements of academic ability" was used in the revision of the curriculum guidelines in June 2007, but it has become widely recognized due to the promotion of the "high school-university articulation reform" since around 6. The "high school-university articulation reform" is a reform that was implemented because it is necessary to develop the ability to create new value in an era where issues are becoming more complex and difficult to predict due to globalization and technological innovation. The three elements, which add "ability to think, judge, and express" and "initiative, diversity, and collaboration" to "knowledge and skills," are to be cultivated reliably in high school education and further developed in university education, and the university entrance exams that connect them are also to be evaluated in a multifaceted and comprehensive manner.
As a result, the methods of evaluation in university entrance examinations have been expanded to include (a) academic ability assessment tests, (b) an evaluation method in which students are asked to formulate and write an argument based on their own thoughts, (c) academic and activity records during high school, (d) essays, (e) a statement of reasons for wanting to enter university, a study plan, and (f) interviews, debates, group discussions, and presentations, and a "shift to multifaceted evaluation entrance examinations" has been made in comprehensive selection and school recommendation selection."The drive to act"*1It has become important.
*1 An evaluation criterion for J. F. Oberlin University's comprehensive selection process, which refers to actions that proactively solve problems in one's surroundings and in society by using the abilities such as autonomy, collaboration, and diversity acquired through past learning and experiences.
Even top national universities are shifting to a multifaceted evaluation system, but the majority of them are universities in the Tokyo metropolitan area with mid-level academic performance. The selection mechanism is changing.
As "the ability to learn" has become important in addition to "the ability to act," "multifaceted evaluation entrance exams" are being implemented in comprehensive and school recommendation selection processes. From the 2022 entrance exam, the number of students admitted through comprehensive and school recommendation selection processes will exceed the number of students admitted through general selection (including the use of the common test), and the situation is continuing to grow. All universities, including top national universities, are implementing this system, but the proportion of students who use "multifaceted evaluation entrance exams" is higher at private universities. In particularAt J. F. Oberlin University, which ranks in the middle of the academic rankings in the metropolitan area, more than 30% of the admissions quota is made up of students admitted through the comprehensive selection process.Has become.
Although we are now in an era of universal university admission, universities with average to high academic ability still have a large number of applicants and can rely on academic ability-centered selection. On the other hand, universities with average or lower academic ability are not able to do this. The reason for this is that "selection is being carried out earlier in order to secure students," making it difficult to select a large number of applicants based solely on academic ability tests. It is predicted that this will never go back to the way it was. In the case of comprehensive selection and school recommendation selection, entrance exams that evaluate not only "ability to learn" but also "ability to take action" will continue to be held in many cases in the future.
The "gakuchika" question that often comes up in job interviews is about what you focused on researching during your high school days.
The evaluation axis in university entrance exams has been changing to focus on comprehensive selection, but what is the situation regarding the hiring of university students by companies? Some companies conduct tests to measure basic academic ability such as SPI and written tests at the time of application, but currently, in addition to individual interviews, the hiring process also includes group discussions, group work, and group interviews."School Background"It is an abbreviation for something you put effort into during your student days. Of course, it can be about your studies, but it is becoming more and more important to have activities that you put effort into and can put into words.
In high school education, "comprehensive inquiry time" has been introduced into the curriculum to develop "thinking ability, judgment, and expression," as well as "independent thinking, diversity, and collaboration."The emphasis on research during "Comprehensive Research Time" is similar to the "Gakuchika" (Gakuchika) required for corporate recruitment.Companies have long looked at not only "knowledge and skills" as hiring criteria, but also "ability to think, make decisions, and express themselves," as well as "initiative, diversity, and collaboration," so it can be said that university entrance exams are becoming more like corporate recruitment exams. The increasing proportion of comprehensive selection in university entrance exams is in line with social trends.
Although there are methods and formats for conducting basic academic ability tests in comprehensive selection, these are not the main method in universities with average or lower academic ability.
National universities have comprehensive selection procedures that require the Common Test, but private universities' comprehensive selection procedures and school recommendation selection procedures are centered on tests that measure "ability to take action." However, in recent years, there has been a trend toward more academically focused entrance exams within the comprehensive selection procedures. At J. F. Oberlin University, there are three types of entrance exams: a comprehensive evaluation method [documentary review of self-promotion sheets, etc. + interviews, etc.], a basic ability evaluation method [basic ability review in two areas + interviews, etc.], and an inquiry entrance exam (Spiral) [documentary review related to inquiry learning + interviews, etc.], and they also seem to have a method of evaluation based on basic academic ability.
In the Tokyo metropolitan area, Toyo University has been making waves by implementing a new school recommendation entrance exam based on a basic academic ability test for the 2025 entrance exam. It is a private university with a middle-ranking academic ability second only to the MARCH class. It seems that the 2026 entrance exam will include a comprehensive selection based on a basic academic ability test, but when it comes to universities of this rank, it seems that they are trying to attract students who have the "ability to learn" (high academic ability) among students who have the "ability to be active."
Impressions from visiting the "Discover! Inquiry Camp" for high school students at J. F. Oberlin University
Due to the background explained so far, J. F. Oberlin University began a trial run of the career support project "Discover!" for high school students in 2017, and by 2023, the project has grown to have over 3 high school students participating annually.
This time, our editorial team visited the 2025 Spring "Discover! Inquiry Camp" held at J. F. Oberlin University's Shinjuku campus, and the first thing that surprised us was the number of participants. Even though participation was free, we were overwhelmed by the number of high school students who took the time to take two or three days out of their spring break to participate, without being forced to do so. Also, even though they were supported by university student mentors, high school students who did not know each other before the start of the camp even came up with team names, worked together, and actively participated.
Many of the comprehensive selection exams allow you to utilize your research activities. It is possible that participating in the Discover! Research Camp will help you pass the entrance exam. "Discover!" is open to all high school students (and some junior high school students) and is not limited to those applying to J. F. Oberlin University. If you are interested, why not contact us?
・ Contact information
J. F. Oberlin University Admissions Department (Machida Campus Ichiryukan)
information Center info-ctr@obirin.ac.jp
TEL：042-797-1583
For high school career guidance counselors, in May 2025"Information Session for High School Teachers"Implement
・About Discover!
Discover! Secretariat discova@obirin.ac.jp
Learn more about the implementation here
https://discova.jp/magazine/teacher/
Speaker: Koji Takahara, Director of Admissions and Assistant to the President, J. F. Oberlin University
Discover! Educational Inspection Training: From a 10-year perspective on student recruitment and university entrance examinations
