Jiang Ping, a 17-year-old girl hailing from the lesser-known Lianshui Secondary Vocational School in Jiangsu province, has emerged as the sole vocational school student among 801 participants worldwide to make it to the finals of the 2024 Alibaba Global Math Competition, securing 12th position.

In an interview, Jiang's math teacher revealed that her dream is to enroll in Zhejiang University, which has sparked discussions on social media networks about whether the university will consider admitting her.

Despite the positive public sentiment favoring Jiang's admission, universities have their own regulations and procedures for admitting students through exceptional means. Such admissions are considered professional educational affairs and are contingent on the students with exceptional abilities meeting certain criteria for special admissions.

The competition Jiang participated in, though an influential one organized by an enterprise, is not among the five nationally recognized academic competitions that are clearly set as criteria for university admission.

Nonetheless, this competition has undoubtedly showcased Jiang's mathematical talent, raising the question of how such exceptional talents like her can be better nurtured.

Jiang is interested in maths. Thus Jiang can leverage her interest to decide whether to pursue mathematics as a career path — if she aims to further her studies at Zhejiang University or other prestigious institution, she should ensure she can meet their admissions criteria. Jiang can consider other colleges that have already shown their interest in issuing an offer to her where she can prepare for further education in her dream university in the future.

- BEIJING NEWS