Both the Strong Foundation Plan and Comprehensive Evaluation admission are important pathways for mainland students after the Gaokao, but they differ in positioning and admission method. Below is a comparison across three dimensions.
1. Different positioning
The Strong Foundation Plan targets top talent in fundamental disciplines, focusing on areas such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Philosophy and Palaeography. Comprehensive Evaluation admission targets students with outstanding overall qualities and covers a wider range of universities and programmes.
2. Different admission methods
The Strong Foundation Plan admits on a combined basis of Gaokao scores and university assessment scores. Comprehensive Evaluation combines Gaokao scores, academic proficiency test results, interview performance and other dimensions. The weighting of each component is set by each university's admission guidelines.
3. Different suitable profiles
Students with a strong interest in fundamental disciplines and excellent grades are better suited to the Strong Foundation Plan. Students with outstanding overall qualities and experience in academic competitions or science and innovation projects should consider Comprehensive Evaluation.
4. Can you apply for both?
In most cases you may apply for both, but confirm against the policies of the year whether they conflict, and watch for overlaps between registration and university assessment dates. Specific policies are subject to official announcements for the year.