Female student with lowest test score in class but is sought after by 2 top universities in Asia

CHINA - While millions of students just learned their exam results and were waiting for the university entrance exam, the name Liu Xia Jun suddenly caused a storm on social media: he scored 462 points - the lowest in the class, but was admitted to two of the most prestigious universities in China and Asia.

In the female biology class, she was the only one "falling behind" in terms of grades, but she pulled ahead in a different way.

Lowest test score in class

Liu Xiajun is a student at Dongchen High School in Yibin City, Sichuan Province (Southwest China). Xiajun scored 462/750 points in the 2025 College Entrance Examination (Gaokao).

What is special is that her class has 22/23 students scoring over 600 points, many of whom are close to the 700 mark. However, it is Liu Xia Jun who makes her homeroom teacher, school and hometown the most proud.

462 points may be a modest number in a group of excellent students, but in the sports world, this is an impressive achievement.

Despite being at the bottom of his class with 462/750 points in the Gaokao, Liu Xiajun was still sought after by two of China's top universities. Photo: Baidu

As a national level athlete, Liu Xiajun is eligible for direct admission under the policies of two top universities in China.

According to Sichuan province's admission regulations, candidates who score 285 points or higher and have national-level sports achievements are eligible for special admission. With 462 points, she far exceeded the required threshold.

'Budding rose' of Chinese athletics

Born in 2005, Liu Xia Jun showed her talent for running from a young age. In 2018, while still in primary school, Xia Jun broke the 100m record at the City Athletics Festival with a time of 12.89 seconds and was later recruited into the provincial athletics team. Since then, she has continuously won achievements in major tournaments:

2020: China Youth Athletics Championships Champion

2021: Bronze medal at the Chinese Students' Games

2022: Sichuan Provincial Games Silver Medal

2023: 100m runner-up and relay champion at the U20 Asian Championship

2024: Bronze medal at the National Athletics Championship

2025: Win the 100m at the national athletics championship.

His hometown Sichuan proudly calls Liu Xiajun the “blooming rose” of Chinese athletics. Previously, in 2024, Liu Xiajun was admitted to the prestigious Fudan University – top 10 in Asia and top 30 in the world – with a bachelor’s and master’s degree program.

Although his academic performance is at the bottom of the class, Ha Quan is a potential Chinese track and field athlete. Photo: Baidu

However, she decided to refuse to spend another year studying, with a clear goal: To become a student at Tsinghua or Beijing University. This choice surprised many people but at the same time also showed Ha Quan's spirit of daring to dream big and her determination to pursue her personal goals.

Liu Xiajun’s story quickly became the focus of attention on Chinese social media platforms. In a context where exam pressure still weighs heavily on students and their families, the fact that a female student with the lowest score in her class was invited by two of the most prestigious universities in the country made the online community curious and thoughtful.

According to Baidu , the most common reaction was admiration. Netizens saw Liu Xiajun as a living example of the value of a comprehensive education where students are not confined to numbers. Many expressed their agreement that test scores, while important, cannot fully reflect a student’s character, personality, or special abilities.

This event is like a "push" to the traditional admissions mindset of many universities in China, and at the same time is a clear message that: there is no single path to success.

There are also opinions that the innovation in the perspective of prestigious and influential schools such as Tsinghua or Peking University is the decisive factor. Because if there is no wide open door for special talents like Liu Xiajun, there will be many students who are good in different ways and will be forgotten in the harsh examination cycle.

With a score of 462, Liu Xiajun, who was thought to be at the bottom of the Gaokao, is now considered a model for the modern generation of Chinese students: Dare to dream, dare to challenge and dare to be different.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nu-sinh-co-diem-thi-thap-nhat-lop-nhung-duoc-2-dai-hoc-top1-chau-a-san-don-2426332.html