High school graduates in 2018 are more enthusiastic in applying for military colleges, as the number of applicants in regions like Central China's Henan Province far surpassed the planned quota.

　　In Henan, more than 5,300 students applied for military academies, a number seven times greater than the enrollment plan, said 81.cn, the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) news website.

　　As for East China's Zhejiang Province, 1,000 students were qualified for the interview and physical examination, while 300 of them would be finally enrolled amid fierce competition.

　　Enrollment for students is still ongoing across China. About 100,000 high school graduates have applied for military colleges this year.

　　The numbers were released amid ongoing speculation from social media that China's young generation are less enthusiastic about attending military colleges, saying that some colleges failed to enroll as many as they have planned.

　　The reasons for enrollment vacancy varies and could include strict enrollment criteria, and the speculation is totally groundless, read an article published on 81.cn on Tuesday.

　　The average admission score for applicants in Central China's Hunan Province in the 2018 gaokao, or national college entrance examinations, was 40 points higher than in 2017. The 24 military academies of the province have already filled the enrollment plan, 81.cn reported.

　　"Military academies are still appealing as they waive students' tuition fees and subsidize their living expenses. It is a great attraction, especially for students with weak financial backgrounds," Li Daguang, a professor at the National Defense University of the PLA, told the Global Times.

　　"Graduates would begin their careers as military officers after graduation. This is another attraction," he added.

　　Newspaper headline: High school grads more enthusiastic about PLA colleges