PUBLIC RELATIONS USU—Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) conducted a visit for the 2025 Independent Student Selection (SMM) as part of its commitment to maintaining the quality and transparency of the new student admission process. The activity occurred at the Information Systems Center (PSI) on Tuesday (June 10, 2025) and was attended by university leadership and the SMM implementation team.

USU Vice Rector I, Prof. Dr. Edy Ikhsan, S.H., M.A., stated that the number of SMM participants this year reached 5,454, while the available capacity was only 2,652 seats. USU Vice Rector I noted that this enthusiasm reflects the public's growing confidence in the quality of education at USU.

“The number of participants this year is not significantly different from last year, but it shows consistent interest in USU as a higher education choice,” said Prof. Edy.

USU Vice Rector I added that this visitation is part of the direct oversight efforts to ensure the selection process runs in accordance with standards and avoids vacant seats, which have often been a challenge in recent years.

Ir. Ikhsan Siregar, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D., as the Executive Secretary of SMM 2025, emphasized that the second phase of SMM is USU’s strategy to optimize enrollment capacity without compromising the quality of the selection process. He explained that this additional selection will be based on the remaining unfilled quotas from the previous phase.

“This is a proactive step to prevent empty seats, while also demonstrating efficiency and responsibility in managing enrollment capacity,” he explained.

The Vice Executive Secretary of SMM USU 2025, Dr. Joiverdia Arifiyanto, S.H., M.H., explained that the distribution data of participants from outside Medan City is still being compiled and will be evaluated after the exam. However, he assured me that this pathway would remain open to prospective students from Indonesia.

“This SMM is not only a second chance for prospective students but also part of the equitable access to higher education,” he said.

The implementation of the second phase of the SMM is also being held this year as a response to approximately 450 vacant seats that occurred in the previous year. This phase will be opened after the results of the selection and re-registration from other pathways such as SNBT and SMM Barat are finalized.

The second phase of the SMM is expected to attract potential participants while avoiding inefficiency in classroom capacity and teaching resources. This policy aligns with USU’s mission as an inclusive and adaptive university in response to the dynamics of national higher education.

With a selection system that continues to be strengthened from technical and managerial perspectives, USU is committed to maintaining the quality of new student admissions. This selection process aims to screen the best candidates and reflects the institution's integrity in fostering an outstanding academic generation.