Bracing for competition

After completing their Class XII exams, students often find themselves in a tizzy. With colleges offering a plethora of courses, many find it difficult to select the right option and often the desire to study in an institution of repute makes them compromise on the subjects of their choice. Added to this is the overwhelming demand for particular courses, which makes students flock in from various streams to grab a seat in the best colleges. Considering the fact that the admission season is upon us, here&’s a peek into the notice boards of a few colleges and universities of the city.

Institutions under Calcutta University have set a varying range for admission to undergraduate courses this year. Popular ones like Shri Shikshayatan require a minimum of 50 per cent in aggregate and 45 per cent in the particular subject or 55 per cent in the subject if the aggregate is below 50 per cent but more than 45 per cent is required to fill up the admission forms of their Bachelor of Arts (Honours) courses. However, political science and English necessitate a minimum of 50 per cent in both the subjects and aggregate. Also, aspiring political science students need to have scored at least 50 per cent in English. For the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce courses, a minimum of 60 per cent in both the aggregate and subject is required for those looking to enter the college&’s corridors.

Requirements vary depending on the courses students are opting for with some harping on a few subjects and others attributing significant importance to students coming from distinguishing fields of study. But for all the courses, a common requirement is that students must have passed in English.

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Aspirants for Loreto College need to have scored a minimum of 60 per cent in both the particular honours subject and the overall aggregate including English. Students wishing to pursue the English honours course, however, have to have a minimum of 75 per cent in the subject. English as a subject is a magnet for most aspiring undergraduate students in the city but Lady Brabourne College has set the benchmark high. Prospective students need to have at least 85 per cent in the subject in addition to 75 per cent in aggregate. For the rest of the BA (Honours) courses, the eligibility criteria demands 55-70 per cent in aggregate and 60-65 per cent in the subject. There will be an admission test for English and an interview for Bengali. For the BSc (Honours) courses, an aggregate of 65-70 per cent is essential followed by a percentage of 70-75 in the particluar honours subject. Mathematics demands that students have at least 80 per cent in the subject while microbiology, a booming course, requires an aggregate of 80 per cent. There will be an admission test for economics and an interview for microbiology. English assumes added significance as students, irrespective of the courses, need to have a minimum score of 50-65 per cent in the subject. Scottish Church College has similar requirements of a minimum 60 per cent aggregate for admission in their BA, BSc and BCom (Honours) courses. Considerable importance has also been given to English. Students can get a direct admission in Sanskrit and philosophy provided they have 60 per cent marks in both subject and aggregate. When it comes to physics, students have to sit for an admission test.

The autonomus St Xavier&’s College expects aspirants to have scored a minimum of 60 per cent in aggregate including English and three compulsory subjects (which varies depending on the type of course) for the BA (honours) programmes. For Bengali honours, students won’t be judged on the basis of their English score but rather on their score in the vernacular language and three other compulsory subjects.

For honours courses in BSc and BCom, an aggregate of 60 per cent is the bare minimum. Considering the courses students are opting for, importance will be given to the relevant subjects in whom 60 per cent is a “must-have” for students to fulfill the eligibility criteria. BBA and mass communication students should also have 60 per cent in the overall total and for all courses, candidates must have studied and passed in English in the higher secondary level barring Bengali honours.

Presidency University demands a minimum aggregate of 70-80 per cent from aspiring candidates for their BA and BSc (honours) courses. The combined aggregate includes relevant subjects. Only students seeking admission in Hindi and Bengali Honours, requires a minimum aggregate of 60 per cent and 60-65 per cent in the subject. The students must have passed the examination with at least five recognised subjects with full marks not less than 100. For Hindi honours, admissions will be merit-based and the number of seats for each subject varies.

Jadavpur University is all set to admit more undergraduate students this year in their newly introduced sociology course. While philosophy requires an aggregate of 50 per cent, the rest of the BA (honours) courses require a minimum aggregate of 60-75 per cent. Comparative Literature aspirants must have studied languages at the higher secondary level. For this particular subject and English, students will be admitted on the basis of a written test. For history, sociology and Sanskrit, students will be admitted as per the aggregate marks obtained in the exam. Economics scholars will have their mathematics marks added to the aggregate to arrive at a final score of 500.

Rabindra Bharati University offers students courses in arts and fine arts. The students will be judged on their combined aggregate of Class X marks, best of four subjects in Class XII (including environmental science) and a minimum of 50 per cent marks in the subject they wish to study. However, there is an admission test for the fine arts courses.

So what are the toppers saying? Meghna Garg, who secured the third rank in Siliguri with a whopping 97.5 per cent in commerce said, “I want to study economics. I am looking at St Stephens, Delhi, and other colleges under Delhi University.”

The cream of the student community has always opted for colleges in Delhi. This year, DU has set a minimum aggregate of 45 per cent for the BA and BCom (honours) courses. For BSc programmes, the minimum aggregate is 55 per cent. Admissions will be made on the basis of aggregate score in three relevant subjects. Barring a few courses, most of them will also give importance to a compulsory language subject.

Students have their task cut out as competition will be the name of the game during the admissions season, but here&’s hoping that getting into a preferred college does not prove to be a bridge too far for most.

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