Student counsellors a hit

They are young and increasingly turning out to be indispensable to the month-long admission process at Delhi University (DU). And the surging number of applicants each year has only helped them assume more importance, reports Ritika Chopra

They are young and increasingly turning out to be indispensable to the month-long admission process at Delhi University (DU). And the surging number of applicants each year has only helped them assume more importance.

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Student counsellors, as a result, are a common sight on college campuses during the admission season.
The list of DU-affiliated institutions latching on to the trend of involving younger helping hands has grown longer each year.

Miranda House, Gargi College, Lady Sri Ram (LSR) College and the Delhi University itself are among them. LSR, in fact, has as many as 50 students involved in the process each year.

St. Stephen’s College is the latest addition to the list.

This admission season, the college has roped in about six to seven of its youngsters to make the admission process more student-friendly.

“While of the students are manning the telephone helplines, others are available on the college campus to guide students on how to fill up forms,” said Nandita Narain, tutor for admission, St. Stephens’ College.

Approachability is what makes these youngsters such a hit with the admission process.

“Applicants, we’ve noticed, are more comfortable approaching people of their own age group,” said Meera Ramachandran, principal, Gargi College.

“Applicants can relate better to student counselors because they have been through the same grind,” said Kanika Khandelwal, media coordinator, LSR. “Plus, candidates find it easier to approach them even with the silliest of problems.”

Though the young counsellors do not undergo extensive training, the faculty does equip them with basic information about the admission process.

“They are usually there to handle frequently asked questions related to, say, forms,” she said.