FYJC admissions: ‘Online admission process not student-friendly’

With barely a month left for the admission process for junior and degree colleges, St Andrew’s College principal Marie Fernandes gives a lowdown on what to expect this year.

With barely a month left for the admission process for junior and degree colleges, St Andrew’s College principal Marie Fernandes gives a lowdown on what to expect this year.

How helpful is the FYJC online admission process?
It helps the college, but it is not student-friendly. Students are asked to select a minimum of 35 colleges, but they may not have that many colleges in mind. As a result, they end up listing colleges which they don’t want to go to and end up getting a seat there. The authorities need to reduce the number of options to be filled in the form.

Are cut-offs for FYJC and degree courses likely to go up this year?
Cut-offs jump every year, as more number of students clear Class 10 and 12 board exams and number of seats in popular colleges remain unchanged. Last year, the cut-offs were high for non-science courses, as they are gaining popularity. We can predict this year’s trend after the board exam results are out.

Do you see more students opting for humanities over commerce and science stream?
Till last year, not many students were opting for humanities over commerce. But the demand is now growing. I wouldn’t be surprised if it surpasses commerce applications this year. Comparatively, the demand for science stream is dwindling.

What are the reasons behind this trend?
Humanities stream is not just about literature and psychology anymore. FYJC students from the stream can opt for subjects such as information and technology (IT) and mathematics. These subjects were earlier only available to science and commerce students. Those who do not want to follow the crowd by studying engineering or medicine are turning to humanities.