More applications than vacant college seats may leave many disappointed

Colleges continued to be busy on the third and final day of the offline admissions process on Saturday, with final merit lists scheduled to come out on Monday.

Colleges continued to be busy on the third and final day of the offline admissions process on Saturday, with final merit lists scheduled to come out on Monday.

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College principals sounded relieved that the process was finally drawing to a close, after more than a month since they began.

“It was much more long-drawn out this year and even now students are unhappy with the way the process went,” said Marie Fernandes, principal of St Andrew’s College at Bandra. “We have had so many things to deal with aside from offline admissions, making up time lost, holding classes.”

On September 1, the education department cancelled the final online list for the 4,479 students, who were not allotted a college, and instead declared that colleges would conduct the rest of the admissions process offline.

However, colleges had to deal with additional problems as a result.

“People have been trying to resort to influence with with letters from VIPs and political parties,” said a college vice-principal.

“It’s been chaotic, with students and parents fighting to try and get admission.”

While St Xavier’s received 200 applications for 25 seats, Birla College received more than 100 for 35 seats.