Competition vs opportunities

The cut-off percentage for admission in prestigious and well-established colleges is steadily going up every year.  There are colleges wherein even students with 90% marks are being turned back. And this is not just restricted to the science and technology streams, but other areas as well.

Commerce and arts, which were once considered very poor second alternatives, are now attracting some of the top students. Admission in the most reputed colleges, even for these courses, is getting more and more difficult. This scenario leads to tremendous anxiety in parents, and thus they put pressure on their children to perform better and better.

The anxiety would have been understandable if it was true that a student could not get admission in a good college without scoring 80 or 90%. But this cut-off applies only to the most “reputed” colleges, which are centrally located, established many decades ago, have vast campus and grounds, and have built up their reputation over two generations or more.

Parents nostalgically remember their days and the fact that the best students went to these colleges only. But the fact is that innumerable colleges have been established in Bangalore city and other areas all over the state, which are no less than these established colleges. They offer equally good education, and admission is far easier.

Colleges branch out

Firstly, there are colleges that have opened branches. Seshadripuram group now has half a dozen good colleges spread over the city; the CMI Fathers who run Christ College have established the beautiful campus of Kristu Jayanthi at Hennur; many engineering colleges have opened second institutes in the suburbs. Secondly, there are many established schools that have opened junior and degree colleges recently. Similarly, many schools offering ICSE and CBSE up to tenth standard, have now upgraded themselves to the +2 level. And thirdly there are new colleges that have been started and are being run by very strong managements who provide excellent education. Since they have not been around very long, many parents may not be aware of their existence – but it is worth exploring, visiting, inquiring.

At this crucial juncture, when everyone is making a beeline for the old established colleges, it is worth your while to look at the comparatively unknown ones, with the possibility that you may get a good education at lesser fees, easier entry, and more personalised attention.