By Ayushi Sareen:
The Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the 12th board results yesterday morning. Frenzy began at my house as my younger sister was waiting for it. This soon turned into excitement and celebration, because she scored a whopping 95 percent.
However, the tension did not end there! 95 percent is almost every child’s dream score, every child who wants to get into DU. Then why were we still tensed? She wasn’t the only one scoring 95 percent, was she? Of all the students who appeared for boards this year 7,231 students scored 95 percent; and more than half of them are aspiring to get into DU. The competition toughens! The competition hardens even more because there are a lot many students scoring more than 95 percent and are DU aspirants.
Also, because of the four-year undergraduate degree programme of DU, almost all entrance exams have been scrapped off, which will only mean one thing, higher cut-offs. With the All-India CBSE topper scoring 99 percent, we now know what the cut-offs will start at. Many students have also scored between 80-90 percent and are also DU aspirants. The competition is the toughest for them.
There are not enough seats to admit everyone into Delhi University, and dropping a year with the aim of getting in next year is not a great idea. So, it’s now time to look for alternatives.
Jamia Milia Islamia is one of the best alternatives to DU. It conducts entrance tests for admission into its undergraduate courses. A well-reputed university, its degree has value and respect equivalent to DU’s degree. Unlike DU, it still offers a 3-year undergraduate degree programme. Students not pleased with the four-year degree programme can still do it in three-years from Jamia Milia Islamia.
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, more popularly known as IP University, is also a good alternative for students. It offers more professional courses and again, its degree has the required value. A younger university than DU and Jamia, it has better infrastructure to offer to its students.
The very new and fast-emerging Ambedkar University is also a better alternative to DU. Because it is a state university, 85% of its seats are reserved for applicants from Delhi. The university also offers a four-year B.A. Honours programme with a Dual Major in any two of the of subjects of student’s choice, offered by it.
Apart from these three, the students have the option of applying to colleges outside Delhi. They have the Banaras Hindu University, St. Xaviers’ College in Mumbai and Kolkata, Loyola College in Chennai, Symbiosis Institute in Pune, Ruia College in Mumbai, Jai Hind College in Mumbai, Presidency University in Kolkata, and many more. The students also have the option of going overseas for higher studies.
Not getting into DU is not the end of the road for you. You have a lot of options and a lot many doors opened for you. You just need to see them, search for them.
Freshers should understand that it’s not just the degree that matters, while getting a job, it’s also your qualities as an individual and your confidence that seals the deal. So stop whining about not getting into DU and start working on enhancing your personality. Make the most of the 3 years you have in any college, while remembering all along;Â Destiny is not what is written in those hands, but what is written by those hands!