Prioritise course over college, DU advises aspirants at webinar

Applicants to Delhi University’s (DU) undergraduate (UG) programmes participated in an interactive webinar hosted by the university’s admissions branch on Wednesday to address admission-related doubts.

Admissions to UG courses are currently under way, with candidates expected to complete Phases 1 and 2, which include registration, subject mapping and preference selection, on the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) portal by 11.59 p.m. on Saturday. Students will be allocated the best possible seats based on their merit, preferences and category for which they have applied.

Candidates asked questions such as whether they should apply if they get a compartment or an RT (repeat theory) in the Central Board of Secondary Education exams, and whether they should prioritise courses or colleges. Their queries were answered by Dean of Admissions Haneet Gandhi and Joint Dean of Admissions Anand Sonkar, among others. The officials said that the students only need to pass their board exams to be eligible, as admissions are based on Common University Entrance Test results. In case some students have to repeat exams, DU officials said, they can wait and apply when the university announces its mid-session entry on July 28.

Regarding preference selection, Professor Sonkar said, “It is an individual choice whether one wants to prioritise the programme or the college. But we would advise you to prioritise the course. Sometimes students prioritise the college, but don’t enjoy the programme they picked.”

The officials advised students to be mindful of the deadlines. Professor Gandhi said, “Phases 1 and 2 are open at the moment. We would advise students to start filling in their preferences because those would form the base for their allocations.” She also recommended against changing preferences at the last minute, as the portal automatically locks preferences at midnight.

“Candidates should fill as many preferences as possible, but not do so in a rush. Following the selection process, they will be able to see their simulated ranks on the portal on July 12, and will be able to modify their preference up to July 13,” said the Dean of Admissions.

She explained that simulated ranks are calculated based on data available on the CSAS portal. For instance, if 10,000 students apply to a particular programme, a candidate will know where they stand, from 1 to 10,000, via the simulated rank.

The first allocation list will be released on July 16. Candidates can then accept their seats and pay the fees, with the option to either ‘freeze’ their seat or ‘upgrade’. In subsequent rounds, they might get a combination placed higher on their preference list if they select the ‘upgrade’ option.

When asked about the upgrade option, Professor Sonkar said, “Sometimes, students might click the upgrade option but then decide they want to stick with their original allocation. Once you click the upgrade option, the portal will not allow you to undo it.”