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Board results are out! Anxiety, sleepless nights, thoughts about the future haunts every student. How much have you scored? Enough to get you the desired university or course? If your answer is NO, you must be wondering the top universities are closed for you or you might have to drop a year. Right? Wrong! Here are 7 Ways to save a year if you have scored less marks in Boards :

1-Look for tier 2 colleges in top Universities

Once you are applying in top tier colleges, do you consider all colleges? Are you doing justice to your research? We are quite aware of the ever-increasing percentage in the University of Delhi, and getting a seat is almost impossible. Right? Wrong! You can still purse good course at your favourite university. Not all the colleges are admitting students at 98% or 97 %. You can find good courses at around 93-92% at University of Delhi and even less at the University of Mumbai (around 90%). For Example :

Psychology: Don’t just stick to Lady Shri Ram College or the JMC, do apply for colleges like Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, BR Ambedkar College, Vivekananda College, Zakir Hussain College, etc.

B.com (Hons): When Shri Ram College of Commerce or The Hindu College are out of reach, colleges like Janki Devi College, Dayal Singh College, Moti Lal College, Ram Lal Anand will definitely help you save a year.

You must be thinking that these colleges will not look good on your CV or they might not give you the right exposure. But, let me tell you the secret. Your degree will not carry the name of your college, only the university is mentioned. As far as exposure is concerned, internships will fill the gap. All you will miss out is just the extra-curricular clubs. But, you are saving your year. Cheers!

2-Focus On Entrance Based Courses/ Colleges

Scoring even less than a 90 or 85? Don’t worry, there are top rated colleges which do not consider your marks while giving you admission. All they focus is your performance on the entrance exams. A minimum of 60-65% is required as eligibility. Here is a list of courses for you with colleges :

List of Courses that admit through Entrance

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or BMS: Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (New Delhi), Indian Institute of Management (Indore), Christ University (Bangalore), Symbiosis University (Pune), NMIMS (Mumbai), Shiv Nadar (Greater Noida), etc. Each college conducts its own entrance exam.

Law: National Law School of India University (Bangalore), NALSAR University of Law (Hyderabad), National Law Institute University (Bhopal), National University of Juridical Sciences ( Kolkata). The most important exam for Law is CLAT. If you missed it, there are colleges which conduct their own entrance exams like National Law University (New Delhi) or the admission is through (LSAT) like OP Jindal University (Sonipat).

c) Bachelors of Computer Application (BCA): Christ University (Bangalore), Madras Christian College (Chennai), Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research (Pune), Guru Gobind Singh I.P. University (Delhi), etc.

d) Mass Communication: IP College for Women, University of Delhi, Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, University of Delhi, Christ University, Bangalore, Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, etc.

List of Colleges that admit on the basis of an entrance exam for almost all courses :

1- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi

2- Symbiosis University, Pune

3- Christ University, Bangalore

4- Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

5- St. Xavier’s, Mumbai

3-Liberal Arts Colleges – The Saviour

Liberal Arts -The system of education where you can choose what you wish to study. In Liberal Arts, you can choose a major and a minor. For Example, You can study Psychology as a Major with International Relations as a minor or you study Mathematics as a major and Physics as a minor.

To get admission in the Liberal Arts colleges, the focus is on your entire profile and just your marks in boards. Also, they require a statement of purpose (SOP) and a letter of recommendation. Few colleges also conduct an aptitude test. Kindly find below a list of few top Liberal Arts colleges in India :

Ashoka University, Sonipat
Flames University, Pune
Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida
Bennett University, Greater Noida

4-Apply In Multiple States

Applying in universities only in India will narrow down your scope and chances of getting a seat in the government colleges or the top private colleges. For example: If you are in Mumbai, don’t just apply for the University of Mumbai, but do apply for University of Pune, Panjab University, University of Hyderabad, University of Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia, etc. Keep our options open. Not all universities will have a very high cut off.

5-Take An Internship

Work experience can give you the best skills which even the courses can’t give you. Working at a startup will give you the right kind of exposure and will also fill the space in your CV. To start with the process, make your CV and start looking online on portals like LetsIntern, Internshala and likewise. If you are not able to find your desired internship, it is always better to send them your CV directly. For example, if you are someone creative and looking for some designing opportunities, apply with your CV and a portfolio to various designing firms.

Remember, it is time for you to learn. Don’t pay much focus to a big brand or any stipend.

6-Look Opportunities Abroad

Indian universities may be out of reach with a low percentage, but foreign universities could be a saviour. To name a few, universities in Australia and Canada are the hottest destinations right now for Asian students. It will not only help you save a year but will also open up chances of getting a permanent residence back there. The Australian admission process is the simplest to enter, with just IELTS and your percentage required to get you through. Universities in Canada, on the other hand, pay weight to your entire profile. In addition, if you wish to target the low-cost countries, Poland (University of Warsaw), Finland (University of Aalto), etc. could be good options.

7-Top Private Universities

If you have tried everything and still nothing is working out, joining a private university is not a bad option. There could be cases where you might not even wish to shift to other states. While joining the private universities, always check the UGC affiliation and recognition of the university. Amity University, GD Goenka University, Manav Rachna International University, Lovely Professional University, Nirma University are among few decent private universities. This is a perfect way to save your year!

Cheer Up! Marks are no guarantee of success! Don’t lose hope, there is much more! Save your year!

Saving A Year : I Scored Less Marks In Boards, Help!