85% marks? Rule out top colleges or choice course

BENGALURU: Gone are the days when an 80% score in class X would guarantee a seat in sought-after colleges. With the 90% band swelling dramatically, candidates with 85% marks couldn't make the cut even in the second list for admissions published by the city's top colleges this year.
Christ Junior College has an average cutoff of 95% across combinations and courses. MES PU College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Malleswaram, has set the bar at 93%. The cutoff is no different in other top colleges. Educationists fear students scoring less than 85% will not find a seat in top colleges.
"When they say merit, it means the first-come-first-serve basis. It's common sense the cream will get through, which is a large chunk now. After that, how many seats will be left in top colleges for other students," asked a city-based educationist.
Gaurav Bagrecha, who scored 94.16% in CBSE class 10, missed PCMC combination at Christ Junior College by 1.24%. His mother Veena said they were informed there might not be a second list for CBSE students as the preference is mostly for state boards and sports category.
However, some students - like Delhi's Halima, who scored 89% in Class 12 - are optimistic of a second list. "I know some students from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have scored well above 85%. We didn't find our names in the first list," she said.
In a second blow, girls are slapped with a comparatively higher cutoff for admissions into PU colleges like Christ and MES.