So you’ve sent in your university application and feeling pretty confident that you are going to be admitted into the University of your choice. Congratulations! You have made one of the biggest and rewarding decisions you will ever have to make in your life. Now, there may just be one obstacle standing in your way: actually getting accepted to your higher institution of choice. However, understanding admissions decisions, including rejections can help you prepare better. Here are the reasons why your admission may/could be rejected.
You Didn’t Meet the O ’level Requirement
The kind of grade a student makes in his/her O level is one of the indicators of how well they will perform in the university. Most institutions of higher learning will base an admissions decision on grades and test scores, as a determinant to know that students have a strong enough foundation to handle challenging courses at the next level of their education. For example, having less than five credit or not having at least a credit pass in some important subjects like Mathematics and English in the O level result is an overall denial of admissions.
Wrong UTME Subject Combination
Subject combination is yet another factor why a student application will be denied despite beating JAMB score. For example, a student seeking admission to study Engineering would definitely lose the admission if he or she did not take Mathematics as part of the four subjects for the UTME exams. It is important therefore that before any student fills his or her JAMB form, he/she should go through the JAMB Brochure to know the right subjects combination for his/her course of study.
Incomplete Application
Awaiting results, Missing primary school certificate/testimonials and other application materials will delay the review process for applicants. Universities are likely to ask students to submit missing pieces of their application before the deadline, but it’s always better to do your homework ahead of time to know what the choice institution of higher learning requires, what the deadlines are, etc. In other words, double-check the application requirements first because those are the easiest ways to make sure the application is reviewed.
Competitive Course/University
Sometimes, there are more qualified candidates than the university can enrol per course/university. In this case, only students who can clearly articulate their interests, goals and potentials are most likely to be considered a spot on the admissions list. For example, it will be better to go for a course in software engineering than medicine. Both causes are attractive but medicine is very competitive especially in Nigeria. Similarly, it will be easier to gain admission in a not too competitive university than one who is too competitive.
Catchment Areas
The catchment area is the locality which in most cases is the geographical or socio-cultural area contiguous to the institution. The Federal government under NUC stipulates that 35% of admitted students should be selected based on the catchment area. That means if you apply to a university from your catchment area, you have a 35% chance of admission already. For example, Bayero University catchment area constitutes majorly of neighbouring states. What this means is that prospective students from the north have higher chances of gaining admission than those from other parts of the country. Similarly, a prospective student from Jigawa State who scored 52, applying to study Computer Engineering may be offered admission while other students from Adamawa State who scored 60 may be denied.