How delay in board results can impact admission process for Indian students in abroad

With the postponement of class 12 board exams 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the admission process for higher studies might get delayed. Students who are wondering about the impact of delay in board results on the admission process, we have got you covered. In a conversation with Vaibhav Singh, Co-Founder, Leap, he has answered the queries of students.

How this move is going to impact students who were planning to start their application process this year?

The impact of this move will be on students who were planning to go abroad to study in Fall (Aug-Sep) 21. For these students, the delayed Board results will lead to a potentially crunched timeline for students planning to pursue UG courses abroad. The impact should be less for US aspirants since most US colleges have a fairly holistic approach in admissions with a relatively lower weight on just the Board results. However, for countries like the UK and Australia, Board results are a more important input. These countries though offer conditional admit which gets confirmed once the Board results are shared. The delay in the results this year would mean the time window between admission confirmation and course commencement in these countries will be shorter. It is worth noting though that Indian students are important community members on global college campuses, so expect colleges to be fully supported through more relaxed requirements/ timelines to ensure bright Indian students can enroll with them this Fall. Hence the overall impact should not be large.

Which countries will get affected the most by this move?

As mentioned above countries like the UK and Australia which lay greater emphasis on Board results are likely to have more impact. But again expect colleges in these countries to push out timelines for result submission/course commencement so that they can have Indian students attend their Programs.

Under ambiguity, what should parents do?

Parents should be fully prepared for the shorter time frame between a confirmed admission and course commencement. In a typical year, often the window was a few months which allowed families to sequentially plan their child's move abroad. So things like financing, accommodation, visa preparation, etc. were often prioritized post receiving an admit. This year given the small time gap between expected Board results and college commencement, parents are advised to be fully prepared for some of the above tasks so that they can quickly complete the same once Results are declared. For example, keeping a loan sanction handy which can be drawn down on short notice to finance the education is suggested. Similarly, shortlist and keep ready accommodation options (if one needs one outside the college campus) so that it does not become a hasty decision closer to the actual travel date.

Does it impact the curriculum for the students?

The impact on the curriculum should be negligible. As mentioned above, global colleges are very welcoming of Indian students. They bring diversity to college campuses and enrich the overall student community experience. Hence, expect colleges to make necessary accommodations to ensure that the learning of students is not affected in any way. Of course, it may mean a little more compressed first semester for students, but outside that, I don’t expect the learning experience of students to be compromised in any way.

Which countries Students can apply which do not give much weightage to the board exam results?

Typically US colleges take a more holistic approach to admissions. Therefore, relatively they place less emphasis on Board results. 

(Disclaimer: Views expressed here by Vaibhav Singh, Co-Founder, Leap is personal. Republic World World does not take any responsibility for the same.)