Well done! You’ve passed the challenging NEET exam! Although you’ve overcome a major obstacle, the exciting adventure is not yet over. The next important step is to get into a medical college. It can feel like a confusing puzzle with all of the talk about cut-offs, quotas, and neet ug counselling schedule. Let’s look into the procedure and give you what you need to confidently complete it and join the courses under neet.
Understanding the process
- NEET UG (National Eligibility and Entrance Test – Undergraduate): This is the very exam you cleared! It’s the entrance exam for undergraduate medical programs in India, like MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) and BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery). Passing NEET UG is your golden ticket to continuing your dream of becoming a doctor.
- NEET PG (National Eligibility and Entrance Test – Postgraduate): This exam is for doctors who’ve already completed their MBBS degree and want to specialize in a specific field of medicine, like cardiology, neurology, or pediatrics. It’s like a path to becoming an expert in your chosen area.
Cut-off Score
- This is the minimum score you need to qualify for NEET. It’s like a hurdle you need to cross to be eligible to participate in the neet ug counselling schedule. The cut-off score varies each year depending on the difficulty of the exam, the number of students who appeared, and the total number of seats available in medical colleges.
AIQ vs SQ
- All India Quota (AIQ): This refers to a specific percentage (currently 15%) of seats in all government medical colleges and a fixed percentage of seats in all private medical colleges that are filled through a centralised counselling process. This allows students from anywhere in India to compete for these seats.
- State Quota (SQ): The remaining seats (currently 85%) in government medical colleges that are filled by the respective state governments through their own counselling processes. These seats are typically reserved for students who are domiciled (ordinarily resident) in that particular state.
Understanding the difference between AIQ and SQ is important while considering your college options during counselling. AIQ allows for more competition but offers a wider range of colleges to choose from, while SQ offers a better chance of securing a seat in your home state.
Counselling
This is the heart of the process after qualifying for NEET. It’s where you get to choose the medical college you’ll be studying at for the next few years. Your NEET score, rank, and the availability of seats in different colleges will determine which colleges you’re eligible for.
The Counselling Countdown
1.Registration: The first step is to register online for NEET counselling. This involves providing your NEET score, personal details, and, most importantly, your preferences.
2.Choice filling: This is where the strategy comes into play. You’ll get to prioritize your college and course preferences, ranking them in order of your desires. Consider your NEET score, the cut-offs for different colleges and neet courses, and the availability of seats under various quotas. Researching different colleges beforehand is key to making informed choices here.
3.Seat allotment: Based on your NEET score, rank, and the preferences you submitted, the counseling system will allot you a seat in a particular college. It might be your top choice, or it might necessitate further rounds of counselling depending on seat availability and how your preferences match up with those of other students.
4. Reporting: Once you’re happy with your allotted seat, congratulations! But there’s one final step. You need to report to the college you’ve been assigned to and confirm your admission. This typically involves submitting required documents for neet counselling and paying fees.
5. Second round: If you are not happy with the choice of college, don’t worry; there will be one more round where you can start the process again.
Clearing counseling with Confidence
Counseling can feel overwhelming, but with some planning and the right resources, you can get through it smoothly. Don’t wait until counseling to start exploring colleges! Research different medical institutions beforehand. Consider factors like location, the college’s reputation, faculty expertise, facilities offered, hostel availability, and anything else that’s important to you. Familiarize yourself with the different quotas and reservation policies in place. Don’t be afraid to seek help from experienced counsellors or educational platforms like ZyNerd which specializes in NEET counselling. We understand the challenges future doctors like you face and we provide invaluable guidance throughout the neet ug counselling schedule, answer your questions, and help you pass any complexities that might come with confidence.