The promise of centralised online counselling was simple: no more running between colleges with physical documents, no more agents charging "processing fees" for forms that should be free.
Three admission cycles in, students we spoke to describe a different reality — portals that crash during peak registration windows, seat-allotment logic that isn't published anywhere, and a grievance system that takes longer to respond than the admission window stays open.
What students are dealing with
- Document verification slots that get fully booked within minutes of opening
- Seat allotment results released with no explanation of the ranking method used
- Helpline numbers that redirect to voicemail during the exact weeks they're needed most
We reached out to two state higher-education departments for comment on the verification bottleneck. One acknowledged the issue and said a fix was "under review." The other has not responded as of publishing.
If you've been affected by an admissions portal issue this cycle, tell us — we're building a wider picture before we go back to the departments with follow-up questions.