Priced Out!

This a copy of my article which came in 'The Hindu' a couple of years back. It got published in the Metro Plus (Sound Off) . It was just after i finished my schooling and was on a break( breaking my head on what to do next). The article was based on my view on how expensive the applications were in each college/university. My first application was to a foreign university which charged me 600 bucks. I thought this was going to be the highest or most expensive which I'll spend. But then, i was wrong. Each college were competing with each other on whose is gonna the rake the highest moolah just via applications. For a mere 60 seats the college gets a lakh students applying in each course. Though a common application is available( which serves for about 350 colleges) each college did have their own forms . And come the deemed universities who (claim to) give us world-class education. Who do they think they are selling to??

The majority are people who are in the lower and upper middle-class families wanting their children to get good education. The average money spent only for these forms is 1000-5000.

The accessories(????) you get by buying these forms are a CD, stylish paper bag, etc etc.

P.S: I did have reviews even before it got published. Some of them :

Uncle: Don't publish your name Janani, you may not get a seat in any college. :P

Aunt: Don't give your picture, you'll surely not get a seat. There are people appointed in each college to check students like this.

Mom: Good Job! Don't worry! :)