“Overall, the admission process is quite similar to last year, with some minor changes. This year, applicants must provide a special form indicating their consent to be admitted into the university, specifying their preferred course. It is possible to change the decision but only once” explained Vladimir Vasilyev, the head of the Council of St. Petersburg Rectors and the rector of ITMO University.
The new admission consent form complicated the work of the admission committee. In previous years, an applicant’s first preference was determined by submitting their original set of documents. Now the new form has this function. However, this does not apply to full-fee paying students. They can simply sign a contract with the University to pay for their first tuition payment.
At ITMO University, the number of applications from Saint-Petersburg is slightly higher than the number of applications from other cities, although this is likely to change over the course of following weeks. The situation is such that the results of the Unified State Exam for physics became available only on July 4, and as these results are required for admission into many technical specializations, many applications are yet to be submitted.
“A large intake of applicants from other cities is expected towards the end of the admission period since these applicants plan to visit St. Petersburg with their parents” said Anatoly Ovodenko, the head of Council for Student Enrolment in St. Petersburg.
According to the results on July 5 there are three state universities leading in the number of applications submitted. The North-West Institute of Management of the Russian Federation Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration is in first place. Possibility of working for the government is still attractive for many graduates. Educational programs dedicated to management, law, international relations and economics are the most popular ones.
St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts is in second, with applicants going for courses on stage direction and jazz vocals. The St. Petersburg University of Economics is number three in the ranking.
St. Petersburg State University has the 17th position in the ranking. Some rectors believe that this is due to the high entrance score. As for ITMO University, statistics as of July 6 provide the following information: more than 4,200 applications have been submitted, 3,700 of them are from those students who are applying for state-sponsored places. There are currently approximately three times as many applicants as there are places at the university.
