Bhubaneswar, March 6: Gone are the days when students used to scan newspapers or consult their seniors, acquaintances and teachers to figure out which college to choose.

Now, the tables have turned, and students are the ones being courted. Worried at the prospect of their classrooms remaining empty, many private technical institutions are pulling out the stops to woo students. Here are some pre-admission strategies that institutions adopt to lure students.

Offer OJEE help

Much before the admissions, colleges approach students, especially those from semi-urban areas, towns and villages, and offer them help to fill up forms and provide career counselling. They also bear the cost of travel and stay for the OJEE exams. Some colleges even make the students visit their campus free of cost to give them an idea about the institute and its infrastructure.

Look beyond state

Many colleges target Plus Two students outside the state, especially those from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. These students are invited to the campuses and given a PowerPoint presentation of the colleges. They are also taken around and shown places of importance so they can get an idea of the city’s history and culture.

Reward agents

Agents are much in demand. Anyone who ensures that a student gets admission in a particular institute gets between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000. These agents generally work for multiple institutes and double up as representatives of the colleges, many of which they have never visited. Sometimes, senior students are also asked to fetch pupils from their towns and villages and are rewarded accordingly.

Promise subsidies

Many colleges offer a subsidised fee to students. They show a chart comparing their fee with other colleges to convince students that education is affordable. These colleges even have tie ups with private banks and channelise education loans.

Scan coaching centres

Coaching centres are a hit with most private colleges. Apart from distributing leaflets and pamphlets, the authorities visit these centres and make a presentation of the courses and placements they offered to students in the last quarter.