Ten of the 11 candidates who have scored 200 marks in all the three subjects have applied for medical admission too and are set to get into city medical colleges.

A total of 23 students, including three girls, have topped Anna University’s merit list for engineering admissions in the academic stream this year. Of the 23, as many as 11 candidates have scored 200 marks in all the three subjects and the fourth optional subject.

At least 10 candidates among them say they had applied for medical admission too. With high scores they appear set to get into medical colleges in Chennai itself. Five of those who chose engineering have already decided on the stream and the college they want to go to.

Vigneswaran S E, a topper in class XII and a first graduate in his family, plans to pursue ECE in Anna University. Topper Karthick Raja J of Tiruchengode, who scored 1,182 marks in Plus Two exam, had planned to join an arts and science college. “His aim was to become an IAS officer. But his class teacher Gopi advised him to go for engineering, as his marks are good, and consider the IAS a couple of years later,” said Jagadeesan, Karthick’s father.

Mr. Jagadeesan has shifted to Coimbatore so that Karthick could study as a day scholar in PSG College of Technology. “He plans to take up Electrical and Electronics Engineering at PSG,” Mr. Jagadeesan said.

Fewer random numbers

This year, random numbers have been used for 80 students. Selection for the merit list is based on marks obtained in the prescribed subjects reduced to 200 (mathematics – 100, physics + chemistry -100 in the qualifying examination).

The merit list is prepared based on the aggregate mark (cut-off mark) of 200. If several candidates have the same marks in the common merit list, an inter se merit among such candidates is determined by giving priority to the percentage of marks obtained in mathematics, physics and fourth optional subject, in that order. When candidates have the same score, their date of birth is compared and older candidates are given preference. In case of a tie, candidates with higher value random number are given preference.

So far, 79,051 of the 80,446 candidates have opted for first graduate concession, Anna University officials said.

Eight sessions

There will be eight sessions on each day of general counselling, beginning on July 1. The last session will be at 6.30 p.m. The university has started sending out call letters and SMS alerts to candidates. Details of the counselling schedule with the cut-off marks are available on the university website www.annauniv.edu.