Chasing Grades vs. Chasing the Right Fit: Rethinking University Placement in Pakistan

We had the pleasure of sitting with Mr. Mirza Ayaz Baig, who is serving as Assistant Director at Denning Institute of Technology & Entrepreneurship, and the topic we spoke about was University Placement Pressure Post-Results.

Is the scramble for university placements right after CAIE results doing students a disservice?

In many cases, yes. The problem is not applying early, the problem is making an important life decision in a state of panic.

The moment CAIE results come out, students and parents often start asking, “Where can I get admission?” rather than “Where should I go?” There is a huge difference between the two.

I have seen students make decisions within a few days about something that can influence the next four years of their lives and, potentially, their careers. Parents are worried about losing a seat, students are comparing themselves with their friends, and universities are encouraging them to secure admissions. In that environment, rational thinking can easily take a back seat.

My advice is simple: apply early, but don’t decide blindly.

Students should ideally have a shortlist before their results. Once the results come, they should be validating their options rather than creating a plan from scratch.

A university decision should consider much more than its name. The programme, curriculum, faculty, internships, industry exposure, environment, affordability and, most importantly, whether it suits the student all matter.

An admission offer is an opportunity. It is not automatically the right choice.

What’s the biggest mistake students make when picking a university under this pressure?

The biggest mistake is starting with the university instead of starting with themselves.

Students often ask me, “Which university is best?” My response is, “Best for what?”

There is no universally best university. There is only a university that may be right for a particular student, studying a particular programme, with particular aspirations and circumstances.

Students often choose based on rankings, reputation, friends, campus life, parental preference or simply because they have received an offer. All of these can influence a decision, but none should be the deciding factor.

I encourage students to work backwards: What am I good at? What do I enjoy? What kind of work interests me? What skills do I need? Which degree can help me develop those skills? And then, which university can provide the right environment?

Another mistake is focusing too much on the campus experience and too little on what happens after graduation. A beautiful campus and a vibrant social life are valuable, but students must also look at the curriculum, internships, industry links and where graduates actually end up.

The real question should not only be “What will I get from this university?” It should be “What will I become by the time I leave it?”

Are students choosing universities, or just chasing whoever will take their grades?

Unfortunately, many students are doing the latter.

After receiving their CAIE results, students can become overly focused on what their grades allow them to get into. The question becomes, “Who will accept me?” rather than “Where can I succeed?”

Grades obviously matter. They determine eligibility for many programmes, and students need to be realistic about their options. But grades should not become a definition of a student’s potential.

I have seen students with outstanding grades struggle because they chose a programme that did not suit them. I have also seen students with average grades develop into extremely capable professionals once they found the right direction and environment.

So I would tell parents: don’t celebrate an admission offer simply because a university has accepted your child. Celebrate when your child has found the right direction.

An acceptance letter tells you that a university is willing to take the student. It doesn’t necessarily tell you that the student should go there.

Should there be a mandatory “cooling off” period before committing to a university choice?

I wouldn’t necessarily make it mandatory because admission deadlines, scholarships and seat availability can make that difficult.

But I strongly recommend a short, structured cooling-off period before making the final commitment.

Even 48 hours can help if that time is used properly.

I would ask students and parents to answer five questions: Why this degree? Why this university? What alternatives did we consider? What will this degree allow me to do after graduation? What could make this decision wrong for me?

That last question is often ignored.

We usually ask, “Why should I choose this university?” We rarely ask, “Why might I regret choosing it?”

Students should also speak to current students, graduates and people working in the field, not just friends or social media.

Look beyond the university’s marketing. Look at the curriculum, internships, industry exposure and what graduates are actually doing.

So yes, pause before you commit, but make that pause purposeful, not just a delay.

What’s the one question no student asks themselves before committing?

For me, it is: “What do I actually want my life to look like, not just what degree do I want to have?”

Students think a lot about the next four years, but very little about the five or ten years after that.

They ask: Which university? Which degree? How much scholarship? Which campus?

But the bigger question is: “What kind of person do I want to become, what kind of work do I want to do, and what kind of life do I want that work to support?”

That question changes the entire conversation.

A degree is a vehicle, not the destination.

For example, saying “I want to study business” is not really a career plan. Business can lead to finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, consulting, analytics, operations and many other fields. Similarly, choosing computer science simply because “AI is the future” does not mean the student will enjoy or succeed in it.

Students need to understand themselves first and then understand the world of work they are entering.

And that, for me, is the real purpose of career counselling. It is not about telling a student which university to attend. It is about helping the student understand why they are going there in the first place.

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