Life after the USE: enrolment in the universities of Tomsk in 2017

TOMSK, Jun 20 – RIA Tomsk. The admission campaign starts in Tomsk universities on Tuesday. It is assumed that more than nine thousand people will be able to enroll in this year's state-funded places, and only one third of them will be Tomsk citizens. About what should be considered when submitting documents to the Tomsk universities - in the material of RIA Tomsk.

Deadlines for submitting documents

"The admission campaign starts on June 20, and the end of the admission of documents in all directions of specialist programme and bachelor degree studies in full-time education on a state-funded basis is July 28", – said the deputy governor of the Tomsk region on the scientific and educational complex and innovative policy Mikhail Sonkin.

According to the regional administration, the entrant can file documents to not more than five universities no more than on three training directions in each. For admission, it is necessary to provide the passport, certificate of secondary general education, results of the USE and, if possible, a portfolio. At the same time, some admission commissions offer special "services" for entrants.

For example, in Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), from applicants it's only required the passport and certificate. "We will do all the rest: we will photograph for free, and the results of the USE will be looked at the base", – the director of Student Contingent Management Center Alexey Vasilyev explained.

Enrollment on the state-funded places will pass in two waves: on August 3 and 8. In the first wave will be filled about 80% of state-funded places, in the second - the remaining 20%. At the same time, the enrollment of benefit holder persons, contract specialists and children entering according to the results of the academic competition will be held on July 29. To obtain a state-funded place, the applicant must personally write a consent to enrollment.

To aim for the state-funded place

In total, according to Sonkin, in 2017, Tomsk universities will take for the state-funded places 9.64 thousand students – 300 more than the year before. The greatest increase – is in Tomsk State University (TSU), Siberian State Medical University (SSMU) and TPU.

"The most provided with state-funded places are such groups of specialties as electro- and heat power engineering, electronics, radio engineering and communication systems, earth sciences, engineering and construction technology, education, medical science, computer science and computer technology", – the deputy governor listed.

He noted that correspondence education and obtaining the second diploma in parallel with the first higher education are becoming less popular. "In the late 1990s and early 2000s it was fashionable to enter immediately on two specialties: for example, technical and economic. Now this tendency is weaker", – explained Sonkin.

In recent years, there is also a reduction in the number of state-funded places in the bachelor's programs and an increase in the master's degree programs: now, for the first stage of higher education there are provided 5866 places in the Tomsk universities, and 3777 are provided for the master's program.

As the head of the department of the organization of students admission of TSU Olga Betkher told, the number of places for master programme in this university has grown till 1153 (last year – 958), having been close to admission figures on programs of bachelor and specialist programmes. At the same time the number of master programs grows annually – now there are 108of the, including in English.

Places are redistributed between the directions of bachelor programme.

"Our university has such specifics that there are state funded places only on profile specialties – with physics and informatics. Economy, law, humanitarian directions – there are only fee-paying places", – the head of the department of admission and distribution of students of Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR) Alexey Mozgunov noted.

Additional chances

According to representatives of the universities, the reception campaign has the nuances in each of the Tomsk universities. As the factor complicating receipt they note existence of a threshold of lowest passing scores for the Unified State Examination (USE) which won't allow weak entrants to enter a university even on a fee-paying basis.

"All our Tomsk universities increase the lowest passing score. On the one hand, it limits a possibility of receipt, on another hand, quality of the arriving and their ability to training are connected with results which they get on the USE", – Mozgunov is sure.

As Vasilyev told, for example, this year only those whose scores (provided that these subjects are necessary to enter a concrete specialty) are not lower than 46 in mathematics, 54 in Russian, 50 in physics, 52 in social science, 51 in chemistry and informatics may join a bachelor or a specialist programme.

But many universities give the chance to gain "bonus" scores for various achievements.

So, entering TPU it is possible to receive up to 10 scores for a number of personal achievements: for the certificate with honors, GTO golden badge, the sports category which isn't lower the first sport grade, a rank of the champion of Europe or the world, participation in programs of Internet Lyceum of the university and others.

In TSU there are special scores for those who enter the Training military center at the university which trains regular officers, – an entrant can receive up to five additional scores for examination in physical culture which can be passed at the university.

Privileges for residents of the Crimea which existed in recent years aren't provided in this campaign: it is considered that the education system of this region was already enough integrated into the education system of the Russian Federation. However all of them still can choose, wether they enter on the basis of results of the USE or examinations passed in the university.

Besides, representatives of universities advise to consider that last year there was a competition even on fee-paying places for some specialities (for example, faculty of journalism of TSU). However this year the number of tuition students can be decreased because of increase in prices for training – it was reported earlier that it had grown up almost twice for some specialities.

Two thirds – non-residents

Now students from 70 regions of the Russian Federation and from 60 countries study in the Tomsk universities.

"We expect that approximately 30% of enrolled (in Tomsk universities in 2017) will be residents of the Tomsk region, 25% – foreign citizens, 45% – residents of other regions of the Russian Federation, first of all these are the Siberian regions. The best entrants arrive to us, and two thirds of graduates remain in the Tomsk region. Thus, we are attracting the best guys from other regions to Tomsk", – Sonkin added.

At the same time, universities lure talented students not only with quality education or a variety of training programs, but also with various pleasant bonuses. For example, for the academic competition winners and entrants who got very high scores at the exams enhanced scholarship, place in more comfortable dormitories (in general, first-year students are provided with places by 100%) and even a subscription to the pool are provided.