As matriculants wait in anticipation for their results, many young people have already prepared for the next phase of their education, enrolling at higher learning institutions.
A few still hope to take advantage of late applications in January, but they are left with limited options.
Most Eastern Cape universities have received thousands of applications from prospective students but can only accommodate a fraction of the number of applicants.
A number of colleges still have ample space, however.
Walter Sisulu University (WSU) received 35,000 applications from prospective students but the university only has space for 7,400 first-year students.
The applications at WSU closed on October 31. Only a few programmes have not yet reached their quotas and late applications will be accepted in these.
WSU spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo said the programmes that still had space were degrees and diplomas in sciences and engineering, which required a good Grade 12 mathematics pass.
“Our most popular programmes are medicine, accounting, education, information technology, journalism, human resources management and public relations,” she said.
“In some of these programmes we received over 1,000 applications when we can only admit 40 students.”
Tukwayo said not all candidates with provisional admission would be able to register and the final choice would be made once the matric results are released.
Nelson Mandela University (NMU) had the highest number of applicants when compared to other universities in the province.
NMU spokesperson Zandile Mbabela said they received 103,541 applications – which is almost 200 times more than the 6,500 first year students that the university can accommodate.
Mbabela said 10,000 prospective students had been accepted and they were awaiting responses from the students.
“Admitting students means they received acceptance offers, to which they need to respond with a confirmation of taking up the offer or declining as they have secured space elsewhere,” she said.
Rhodes University will have to sift through 8,671 applicants to select the 1,800 first-year students it has space for.University of Fort Hare (UFH) spokesperson Khotso Moabi said there was no more space for first-year students.
“We have registered 5,673 new students for 2019 and the target we had was 5,543, so effectively we are over by 130.
“We have no more space,” said Moabi.
The university received close to 17,000 applications for post- and undergraduate studies.
Buffalo City Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College has space in most of its part-time courses.
According to the college’s secretary, Athandile Ntozini, the college applies a first come, first served policy.
Application time is between January 7 and 11. Midlands TVET College – which has campuses in Makhanda, Uitenhage and Graaff-Reinet – still has space for thousands of prospective students in a number of programmes such as engineering and business.
Applications at Midlands are also open between January 7 and 11.Applications are free.Applications at Elmi Private College in East London are open until January...