State college entrance test results announced<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The organizing committee for the state-run
\nuniversity entrance examination said less than 9.5 percent of
\nthe 66,153 high school students in Jakarta applying for entry
\ninto 49 state-run universities were accepted.<\/p>\n
The results of the entrance examination for state-run
\nuniversities were released simultaneously at various places
\nthroughout the country and announced in newspapers on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"Only 6,232 students from Jakarta were admitted,\" said the
\norganizing committee, adding that there were a total of 61,580
\nsuccessful applicants throughout the country.<\/p>\n
Overall, a mere 14.8 percent of the nationwide total of
\n419,737 applicants were accepted through the annual, highly
\ncompetitive state-university entrance exams (UMPTN).<\/p>\n
In Jakarta hundreds of senior high school graduates
\nparticipated in the traditional rite of flocking to the Senayan
\nsports complex early on Saturday morning to read the
\nannouncements which were printed in 11 Jakarta-based newspapers.<\/p>\n
Most reacted coolly and in a reserved manner as they futility
\nscoured the pages for their names.<\/p>\n
\"Disappointed? Not really, we all know there's a factor of
\nluck in all of this,\" Hadi Pramadi, a state-high school (SMAN 35)
\ngraduate, told The Jakarta Post after failing to find his name.<\/p>\n
The UMPTN, which took place simultaneously throughout the
\ncountry last month, screened eligible high school graduates
\nwishing to enter one of the 49 state-run universities. Only high
\nschool graduates from the classes of 1992, 1993 and 1994 were
\nallowed to take this year's exam.<\/p>\n
\"As expected,\" was Dodi's answer as he walked away leaving his
\npaper on the ground when the Post asked him how he did. \"I didn't
\nhold much hope before the UMPTN and I really wasn't expecting a
\nmiracle this morning,\" said the SMAN 15 graduate.<\/p>\n
In comparison to Dodi, Eka Maulana, who was accepted at the
\nUniversity of Bengkulu in Bengkulu, said he was overjoyed and
\ncouldn't wait to tell his parents.<\/p>\n
\"I'm trying to be calm because many of my friends here aren't
\nas lucky as I am, but actually inside I'm jumping with joy,\" he
\nsaid with a big smile.<\/p>\n
In the past three years the number of students taking part in
\nthe UMPTN has continually dropped from 479,709 applicants in
\n1991, 426,517 in 1992 to 422,696 last year.<\/p>\n
The UMPTN is divided into three regions -- region A covering
\nSumatra, West Kalimantan, Jakarta, and West Java has 19
\nuniversities, region B with Central Java, Yogyakarta, South and
\nCentral and East Kalimantan has nine universities, and region C
\nwith East Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Maluku and Irian
\nJaya has 17 universities.<\/p>\n
Region A had the largest number of applicants with 212,409,
\nfollowed by region C with 114,203 and region B with 93,127.<\/p>\n
Private universities<\/p>\n
When queried on their future plans many of the young people
\nsaid that they had already applied to one of the many private
\nuniversities in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Next year I might not try again ... I don't think there's
\nmuch difference in the quality of a private and state-
\nuniversity,\" remarked H. Yudianto who failed to get into the
\nSchool of Criminology of the University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Many of Jakarta's privately-run universities currently offer
\nexcellent educational facilities, albeit sometimes at a cost of
\n10 times the tuition of a state-run university.<\/p>\n
Institutions such as Trisakti University require their
\nstudents to pay an entrance fee of up to Rp 7 million (US$3237),
\nwhile other institutions such as Pancasila University ask Rp 5.7
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
Wiwit Widiantono, a member of the 1994 UMPTN organizing
\ncommittee, said this year the entrance committee received a
\nnumber of reference letters asking for a particular student to be
\nadmitted.<\/p>\n
\"In my experience these references not only come from rich or
\nranking officials only but also from ordinary people,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Despite these references, the entrance committees cannot be
\nswayed because the system guarantees a fair and equal entry for
\nall to state universities, he said. (03\/mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/state-college-entrance-test-results-announced-1447893297",
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