mumbai ssc toppers have multiplied this year with more than 83000 students scoring 90 and above the state numbers saw a nearly 200 jump over last year and 175 in the city with state and central boards seeing a massive spike in high scorers competition to get into toprung junior colleges will get fiercer this year principals predict a 12 rise in cutoffs making it tough for even those with 90 to secure a seat of their choicein mumbai alone almost 15000 ssc students have scored 90 and above the last time the city saw over 14000 90plus scorers was in 2011 the numbers had dropped last year to 5399 due to changes in the evaluation pattern seats in commerce and arts will be difficult in soughtafter colleges parag thakkar from hr college said the cutoffs in the first merit list will rise by 12 in commerce and arts courses in top colleges whether the rise of 90 scorers is between 90 and 95 or in the above 95 bracket will decide the cutoffs in subsequent lists too said thakkarseveral science aspirants are likely to choose junior colleges offering integrated coaching for their neet and jee preparation and are expected to choose a junior college closer home said a principal post covid parents would anyway want to choose a college closer home for their children as several junior colleges offering integrated coaching are coming up in the suburbs it will become the likeliest choice of science aspirants the cutoffs are likely to rise even in these junior colleges said the principalashok wadia principal of jai hind college said the rise in scores will definitely push up cutoffs he puts in a word of caution for the massive jump among high scorers though these high scores may have an impact on the psychological wellbeing of students there should be a uniform assessment policy across boards said wadiaalmost two lakh students in the state had sought extra marks for participation in sports and cultural events taking the total number of students with the perfect score to 242 in mumbai alone 32000 have managed to get those extra marks artificial inflation of marks has become a norm across boards it is difficult to assess the actual capabilities of a child when every board is joining the rat race no board has managed to set a benchmark for others to follow students scoring 90 are also facing dejection as they dont manage to secure a seat in a college of their choice where are we headed asked a city principalmeanwhile with the pandemic forcing firstyear junior college fyjc admissions to move completely online the education department will soon launch a mobile application to help students fill application forms with ease part i of the formfilling process for fyjc admissions will begin on august 1 the rest of the detailed schedule will be released soon