Expert advice on preferences: ‘Correct preference is important for quotas over 1 million’

While university candidates await the announcement of the YKS results on the date of July 17, the 2024 YKS preference guide is also a topic of curiosity. Preference Expert Ergin Sarar emphasized the importance of each student receiving preference counseling services by stating, ‘In the YKS where 3,036,945 candidates applied, making the right choice is crucial for the over 1 million quotas.’
A total of 3,036,945 candidates applied for the 2024 YKS. Following the announcement of the results on July 17, the number of quotas available for students nationwide is over 1 million. Preference Expert Ergin Sarar, who mentioned the importance of making the right choice for over 1 million quotas in the YKS where 3,036,945 candidates applied, emphasized the importance of each student receiving preference counseling services. Sarar shared the previous year’s data and stated the following:
‘I do not expect a significant increase.’
‘Based on the 2023 preference guide, a total of 853,000 quotas were allocated for undergraduate and associate degree programs in (208 universities) state and private foundation universities, with 388,000 quotas for associate degree programs and 465,000 quotas for undergraduate programs. When open education and distance education quotas are added, it reaches 1,061,000 quotas. When quotas allocated for women over 34 years old, earthquake victims, and relatives of martyrs and veterans are included, the total quotas that students will choose from in the 2023 preference guide reach 1,111,000. I do not expect a significant increase in this number.’
Comparing the number of universities and quotas with the number of applicants, Doğuş University Preference Expert Ergin Sarar emphasized the importance of making the right choice, stating, ‘Especially after the pandemic, it is observed that many professions and sectors are undergoing rapid changes. With the addition of artificial intelligence studies, it is seen that every profession is undergoing rapid changes and transformations nowadays.’
‘Candidates are not sufficiently informed during the preference process.’
Sarar pointed out that every year, hundreds of thousands of university students or graduates reapply for university preferences, indicating that candidates are not well informed enough during the preference processes. Sarar stated, ‘Our goal as Doğuş University is to assist candidate students in their career planning, to act impartially during the preference process, and to support candidate students with up-to-date data on the university program and preference they are interested in. Our 20 preference counselors at our campuses and our university’s academic staff provide candidates with the most up-to-date information on every aspect related to the university program and preference during the preference process. In order to support students in this process, we provide free preference counseling service to candidate students with 20 guidance counselors at both of our campuses.’
Sarar concluded his speech as follows:
‘While providing this service, the candidate students who come to our campus first get to know our student assistants working in the assistant student program, and then have the opportunity to ask all the questions about the department with the academics of the department they want. They receive services from guidance counselors to determine the placement status in the last department and to prepare a sample preference list. For example, while some students need to look at their success rankings when making preferences, they make choices based on scores. The most important point here is the success rankings. Therefore, it is crucial to seek support from guidance counselors who are competent in this field. Therefore, I emphasize the importance of every student receiving preference counseling services. I believe that in this way, candidate students will proceed with more confident steps in the process and minimize uncertainty.’