With the announcement of the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) results, the countdown has begun for millions of candidates for the most critical period of their lives: the university preference marathon. Between July 30 and August 11, candidates will choose the universities and departments that will shape their futures. Experts emphasize the importance of acting carefully and strategically during this stressful process to avoid making mistakes.
Expert Psychological Counselor Özgür Akoğlan stated: “A correct preference list is as valuable as a good exam result. If candidates follow the roadmap we have prepared, it will help them manage the process more effectively and healthily.”
The Üsküdar University Open Days, which started on July 19, will continue until August 11.
As the preference period that will shape the future of millions of young people approaches, Özgür Akoğlan, Expert Psychological Counselor and Director of Educational Institutions and Guidance Services at Üsküdar University, gave vital advice to guide candidates.
Emphasizing that candidates should focus more on ranking rather than scores, Akoğlan stated:“A correct preference list is as valuable as a good exam result. By following the roadmap we have prepared, candidates will be able to manage the process in a much healthier way and increase their chances of being placed in the university of their dreams.”
Pointing out that the most fundamental mistake in the preference process is focusing on scores, Expert Psychological Counselor Özgür Akoğlan underlined that the real determining factor is the ranking. He warned that scores can be misleading in this crucial step that shapes candidates’ futures and stressed that they must always act based on their own rankings.
A 9-Step Roadmap for the Right Preference List
Akoğlan listed the steps that candidates should follow as:
1. Analyze your ranking: First, clearly determine your ranking in all score types (SAY, SÖZ, EA, DİL, TYT) on your YKS result document. You will create your preference list based on these rankings.
2. Make the guide your reference book: Download the updated “Higher Education Programs and Quotas Guide” published on ÖSYM’s official website. Carefully examine the quotas of the departments, special conditions, and most importantly, last year’s minimum ranking requirements.
3. Set realistic goals: Make a list of the departments you want. Compare your ranking with last year’s minimum rankings of the departments you are targeting. Be sure to include 3–5 “safe choices” that are below your current ranking.
4. Use your 24 preference rights strategically: While creating your preference list, ensure a balanced distribution. Place the first 5–6 choices with departments that are above your ranking (“dream choices”), the middle 10–12 choices with departments close to your ranking (where you have a high chance of placement), and the last 5–6 choices with departments below your ranking (“guaranteed choices”).
5. Investigate the universities: Do not focus solely on the department name. Research the academic staff, campus and dormitory facilities, scholarship opportunities, and employment rates of graduates through the universities’ official websites.
6. Get professional guidance: Seek help from guidance counselors at your school, or from free preference counseling centers set up by municipalities or universities. Attend university open days to get firsthand information about the departments.
7. Be careful when entering your preferences into the system: You will submit your preferences via the ÖSYM Candidate Processing System (AİS) using your Turkish ID number and password. Double-check the program codes from the guide when entering them to avoid mistakes.
8. Final check before approval: After entering your preferences into the system starting from July 30, print out your list and review it one last time. Do not wait until the last day to complete your process, and make sure you click the “Approve” button.
9. Wait for the results: Follow the placement results, which are generally announced in the third week of August, via ÖSYM’s official channels. Avoid these mistakes!
Expert Psychological Counselor Özgür Akoğlan issued the following warnings against common mistakes made by candidates:
- Do not overlook special requirements: Some programs may require additional conditions such as foreign language preparatory classes, internships, medical reports, or special talent exams. Be sure to read these conditions carefully.
- Track changes in quotas.
- Check ÖSYM’s official announcements.
- Avoid coding errors: A wrong program code could result in placement in a department you did not intend to choose. Enter the program codes exactly as listed in the guide.
- Compare scholarships at foundation universities: Scholarship rates and conditions vary from one university to another. Obtain detailed information.
- Make the final decision yourself: Do not make choices under family or peer pressure; choose based on your own interests, abilities, and goals. Remember, this is your future. Preference robots may help, but your final decision should be supported by your own research.
Open Days Continue Until August 11
Meanwhile, Üsküdar University’s Open Days, which started on July 19, will continue until August 11, 2025. Candidates will make their university and department choices, which will shape their future, between July 30 and August 11, 2025.
A Test That Guides the Undecided!
Highlighting the importance of making the right decisions for academic and life success in order to build one’s life on solid foundations from the very beginning, Akoğlan also reminded candidates that by taking the career test available at aday.uskudar.edu.tr, they can discover their professional aptitudes and take the first step towards choosing the right career path.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)