Why the closing rank you see in Round 1 rarely matches the one that finally locks the seat.
1 min read
Counseling runs across multiple rounds, and the closing rank for a branch shifts every single round. Understanding why helps you avoid two common mistakes: giving up on a college too early, or holding out for a seat that was never going to open up further.
As rounds progress, students who got a better offer elsewhere vacate their seats, pulling the closing rank further down (more favorable) in later rounds. Some seats also move between quotas as unfilled allocations get released. This is why a seat that looked "out of reach" in Round 1 can open up by Round 4 or 5.
Round 1 cutoffs are usually the tightest, since demand is highest and no one has vacated yet. The final rounds (including special rounds like CSAB) tend to have the most movement, but also the fewest remaining seats overall.
Don't lock in a "safe" choice too early just because a dream option looks out of reach in Round 1. If you're willing to wait, track how much a branch's closing rank has historically moved by the final round before deciding to freeze your choices early.