THE Mandaue City College (MCC) will admit only an additional 150 students from among the hundreds who sought endorsement from the City Council’s Committee on Education bringing the school’s total freshman intake to 600 for the coming school year.
According to the MCC, this is the most the college could absorb without compromising its standards.
The 150 additional slots are specifically for senior high school graduates who failed the college entrance exam, but later approached the office of Committee on Education chairperson Councilor Malcolm Sanchez in hopes of getting a second chance.
MCC offers three main academic clusters — Education, Technology, and Business Administration, with nine degree programs under them.
Under Education are the Bachelor of Elementary Education major in General Content, and the Bachelor of Secondary Education with majors in English, Filipino, and Mathematics.
The Technology cluster includes Bachelor of Industrial Technology with majors in Computer Technology and Electronics Technology, as well as Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.
Meanwhile, the Business cluster offers Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with majors in Human Resource Management and Marketing Management.
The school is currently conducting interviews for those who passed the entrance exam.
MCC Administrator Joey Rivamonte said the school’s original quota of 450 students distributed at 50 students per program has nearly been reached.
“As of now, the screening for those who passed is done, and the interviews are ongoing. The target is 450 students from the qualified passers. For the endorsement applicants, we have allocated a maximum of 150 slots,”
Rivamonte said.
500 applicants
Rivamonte said the endorsed students will still undergo a selection process as the MCC cannot accommodate all of the 500 applicants that sought endorsements from Sanchez’ office.
The applicants will be ranked and shortlisted, and only the top 150 will be admitted from this batch. Ranking will be based on the applicants’ previous exam scores and interview results.
While they will no longer be required to retake the exam, their original test scores will be considered in the evaluation, said Rivamonte.
“Even if Councilor Sanchez endorses more than 150 students, the college will still adhere to the ranking system. Only those who fall within the top 150 will be accepted, unless the endorsements happen to align exactly with those who made it to the top of the list,” he explained.
The MCC currently operates with 22 classrooms and a teaching workforce of around 60 instructors, most of whom are part-time workers.
Rivamonte said the school’s limited infrastructure and teaching staff are major factors used to determine enrollment caps.
Rivamonte said while the college would be glad to accommodate more students, its main limitations are the lack of classrooms and qualified faculty.
The MCC’s free tuition and Commission on Higher Education (Ched)-certified programs have made it an increasingly attractive choice for students from low-income households.
Classes for the incoming school year 2025-2026 are set to open in August.
Earlier, Councilor Sanchez confirmed that more than 500 students, many of whom failed the MCC entrance exam had sought endorsements from his office in hopes of being reconsidered for admission.
Sanchez said the surge of applicants was inevitable as many students are eager to get into MCC.
He said his office has consistently told applicants that an endorsement is not a guarantee of admission, as the final decision rests with the college administration.
Sanchez also noted that compared to last year’s 150 endorsement requests, this year’s number has ballooned significantly, highlighting the growing demand for accessible public college education in the city. / CAV