On Saturday, colleges affiliated with the University of Mumbai released their second general merit list for first-year degree programs, leading to a decline in cut-off marks, particularly benefiting students scoring between 80% and 90%. For example, Ruia College's cut-off for the BSc Computer Science course decreased from 80% to 76%, while St Xavier’s College's science cut-off dropped by 9% from the first list. However, the arts cut-off at St Xavier’s remained unchanged. A principal from a Vile Parle college noted that many students in the science stream are now pursuing entrance exams for engineering and medical courses, which has contributed to the reduction in cut-offs. Despite the drop in cut-offs for some courses, professional science programs, such as biotechnology and computer science, continue to attract higher cut-offs compared to traditional courses. The demand for courses like Bachelor in Accounts and Finance and Bachelor in Mass Media has surged, indicating a shift in student preferences towards a broader range of options. College officials anticipate that the upcoming third merit list may further alleviate pressure on students seeking admission.