The university admissions journey via the National Unified Admission Platform, 'Qabool', entered its most critical phase on Sunday with the announcement of final selection results. Students have until the end of Tuesday to confirm their choices, amid warnings from educational experts regarding common mistakes that could lead to the loss of a university seat. Experts emphasized that the appearance of the word 'Accepted' does not mean admission is finalized unless the student logs into the platform to confirm their desire within the specified deadline.

Educational consultant Abdullah Al-Sultan explained to 'Al-Watan' that one of the most prominent errors is some students' belief that the appearance of the status 'Accepted' means admission is automatically finalized, leading them to close the platform without clicking the confirmation option, which results in losing the seat. Others mistakenly choose 'do not confirm preference,' thinking it will grant them a direct opportunity at a better public university; however, this decision results in losing the current seat and being disqualified from the remaining opportunities phase, with the possibility of participating only in the continuing remaining opportunities phase.

He added that some students proceed to cancel their confirmed admission based on rumors or unofficial promises of obtaining a better seat, rely on text messages without accessing the platform, or delay confirming admission until the final hours, which may expose them to technical issues or the risk of forgetting the deadline. He also warned against allowing someone else to make the admission decision on the student's behalf, or the student confirming a major they do not wish to study due to family or societal pressure, without reviewing the study plan and the nature of the profession associated with it.

Al-Sultan stressed that viewing the nomination result alone is not sufficient; the accepted student must make a clear decision and confirm their preference within the specified deadline. Failing to confirm leads to losing the seat and being barred from participating in the remaining opportunities phase that follows the announcement of results, with access limited only to the continuing remaining opportunities phase.

He pointed out that the 'Qabool' platform confirms that admission is not complete after the result announcement until the student logs in and confirms their acceptance in the track or program for which they were nominated. He advised students not to delay the decision to the final hours, to ensure the application status changes to prove the procedure is complete, to keep a copy of the acceptance notification, and to follow the platform's and the educational institution's messages for any subsequent requirements.

The educational consultant explained that the next stage is the 'remaining opportunities phase,' which begins on July 22 and continues until August 2, 2026. This phase includes seats that become available due to some accepted students failing to confirm, withdrawing, or educational institutions updating their capacity. Selection during this phase is based on student grades, the ranking of their preferences, and the requirements of the available programs. The 'continuing remaining opportunities phase' extends from August 3 to August 31, 2026, and differs from the previous phase by focusing on opportunities available in private universities and programs of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, according to available seats and the requirements of each entity; therefore, students should not assume it is a full extension of public university opportunities.

Al-Sultan emphasized that canceling admission after confirming it should not be driven by the expectation of obtaining a better opportunity, because cancellation means losing the current seat without any guarantee of a substitute seat or a better major appearing in later stages. He noted that a student who cancels their admission after confirmation can benefit from the continuing remaining opportunities phase, but without any guarantee of securing a better option.

He pointed out that selection is conducted according to announced elements, including the weighted or composite grade, the requirements of the university or program, the student's ranking of their preferences, the number of available seats, and the level of competition among applicants. He confirmed that a high secondary school GPA alone does not guarantee admission, as some programs assign different weights to secondary school grades, aptitude tests, achievement tests, language tests, or personal interviews, which may lead to the admission of a student with a lower secondary school GPA than another student if they achieved a higher weighted score according to the major's criteria.

He also confirmed that transparency is achieved through the application of the same criteria to all competitors for the same program, based on documented data and specific capacities, with the ability to rank preferences and track application status and results via a unified platform.