Over the past three to four months, our universities have been caught up in a frantic race for admissions. Billboards, television spots and social media feeds are plastered with promises of success. The real measure of success, however, is less visible: filling classrooms to maximum capacity, often by lowering the bar of entry to anyone who has scraped past 50 per cent marks in college exams. Some institutions even stretch to 45 per cent, all in the name of "access". Admissions continue well into the semester, long after classes have begun, until the last seat is occupied.

This obsession with numbers reflects a narrow vision. The task of higher education is not simply to enrol students, but to shepherd them successfully through the full life cycle of their studies, from admission to graduation, while ensuring they acquire the skills and experiences needed for life and work. International evidence and our own context in Pakistan show that success depends on what happens at four critical stages: enrolment, retention, experience and graduation.

Stage One: Enrolment with Clarity and Purpose. Universities too often compete on quantity rather than quality. What should be happening is a clearer match between student potential and programme choice. Research shows that providing transparent information on tuition fees, financial aid and career prospects significantly improves enrolment decisions. Simple innovations (such as financial mentoring,........

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