Oaxaca student Eliud Pizarro had a backup plan when he applied for admission at his dream university, the National Autonomous University of México (UNAM), but he needn’t have worried.

Not only was Eliud accepted by UNAM but also by the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico (IPN), the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM) and the Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP) after applying to them all to hedge his bet.

In addition, the Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca (UABJO) in his hometown of Oaxaca offered him a spot in its medical school.

“I trusted that if I studied hard, I could accomplish it,” he told the newspaper El Universal, “but I also wanted to have a safety option and chose those five schools.”

Throughout his public education, Eliud never considered himself exceptionally diligent, but his enthusiasm for mathematical physics allowed him to get good grades.

The son of teachers and motivated by his brother’s engineering degree at IPN, Eliud is one of the 15,499 students accepted by UNAM this year. A total of 153,000 applied.

He is also one of an average 500 Oaxacan students who leave their home state each year to further their studies in Mexico City, according to the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES).

“I decided to apply for the economics program because it is a subject that has interested me for many years. I want to develop a career in the private sector, but I’d also be interested in public office,” said Eliud.

“In the case of the medical degree, that field had always appealed to me,” he added.

Four of the five universities that accepted Eliud are the most sought-after schools in the country, according to national rankings. Only 30% of prospective students pass the entrance exams.

Now a couple of weeks into his first semester, Eliud is happy and enjoying his new life.

“I’m very excited about my future.”

Source: El Universal (sp)