CLAT 2023 Topper Interview: Arunav Ghosh, AIR 40 says, “Be consistent in your preparation”

Hello

With a CLAT PG rank of 1257 in the SC category (women), you definitely have a realistic chance of getting an NLU, though the very top one is less certain. You should still keep the top NLUs first in your preference list because movement happens during counselling. Prefer this order: NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, NLIU Bhopal, GNLU Gandhinagar, then other NLUs as backups. Your category and women's reservation work in your favour. Fill choices wisely and stay patient through multiple rounds, your chances are good.

With a CLAT PG rank of around 11,000, getting admission into the top National Law Universities (NLUs) is not likely, as their general category cut-offs usually close much earlier. However, you still have realistic chances in lower-ranked and newer NLUs, especially in the later rounds of CLAT counselling or through vacant seats.

At this rank, you may consider NLUs such as NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya, NLU Nagaland, NLU Sikkim, NLU Andhra Pradesh, NLU Odisha, NLU Jabalpur, and NLU Aurangabad, particularly if you belong to a reserved category like SC, ST, OBC, EWS, or have domicile or women reservation applicable. Cut-offs for these universities tend to go higher in rank compared to older NLUs, and seats often open up in subsequent counselling rounds due to withdrawals.

If you do not secure an NLU seat, you should also strongly consider reputed state and private law universities that accept CLAT PG scores or conduct their own entrance tests. Universities such as Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Delhi University (DU – through CUET PG), Jamia Millia Islamia, Symbiosis Law School, Christ University, Jindal Global Law School, and Nirma University are good alternatives for LLM aspirants. Many of these institutions offer strong academic exposure, experienced faculty, and good research opportunities, sometimes even better than newer NLUs.

Overall, while a rank of 11,000 limits options in top NLUs, admission is still possible in newer NLUs or good non-NLU law universities, provided you actively participate in counselling rounds and keep backup options ready.

With a CLAT 2026 All India Rank around 2070, Telangana domicile, and holding an OBC certificate (girl candidate), your chances of getting admission into a top-tier NLU like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata or NLU Jodhpur are quite low, as their closing ranks are usually much higher. However, you still have realistic chances in several mid-tier and newer NLUs, especially if OBC reservation and domicile or women reservation is applicable.

Based on previous years’ counselling trends, you can reasonably expect chances in NLUs such as NLU Odisha (Cuttack), NLIU Bhopal (borderline, depending on category movement), NLU Assam (Guwahati), DSNLU Visakhapatnam, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli, HPNLU Shimla, NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya, NLU Sikkim, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar NLU Sonipat. Some of these universities see rank movement in later rounds and vacancies, particularly for reserved categories and women candidates.

Since you are from Telangana, you should definitely keep NALSAR Hyderabad in your preference list, but only after all higher NLUs, as the domicile quota is limited and usually closes at a much better rank. Still, it is worth trying because domicile and category together can sometimes help in spot or vacancy rounds.

Your best strategy would be to prepare a balanced preference list: first include all top NLUs, then mid-tier NLUs like NLU Odisha and NLIU Bhopal, followed by newer and lower-ranked NLUs where your rank has a stronger chance. Make sure you actively participate in all counselling rounds, including vacancies, as many seats open up after withdrawals.

Cut-offs vary every year depending on seat intake, category distribution, and counselling dynamics, so even if you miss out in early rounds, you should not lose hope. Keep your documents ready, track counselling updates closely, and stay flexible with preferences to maximize your chances of securing an NLU seat.

Hello there,

Here is a list of government and semi-government colleges that accept CLAT score:

1. IIM Rohtak
2. Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
3. National Forensic Science University
4. CUSAT
5. Jamia Hamdard University

However, these universities also carry out separate registration to apply using your CLAT Scorecard.

I hope this helps you.

Thankyou.

Hello,

With EWS rank 2673 in CLAT 2026, you are unlikely to get the top NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, NLIU Bhopal, or RMLNLU Lucknow .

You have good chances for mid-tier NLUs such as:

• DBRANLU Sonepat

• MPDNLU Jabalpur

• IIULER Goa

• NUSRL Ranchi

• DSNLU Visakhapatnam

• CNLU Patna BBA LLB

• RPNLU Prayagraj (in later rounds)

• Most newer MNLUs like Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Silvassa

Final allotment can vary depending on counselling rounds and seat availability

You can also use our CLAT College Predictor Tool to predict which colleges you can get based on your score and rank.

Hope it helps !