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Parents fretting over the fact that their children couldn't get into the much-coveted college despite scoring 90%- plus in the class X exams may be shocked to know that part of the problem is that just too many children crossed the 90-plus mark this year. Data collected from the state board reveals that there are 4,083 students from the city who have scored over 90% this year.

The corresponding state-wide number stands at 13,679. In other words, if 1.63% of Mumbai's class X students scored over 90%, one in every five students (20%) from the CBSE board crossed the magical figure. Of the 3,345 CBSE students who took the class X exam this year, 650 have scored 90%-plus. The ICSE board refused to part with pertinent information.

Moreover, the state's marks normalisation formula -- which intends to put students of all boards on par -- has inflated the marks of thousands of others who scored between 85% and 89%, thus expanding the population of the elite 90 percentile club.

So, if there are 1,021 CBSE students who scored between 80% and 89%, sources in the state board say there are 4,000 to 4,500 students from Mumbai who have scored between 85% and 89%.

Last year, DG Ruparel College was the only institution to close its admission counters over 90% after the final list. This year, colleges such as HR College of Commerce and Economics, KC College, Jai Hind College, which closed admissions below 80% last year, have filled up over 85% of their seats with 90 percentile-plus students. That itself goes on to show the large pool of top scorers that the city has this year.