Over the past 30 years, Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai, has established itself as one of the best polytechnic institutes in the country. Students are given not only theoretical knowledge, but also a taste of the real world and the demands and challenges of their chosen fields through practical training, workshops and seminars.

The facilities the institute offers to its students include a newly-renovated studio, equipped with the basic sound recording facilities, Final Cut Pro for video editing, digital video cameras and professional lights. The studio also has a DVD player and an LCD projector for screening film classics, which are studied in film appreciation classes. It also has several professional 35-mm SLR cameras for learning the basics of still photography.

The campus is equipped with a conference room, an illustration room for designing and sketching, a computer centre, a restaurant, a library, a girls? hostel and an auditorium. Sophia also has a gallery where an exhibibition is held every year to showcase the masterpieces by its students. The course in social communication media trains young women to be media professionals, providing them with a firm theoretical base as well as hands-on experience. It also aims to inculcate a sense of social awareness, ensuring that media studies and technical skills are linked to media responsibility and ethics in society.

The curriculum covers a broad range of subjects including fundamental concepts in communication, communications research, journalism, advertising, corporate communications, film, radio and television.

The other courses conducted by Sophia include diplomas in foundation art, dress designing, applied art, foundation art, pre-school teachers training, hotel administration, travel and tourism, computers and ceramics.

Forms are given out after mid April. The Polytechnic accepts applications after May 2, till about the first week of June. For more information on this, you can contact Sophia Polytechnic at Bhulabhai Desai Road, Breach Candy, Mumbai 400027. You can also log on to www.sophiacampus.com.

Eligibility

You should have a bachelors degree in any discipline from a recognised university with a minimum of 50 per cent marks in the qualifying examination. Preference is given to students from Maharashtra.

Entrance exam

The Polytechnic conducts an entrance exam in Mumbai in mid June.

Pattern of exam

The three-hour subjective-type test includes questions on current affairs, issues concerning the media, etc, and is followed by a group discussion. Subsequently, candidates are shortlisted for an interview, after which the final list of students admitted to the course is declared.

How to prepare

Preparation for the entrance test requires an awareness of current events as reported by the media and issues concerning the media.

You should read newspapers regularly and watch programmes on current issues. You can also brush up your general knowledge from books by Pearson and Spectrum. Practise writing essays on various topics in a visually descriptive way.

sample test paper

I. Write on any two of the following. Your description should be as visual as possible.

• A cricket match in the streets of your colony.
• An unexpected encounter
• A trekking expedition in the hills.
• The ultimate fantasy

II. Discuss one of the following.

• Caste equations still hold the key to elections
• Should India join the nuclear race ?
• Do newspapers sell headlines or do headlines sell newspapers?

III. Identify the following. Why were they in the news recently? (Write two short sentences each.)
George Bush, Narendra Modi, Medha Patkar, Salman Khan,
Mahendra Singh Dhoni

IV. Write 250-300 words on the election scene in India.