How to Upgrade from Allotted Seat to Vacant Seat in Maharashtra Counselling

NEET UG 2025 is now over, and the competition for medical colleges in Maharashtra is intense. With only about 9,000 MBBS and 3500+ BDS seats available in the state, getting into a preferred college can be difficult.

To help students get a better seat if one becomes available, the CET Cell offers a seat upgradation option during the later stages of counselling. In this blog, we will cover how the upgrade process works, who is eligible, and the steps you need to take to upgrade your allotted seat during the Maharashtra NEET UG 2025 counselling.

Seat Upgrade Options

After seats are allotted in Maharashtra NEET UG counselling, candidates are given three options to decide how they want to proceed—Freeze, Slide, and Float. Understanding the differences between these options is important, as it can help you make the right decision and possibly improve your chances of getting a seat that better matches your preferences. Here’s a quick overview of what each option means and how it affects your counselling journey:

Step-by-Step Seat Upgrade Process

If you wish for a better college or course after the first allotment in Maharashtra NEET UG counselling, the process of seat upgradation is suitable. Surrendering the seat allotted in the first round and then opting for participation in the following rounds will get you through a relatively better college or course after upgradation. Here is a glance at the upgradation:

1. Get In the Next Round of Counselling 

• Once you choose Slide or Float, you are entitled to any upgrades in the next CAP round. 
• You need not re-register, but are advised to participate in the preference update.

2. Refresh the Preference List

• Log in to the Official CET Cell Portal.
• According to the new system priorities, reorder your course and college choices.
• Remember to save and lock the list of preferences before the deadline, or else your preferences will not be considered for any upgradation. 

3. Check New Allotment Results

Once the results of the new round allotment are declared:

• Log in to check if you have been upgraded to a higher preference seat.
• If upgraded, download the allotment letter for the new allotment.
• If not upgraded, your previous seat remains with you.

4. Report at the New College

If granted a new seat:

• Accept and report to this new college on or before the date stipulated.
• Go through the 2nd round of document verification and fee payment (refund/adjustment will be taken care of later).

If there is no change:

• Continue in the seat earlier allotted and reported.

Upgrade Rules

Seat upgradation during NEET UG state quota counselling in Maharashtra depends on some factors mentioned below:

• Category: Your reservation category (General, OBC, EWS, SC, ST) plays an important role in eligibility for some seats.
• NEET Merit Rank: A better rank gets you preference over other seats that may go vacant or are of higher preference.
• Seat Availability: A change can only occur if a seat you prefer becomes available because another candidate either withdraws or upgrades to a different seat.
• Choice Preference Order: The order in which you list your preferred colleges during choice locking is the main factor for seat upgradation. Upgrades will only happen if seats higher on your preference list become available. It’s important to know that upgradation won’t happen automatically; you must have chosen the Slide or Float options in earlier rounds and completed the required reporting to be eligible.

Mop-Up Round - What is That? 

The Mop-Up Round, also called the Vacant Seat Round, takes place after Round 2 to fill any remaining vacant seats. It is conducted mainly for two reasons:

• To provide fresh opportunities to students who could not secure a seat in earlier rounds.
• To provide already-admitted candidates a chance to get admission in a better college or course if they had not locked or frozen their seats.

Read More: What Is Mop-Up Round in MBBS Admission?

Important points regarding the Mop-Up Round

• The candidates shall again have to register if directed by the CET Cell. 
• They will have to file fresh preferences.
• Candidates allotted a seat in earlier rounds with respect to upgrades and reporting must adhere to the prescribed procedure, in default of which their seat will stand cancelled.
• Vacant seats may include vacancy seats from government colleges, private colleges, or minority institutions, subject to dropout details.

Fee Difference Upon Upgrade

If you upgrade your seat in any round and move from a government college to a private college—for example, from a BDS seat to an MBBS seat—you will need to pay the fee difference immediately to confirm your new allotment.

Major Key Points:

• The time for paying fees is usually very short(typically 24 to 72 hours).
• The upgraded seat allotted to you may stand cancelled on your default in fee payment.
• Candidates are advised to keep funds ready during counselling so that no financial delays, if any, mar the counselling procedure.
• An institute may refuse admission if full fees are not paid, even if the candidate has been allotted a seat during official counselling.

Do Not Miss Reporting Deadlines

Each allotment round has a strict deadline for reporting and joining the allotted college. If you fail to report within this timeframe:

• Your seat will be forfeited by the authority.
• You might lose your eligibility to participate in further counselling rounds.
• The admission office could even deduct part or the entirety of your tuition fees, based on their refund policy.

To avoid these issues:

• Always check the State CET Cell website daily during the counselling period.
• Read all seat allotment letters carefully for institute-specific instructions.
• Complete both online acceptance and physical reporting steps if required.

What If You Did Not Get A Seat?

If you had not been allotted a seat in the first or second round of counselling:

• You can participate further, say, in a Mop-Up Round or an Institutional Vacancy Round.
• Be sure your documents are verified and your application stays active in the CET system.
• Keep an eye out for the reopening of choice filling or registration if published by the CET Cell.
• Even those who had not applied earlier may be allowed to register for Mop-Up or Stray rounds in case vacancies are there.

Do Not Make These Mistakes

Here are some common mistakes made by students in counselling and how to avoid such cases:

1. Forgetting to Lock the Preferences: Always log in, check the preference list, and make sure your preference list is saved and locked before the deadline. Unlocked preferences are not taken into consideration during allotments.
2. Forgetting to Upload or Verify Documents: Keep soft copies ready (in PDF or JPEG formats) of all required documents such as NEET Admit Card, Scorecard, Domicile Certificate, Caste Certificate, 10th/12th Marksheets, etc. Some rounds may require re-uploading or physical submission of the originals.
3. Not Checking CET Cell Announcements: Many candidates miss deadlines or instructions because they don’t check the portal regularly. Visit the CET Cell website at least once daily during counselling.
4. Ignoring Financial Readiness: Be prepared to pay full fees quickly, especially if allotted a private college or upgraded seat.

Key Reminders – Maharashtra NEET UG 2025 Counselling

Thus, with the conduct of NEET UG 2025 counselling in Maharashtra, the candidates need to be fully alert so that one error does not deprive them of a seat. Each step matters, right from timing the payment of the booking-confirmation fee to document verification, for admission. In this regard, some important reminders that each candidate must keep in mind for a smooth and successful counselling process have been discussed.

Final Seat Locking

• After you have reported to the allotted college and completed admission formalities, the seat is said to be locked.
• After this, the candidate will not be entitled to any further seat upgrades or counselling rounds.
• Note that only when you want to accept the seat completely should you select the option "Freeze." 

Conclusion

Getting upgraded from an allotted seat to a more desired vacant seat in the Maharashtra NEET UG 2025 counselling greatly influences your career path in medicine. By understanding the seat upgrade options like Freeze, Slide, Float, and the processes of CET Cell, the candidate may maximise his/her chances for better college or course admission. Timely actions, proper documentation, and regular checks for official updates will allow candidates to take advantage of the opportunity.