CEED 2015 Application Process

After reading through numerous queries each day in my CEED Facebook group, I've decided to publish a blog post to help out with the frustrating CEED Application Process.

NOTE: This process applies to MALE (GEN) Category Applicants who have their valid (final or provisional) degree certificate with them. I have not addressed the queries of those who don't have their qualifying degree proofs yet (2014 pass outs) or OBC/SC/ST candidates. However, such candidates can use this article for general process help. Please note that since I'm writing this article after submitting my application, there are no screenshots and some minute details might be skipped by me. But I'll try to cover as much as I can. Without much further ado, let's proceed :)

But before you go start applying, here are a few tips to keep in mind throughout your process.

1. Read ALL related pages / tabs of the application form CAREFULLY. This includes PHOTO, SIGNATURE and ELIGIBILITY PROOF DOCUMENT upload guidelines.

2. SAVE your data after filling the first two tabs of the form i.e. Personal & Qualification details. The Documents section is auto-saved once you have uploaded the documents successfully.

3. Suppose you have saved your data in first two tabs of the application form and then you decide to complete the process on some other day. When you come back, you might find your sheet blank. DON'T PANIC! Just wait for a few seconds, the data will be auto-populated by the CEED Server. (Reason behind this is technical which I won't cover here). 

4. For any query throughout the process, you may call up CEED Office. Their contact details are provided here.

5. Productivity Step: SAVE your login email, application number, password & SBI Collect Reference Number in a single consolidated mail [OPTIONAL]

If you are looking to apply from scratch, you  may start reading from below steps.

If you are already aware of the process and are looking for solution to a problem, you may scroll down to commonly known issues during CEED Application Process.

Step 1: Register with the CEED Website.

Step 2: Click "Go to Application Form" on top right corner of your page. Fill in your personal and educational details.

Step 3: Uploading Documents: On this tab, you will see separate links for SAMPLE PHOTOS and UPLOADING DOCUMENTS. I suggest read the SAMPLE PHOTOS page carefully as it contains the guidelines for sizes of the documents required for upload. NOTE DOWN all the required dimensions on a separate page (min/max). This is the part where most people face issues after submission.

 Step 4: Payment through SBI Collect 

What the heck is this! You may ask. 

Many a times, you may have seen in colleges during admissions that you give your admission documents at one counter and the cash counter is separate. You get your documents verified and attested at the admissions counter, go the cash counter, pay there, collect the receipt and show the receipt back to the original admissions counter. This is just that.

Except that, you will not be passing on the entire receipt to CEED, you will be passing on the receipt number, which is the SBI Collect Reference Number.

This is because the CEED website folks have not integrated the payment process within the website, instead they have used the system of their receiving bank (SBI). This system is called SBI Collect.

Before I proceed with the steps, I would advise you to use an SBI ATM / Credit Card for this payment. Other payment methods are definitely available, but not necessarily available round the clock. For example, the net banking feature is disabled on weekends. Moreover, the processing fee with an SBI card is the least (just a few paisa over 11 bucks). 

Steps to pay through SBI Collect

1.      Go to SBI Collect Home page and accept the terms and conditions.

2.      On the next page, for the state box, select MAHARASHTRA. (Since you're paying to IIT Bombay)

3.      For the type of institution, select "Education Institution"

4.      On the next page, select "CEED IIT Bombay" for department name
5.    Select your candidate type

6.      Fill in the payee details on the next page. The "Remarks" field is optional. You may write "CEED Application Fee" if you wish to fill the field.

7.      Confirm all the details

8.      Choose the appropriate payment mode and complete the online payment. You will see a transaction successful page. That is your SBI Collect payment receipt. Note the SBI Collect Reference Number. And save the receipt as an image using the windows snipping tool

Step 5: Finishing the application and submitting it successfully.

1.      Come back to CEED Application Form > Payments tab

2.      Enter your SBI Collect Reference Number. If there is no Bank  Reference Number mentioned in your receipt, write "NA"

3.      Complete other details.

4.      Fill the captcha text. Preview your application.

5.      On the preview page, click "Go to Application Form" on top right of the page. Go to payments tab and click "Submit"

If everything is successful, you should get the message stating that your application was submitted successfully and is now under scrutiny.

Commonly known issues during CEED Application Process

CHANGING BACKGROUNDS FOR YOUR FACE PHOTO 

This is required when you have a proper face photo that conforms to all the guidelines mentioned in the SAMPLE PHOTOS page, except it doesn't have a light / white background (which is required).

Below are the steps to whiten the background of your photos:

1. Open pixlr.com/editor in your browser

2. Open your image in pixlr.

3. Select the Wand Tool from the "Tools" box.

4. Click your wand over the background of your image. You will see it selected through the dotted boundary.

5. Click "Edit" menu > "Invert Selection". The selection is now inverted to your face and bust.

6. Press Ctrl + C

7. Open a new blank image and paste your copied foreground on it and save the image. Edit in Paint for dimensions (if required)

Alternatively, after step 5, you can do the following steps:

6a. Click on "Adjustment" menu > "Color Balance" > Maximize all three parameters Viz., Red, Blue & Green Offsets to make it white.

7a. Save the image. Resize it in paint (if required).

  

SIZING AND CONVERTING THE DOCUMENTS FOR UPLOAD

a. Open the file in MS Paint for editing

b. Press Ctrl+A

c. Click "Resize" option from the "Image" section of "Home" tab in paint

d. Select "Pixels" option in the "Resize & Skew" box.

e. In the "Resize" section, enter the horizontal dimension as noted down earlier. The vertical dimension will be automatically calculated for you. Just verify that it matches with the acceptable dimensions that you have noted down earlier.

f. Click "File"  > "Save As" > "JPEG Picture" (Not required if your file is already JPEG)

g. Give the file a name and save it.

  

CAPTCHA TEXT ISSUE

During my application process, I noticed a very annoying issue.

Even if you enter correct captcha text, it shows an error. (This occurs when you try to preview or submit the application)

Here are some suggested fixes (make sure you save your data in the form before you perform any of these two actions):

1. Clean your browsers cache and history.

2. Change your browser.

In both cases, you will have to re-login into your CEED account, go to the application form and repeat the action. 

Hope this post was helpful in making the CEED Application Process a little less frustrating.

Got anything to add this article? Do let me know in comments :)