Understanding the IMAT EU Scrolling Process
On the day the national ranking list is published, the results for EU candidates and non-EU candidates living in Italy appear in each student’s personal area on the Universitaly portal system. This marks the start of the scrolling process, where rankings change week by week as students accept or give up their seats.
The list shows one of four possible statuses for each candidate: assigned, booked, waiting, or not ranking, along with the name of the university.
Before diving in, take a moment to check the IMAT ranking lists on Universitaly — they’ll help you understand precisely how the scrolling process works in real time.
How the IMAT EU Scrolling Process Works
Seats are given through a weekly scrolling process. Rankings move as candidates enroll or withdraw. The system always tries to move students upward in their preference list until all seats are filled.
Assigned (Assegnato)
- You receive an offer from the best available university based on your preference order.
- You must enroll within four working days (excluding Saturdays and public holidays).
- If you do not enroll, you are removed from the ranking list and lose your place.
- You cannot refuse an assigned offer and wait for another one — once transferred, you must enroll.
Booked (Prenotato)
- You do not yet have a seat in your top choice(s), but you have one in a lower preference on your list.
- You cannot move to less-preferred universities; you can only move upward if a place opens at a higher choice.
- As a booked candidate, you can either:
- Enroll immediately in the booked university, or
- Wait for the next rounds and hope a place opens at a higher choice.
- If you wait, you must confirm your interest each round. Your booked seat stays safe as long as you continue confirming. You lose it only if you move up to a higher choice.
- Once you enroll in a booked seat, you are removed from the ranking and cannot move further.
Waiting (In Attesa / “All Seats Filled”)
- All the universities on your preference list are full at your score.
- You do not have a seat yet, but you may get one if other candidates withdraw.
- You must confirm your interest every round to stay in the process.
Not Ranking / Out of Places (Posti Esauriti)
- Your score is below that of the last admitted student, so you are not eligible for the currently available seats.
- You can remain on the list if you confirm your interest. If enough students withdraw, you may later move in.
Frequency and Updates
After the national ranking is published, the scrolling process runs every week. Universities send CINECA the list of enrolled students, and new lists are published to update everyone’s status.
Deadlines
- Assigned candidates must enroll within four working days.
- Booked and Waiting candidates must confirm their interest by 12:00 noon on the fifth working day after each round.
How Placements Change
- The system always tries to move you as high as possible in your preference list. Once you are booked at a university, you can only move upward to higher choices. You cannot move down to a lower choice.
- The process continues until all seats in all universities are taken. For example, in 2024, the University of Pavia had 17 rounds, with the first-round score at 61.08 and the last round at 59.1.
Case Example for the IMAT EU Scrolling System
When the IMAT results finally came out, Luca’s heart raced. Months of studying, endless practice tests — and now, the moment of truth.
He opened the Universitaly portal and saw his status: “Booked at University C.”
It wasn’t his first choice — not even his second. On his list, he had written A, B, C, D, E.
Universities A and B were his dream destinations, but his score wasn’t high enough yet.
The system had placed him at C, and that meant something important — he couldn’t go down anymore. D and E were now out of reach forever.
Luca had two paths ahead.
He could enroll immediately at C, play it safe, and start studying right away.
Or he could wait — confirm his interest, hope for another round, and maybe climb higher if other students gave up their spots.
He decided to wait. Every few days, he refreshed the page — hoping, guessing, imagining. Then one morning, the update arrived. The cutoff for B had dropped below his score.
His status changed: “Assigned to University B.”
Luca couldn’t believe it. His patience had paid off — but now, he had no choice. When you’re assigned, you must enroll. The system doesn’t ask twice.
He smiled as he clicked “enroll.”
It wasn’t A, but it was close — and it was his.
The scrolling process had worked exactly as promised: always moving candidates upward, never downward, trying to give everyone the best possible match.
And in that moment, Luca finally understood what every IMAT student learns — the ranking isn’t just about numbers.
It’s a game of patience, timing, and knowing what you truly want.
Choosing Your Preferences
Your ranking order should reflect your actual preferences, not just what you think the cutoffs might be. The system always tries to place you as high as possible in your list. Be honest about where you truly want to study—this gives you control and avoids future regret.
For example, if you prefer University B but list University A first because its usual cutoff is higher, and your score qualifies for A, you must enroll there. You cannot change your choices later.