All engineering entrance results are out. Now what?

By now, all engineering aspirants would have got the results of all the exams they’ve given – IIT JEE, AIEEE, VITEEE (find out who the top 10 VITEEE 2009 rank holders are), SRMEEE and others. The last one (for Delhi students) would be DCE CEE 2009 results, which were released today – and I’m assuming it’s the same for students from other states. By now, you should have a good idea of where you stand. Check out this engineering admission guide for more information.

Some people have already had their counselling for admissions done, like those who qualified for VIT 1st round of counselling. These would have been the top 5000 students, so in case you have been called for second phase of counselling you should be aware of the number of seats left in each branch after the first phase.

Those who got their DCE CEE results today should be aware that if your rank is lower than 1000-1100, getting in will be well nigh impossible (and this is including ‘less’ in demand streams). Rank cutoffs for NSIT are usually higher because students who want to focus on computers / IT / electronics generally opt for NSIT.

Another option which opened up last year is IIIT Delhi (note the extra ‘i’). Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi belongs to the IIIT universities ‘series’ and functions independent of DCE / NSIT / DU. It’s functioning out of the premises of NSIT Delhi at the moment while its own campus is being built and teaches only CS / IT courses. No, it does NOT fall under IP University. Read this FAQ about IIIT Delhi for more details. IIIT Delhi conducts its own entrance examination – unique in its own sense because topics covered are English, maths, and logical reasoning. You need 80% and above in PCM Class XIIth Boards or an AIEEE rank of 10,000 or higher. Download IIIT Delhi 2009 admissions prospectus here – it contains the admission brochure, information about the entrance test, and sample question paper. IIT Delhi is mentoring IIIT Delhi (a lot of IIT-D faculty currently teaches at IIIT-D), but a lot of new professors are joining this year as full-time faculty. Unlike other Indian colleges IIIT doesn’t do a foundation course in the first year, instead choosing to dive straight into CS / IT subjects. (Unfortunately the application period for IIIT-D has closed.)

photo credit: .Zickie.Staying on the CS / IT topic, it’s true that there is a lot of demand for this. Going through the comments on my blog I find that many want to get into this. Now I know that many of your are genuinely passionate about IT, but in case you’re one of those folks who hasn’t really decided which branch to take up then this is time for some introspection. Are you choosing branches just because of what relatives are saying is a ‘hot’ career? The fact is, that in any field you join you have the prospect of an amazing career – if you’re ready to work hard and go that extra mile.

Read this short article titled Is IT The Right Choice For You by IIIT-D professors. This is precisely the time to give some thought to what you want to do. It’s not just about what you’ll be doing for the next four years. Assuming that you stay within the engineering domain, this is what you’ll be doing for the next 40-50 years of your life. Still confused? Read this India Today special feature on various branches of engineering.

Wishing everyone all the best for college admissions!

More advice (including an audio discussion) is available at A Guide to Admissions in Engineering Colleges in India.

Update – Also read this AIEEE Counselling Guide by Naman.