What is more important- Getting into IITs or getting your preferred stream elsewhere?

Shakespeare once said, “What’s there in a name.” But does that ring bells with engineering aspirants? Probably not. For engineering aspirants, IIT is a name to die for. But, not everyone can be an IITian. Also, if you do make it to an IIT, you might not get the desired branch. Sometimes candidates focus all their energy into making it to the IIT. Clearing JEE Advanced is all they wish for. But what after that? If you haven’t made it to the top in the list, you might end up getting the least preferred branches in the JEE Advanced Counselling 2014. Some might say “so what, at least I have the IIT tag now”, whereas some may crib they should have worked a little harder, and in most cases they all end up taking whatever branch they get. But the question remains, what is more important to consider: the IIT Brand name, or getting admission in the desired course from another good engineering institute? It is an important decision of your life, so think a thousand times before you take the final decision in the JEE Advanced Counselling 2014.

If you have got a lower rank in JEE Advanced 2014 but on the other hand you have the option of joining an NIT or BITS Pilani or an equivalent college, it is entirely a matter of your choice. There is no fault in choosing either and there is no right or wrong decision. There are pros and cons for both and you have to weigh them all according to whatever suits you the most. Let us discuss both the cases individually.

Choosing a less- preferred course in JEE Advanced Counselling 2014

So your rank is very less. You might get Metallurgy, or maybe Chemical or Civil branch in the JEE Advanced Counselling 2014. Would that make you happy? Remember that once you will get into the IIT, the IIT dream would fade away and the reality will dawn on you. You will have to pursue what you have in hand. Are you ready to take that risk? May be IIT name has magic for you which will fuel your motivation to be a go getter in whatever you choose at the IIT. That can very much happen in real. You can excel in whatever you get into and emerge as a topper of the branch. Also, you would be studying with the cream students of the nation and can learn a lot. There is a charm of IIT which is self-actualization for many students. Are you one amongst them? Then go for the IITs. Also, placements are not a concern at the IITs, whatever you choose, if you do well, you would end up being in the best companies from that field. And packages? That is not even a concern area! Sounds good, doesn’t it? Now let’s discuss the other case.

Choosing the desired course at other engineering colleges

May be you are the one who has dreamt of studying Computer Science or Electronics in an IIT. Now you have to choose one amongst the two as JEE Advanced Counselling 2014 is coming nearer. Would you enjoy studying Civil, if that is what offered to you in the JEE Advanced Counselling 2014? If the answer is a ‘No’, then you have to search for other colleges. Now, are you getting your desired subject in BITS Pilani or NIT? If yes, don’t even think twice, go for it. If you have a clear goal for future, then these institutions will also help you shape your future as you have desired doing from an IIT. You would always grow faster with something you enjoy doing. After all this is going to be your career for ever. You won’t get an option to change it later in life if you find it to be “not your type” or “a wrong choice”. You have to make that decision right here. The IIT tag is just a momentarily loss. Once you will start studying, a whole new plethora of options will rise in front of you. And if are a topper then you can bag the best placements and packages, which would be at par with the IITians, if not better than them.

So, it is all about what you want in the end. If you have no set dream about which stream to specialize in, then go for the JEE Advanced Counselling 2014, and whatever you get, try to excel in that. But if you have a desired stream in which you want to specialize in, then the advice would be to focus on the dream job, rather than the dream institution.
This post was published by Aditya Singhal, co-founder of askIITians.