Confused 12th Pass Student: What Career Path Should I Choose?

Ans: Can start focusing on MBA entrance exams after you finish your first year. First year ensure you maintain a good academic performance in your college and can take part in extra curricular activities. Ensure that you create a good habit of reading.

Ans: Round 2 DCET counselling allows you to upgrade your existing VIT Vemana Institute of Technology CSE seat if your rank meets another institute’s closing rank in this round. With a DCET rank of 3 682, you fall below the Round 2 cut-offs for top Bangalore lateral-entry CSE programmes such as UVCE (≈1 800), DSCE (≈2 500) and RV College (≈2 200), making upgrades there unachievable. You do, however, exceed MVJ College of Engineering’s expected CSE Round 2 cut-off (≈3 900–4 100), so you could opt to upgrade only to MVJ CSE. Otherwise, no further institutes can be secured in Round 2 above your rank, and holding out for an upgrade beyond MVJ risks losing your confirmed Vemana CSE seat.

Recommendation: Confirm and retain your VIT Vemana CSE seat to secure admission; participate in Round 2 only if you value MVJ College of Engineering CSE over Vemana, and reject any other upgrade options since your rank does not meet their cut-offs. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Shobita Madam, VIT Vellore’s B.Tech Mechanical Engineering program, part of an A++ NAAC-accredited university, features core labs—CNC machining, fluid systems, automotive chassis, robotics, and CAD/CFD—with a four-year cohort of 60 students and industry tie-ups for internships. Over the past three years, mechanical placements averaged around 50%, supported by a Career Development Cell engaging recruiters like Honda, Maruti and Saipem. Manipal Institute of Technology’s similar B.Tech Mechanical programme at MIT Manipal is NAAC A++ and NBA-Tier-1 accredited, offers advanced manufacturing, thermal, materials, mechatronics and digital-manufacturing labs, and recorded 77% placements in 2025 with over 230 recruiters, including Amazon, Bosch and Accenture. Manipal’s average package stood at ?11.76 LPA, median ?9.69 LPA, reflecting stronger campus recruiting consistency and global recruiter presence.

Recommendation: For higher placement consistency, a broader recruiter network, and slightly stronger average packages in core engineering, choose MIT Manipal Mechanical; if you prioritize VIT’s brand recognition and its specific automotive-industry connections, opt for VIT Vellore Mechanical, balancing lower placement rates with targeted internships. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Deepansh, Your Phase 3 rank of 4 559 falls well within SRM KTR’s Mechatronics closing rank of approximately 42 000, virtually guaranteeing allotment of your opted core Mechatronics specialisation at the Kattankulathur campus. SRMJEEE counselling is conducted in three online phases corresponding to the three exam windows, with Phase 3 (choice filling: July 11–12; allotment: July 15–22) marking the final round. No further SRMJEEE counselling rounds remain beyond Phase 3, so if you are not allotted Mechatronics in this phase, you cannot apply again in SRM’s own counselling process.

Recommendation: Promptly confirm and accept your Phase 3 allotment to secure Mechatronics at SRM KTR, leveraging its accredited labs, experienced faculty and 80–85% placement consistency. If, however, mechatronics does not materialize, consider exploring lateral-entry options, internships or nearby specialised institutes rather than awaiting additional SRMJEEE rounds. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: IIIT Bhopal’s B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering, mentored by MANIT and recognised as an Institute of National Importance, delivers a rigorous AI/ML-oriented curriculum with state-of-the-art computing, NLP and cybersecurity labs, PhD-qualified faculty and alumni support. Its CSE branch recorded placement rates of 77.35% in 2025, 84.48% in 2024 and 91.38% in 2023, with an average package of ?20.82 LPA. Delhi Technological University’s B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, NIRF-ranked 27th among engineering institutes, features advanced manufacturing, CAD and thermal-systems labs, strong PSU and automotive-industry tie-ups, and faculty-led research. Mechanical placements stood at 75.10% in 2021–22, 69.47% in 2022–23 and 63.23% in 2023–24, with an average package around ?12 LPA.

Recommendation: Retain the IIIT Bhopal CSE offer to capitalize on its focused computing ecosystem, higher three-year placement consistency, and premium average packages. Opt for DTU Mechanical Engineering only if your son prioritizes core-manufacturing expertise, established PSU pipelines and top-30 NIRF-ranked infrastructure over software-sector outcomes. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Mohith, by now all rounds are over in JoSAA, right? You did not get any seat allotment till now?

Ans: Padmapriya Madam, You have not mentioned the branch your son has got in IIT-Dharwad. Also, you have mentioned JEE Mains, whereas IITs do not accept JEE Main scores. Please clarify this & elaborate on your question.

Ans: With a 79.80 percentile in MHT-CET under the SC category and Maharashtra domicile, assured admission is available at the following ten Mumbai-area institutes whose SC-category closing percentiles in recent CAP rounds fell at or below your score. These colleges excel in accreditation, modern laboratories, experienced faculty, active industry tie-ups and placement cells recording 70–90% branch-wise placement consistency over the last three years:

Vivekanand Education Society Institute of Technology, Chembur [GSCS cutoff 7.79–12.61]
Thakur College of Engineering & Technology, Kandivali East [GSCS cutoff 12.56–57.2]
Terna Engineering College, Nerul [GSCS cutoff 24–40.28]
Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Engineering, Navi Mumbai (CBD Belapur) [GSCO cutoff 35.43–73.37]
SIES Graduate School of Technology, Nerul [GSCS cutoff 89.48–91.55 but MI cutoff 7.32–47.43 for SC]
Fr. C. Rodrigues Institute of Technology, Vashi [SC cutoff ~30–60 percentile]
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, New Panvel [SC cutoff ~35–65 percentile]
VIVA Institute of Technology, Virar Road [SC cutoff ~60–70 percentile]
K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Vidyavihar [SC cutoff ~65–75 percentile]
SIES College of Engineering, Sion-West [SC cutoff ~70–80 percentile]

Recommendation: Prioritize VESIT Chembur for its low SC cutoff, NAAC A accreditation and robust CS/IT labs; next choose Thakur College Kandivali for flexible specializations and dedicated placement support; then opt for Terna Nerul for its strong AI/ML and networking infrastructure; consider BVCOE Navi Mumbai for its reputable CBD-based campus and balanced outcomes; finally, select SIES GST Nerul leveraging its outcome-based curriculum and emerging placement trends. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Vikram Sir, SRM Kattankulathur’s B.Tech CSE programme, delivered by a NAAC A++ and ABET-accredited Category I university, ranks 13th in NIRF 2024 and features specialized DevSecOps and AI/ML labs, PhD-qualified faculty and industry partnerships. In 2024, SRM KTR saw over 980 recruiters, 5,546 offers and an average package of ?7.19 LPA, with branch-wise placements around 85% supported by a dedicated Career Development Cell. Chitkara University Punjab’s NAAC A+-accredited CSE stream offers flexible specializations, global tie-ups and modern data-analytics and cloud labs. Its 2023–24 placement report shows a 93.8% placement rate with an average package of ?8.5 LPA and median ?9.5 LPA for BTech programmes, attracting over 350 companies, alongside strong faculty mentorship and incubation support.

Recommendation: For wider global accreditation, higher NIRF ranking and robust core-software placements, choose SRM KTR CSE; for marginally stronger average package, metropolitan industry exposure and higher placement consistency within a skill-centric curriculum, opt for Chitkara University Punjab CSE. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.