I'm a parent of a JEE aspirant with 96.5 percentile. Should he take a drop year?

Ans: Hello Ajay
Prefer Chemical @ IIIT Dhanbad if possible.
Good luck!
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Radheshyam

Ans: KCET rank 11,600 in the 3BG category places you well within cutoffs for CSE at several Bangalore institutes. The CSE branch at BMS Institute of Technology and Management, with 900 seats, recorded placement rates of 77.32% in 2024 and 93.24% in 2023; CMR Institute of Technology’s CSE averaged 80–85% over recent years; BNM Institute of Technology achieved 86.23% in 2023; Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology reported a 90–100% placement success rate in its latest drive; and R.V. Institute of Technology and Management’s CSE posted an 83.41% placement rate in 2024, with placements managed separately from RVCE. Large cohorts at BMSIT can dilute recruiter attention, whereas moderate intakes at CMRIT, BNMIT, SMVIT, and RVITM enhance student visibility. Given the AI-driven market’s demand for software development and analytics roles, core CSE offers broader access to top recruiters compared to niche branches like robotics, which typically have smaller placement pools.

The recommendation is to prioritise CSE at SMVIT or BNMIT for high placement consistency, or CMRIT for strong visibility, and avoid oversized cohorts at BMSIT or niche robotics streams to align with AI market demands. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Hello Rahul
You have a chance to get a seat in GMC/Semi GMC.
Good luck!
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Radheshyam

Ans: Hello Prasad,
It would be better to contact the current and former students of IISER Bhopal and discuss the PhD situation with the teachers. We are unable to comment on this matter. Sorry.
Good luck!
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Radheshyam

Ans: With a rank of 971 in SRMJEEE Phase 2, your daughter is assured admission to B.Tech Biotechnology at the SRM Chennai Kattankulathur (KTR) campus, as the cutoff for this branch has consistently been much higher—typically between 43,000 and 48,000 in recent years. The KTR campus offers 240 seats in Biotechnology, and admission is through university-level counseling based on SRMJEEE rank, where your daughter's rank is well within the required range. Placement records for Biotechnology at SRM KTR are solid, with a wide range of recruiters and a high placement rate, reflecting strong industry connections and research opportunities. The recommendation is to proceed with counseling for Biotechnology at SRM KTR, as her admission is virtually guaranteed with this rank. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: IEM Newtown’s CS with Data Science stream benefits from the institute’s consistent B.Tech placement rates of 83.97% (2022), 87.45% (2023), and 87.46% (2024), placing over 770 students annually. Recruiters such as TCS, Infosys, Cognizant, Capgemini, Amazon, Deloitte, and Oracle actively hire from here, supported by focused training in AI, ML, and analytics. While most roles are general IT positions, the dedicated Data Science curriculum and industry tie-ups provide relevant exposure, though pure DS placements remain limited. The recommendation is to leverage internships and certifications in Data Science alongside campus recruitment to secure specialized analytics roles. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Suhas, With a rank of 2200 in SRMJEEE Phase 2 and Data Science as your chosen branch, you have a very strong chance of being allotted Data Science at SRM’s main (Kattankulathur) campus. The 2025 cutoff for Computer Science at the main campus is typically up to 2000, and Data Science, being slightly less in demand, generally extends beyond this, often up to 3500–4000 in recent years. The seat matrix for SRM shows a large number of CSE-related seats, further improving your prospects. SRM’s Data Science program is internationally accredited and recognized for academic excellence, with robust placement records and top recruiters from the IT and analytics sectors. The recommendation is to proceed confidently, as you are highly likely to secure Data Science at SRM main campus with your current rank. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: With a score of 110 in IAT 2025 under the general merit category, your chances for admission to IISER Thiruvananthapuram or IISER Bhopal are very slim. The expected cutoff for general category candidates at IISER Bhopal is 110–115 marks and at IISER Thiruvananthapuram is 115–120 marks, with most reliable sources indicating that the safe zone for these institutes starts above your score. Additionally, the corresponding expected cutoff ranks for these institutes are within the top 3100–3300, and a 110 score is likely to place you just outside this range due to increased competition and rising cutoffs this year. The recommendation is to be prepared for the possibility of not securing a seat at IISER TVM or Bhopal with your score and to actively consider other IISERs with lower cutoffs or alternative science programs. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Soham, With a 99.81 percentile in MHTCET and 97.3 percentile in JEE Main, you surpass the MHTCET closing percentile for VJTI Information Technology (99.71) but fall just short of the Computer Engineering cutoff (99.83), making IT admission very likely and CS borderline. COEP’s B.Tech in Robotics & Artificial Intelligence (AI-ML) closed between 99.75 and 99.79 for general candidates, and your score places you marginally above that range. SPIT Mumbai’s Computer Science closing percentile was 99.32–99.38, so your SPIT CS admission through MHTCET is effectively secured. Over the past three years, VJTI IT branch placements were 100% in 2020, 98% in 2023, and 83% in 2024; SPIT CS consistently achieves over 90% placement annually; and COEP’s overall undergraduate placement rates were 69.15%, 77.37%, and 73.35% in the last three cycles.

The recommendation is to treat SPIT CS as your secure option, prioritise VJTI IT for robust IT foundations, pursue COEP AI-ML if you aim for an AI-focused career, and consider VJTI CS as a stretch given its marginal cutoff gap to balance placement potential and specialization goals. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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