ECE graduate in 2012 wants to pursue psychology: Is IGNOU MSc valid for PhD and therapy?

Ans: No, with a CRL of 173,266 and an EWS rank of 26,615 (Bihar Home State), admission to NITs or IIITs is unlikely. You can try for Bihar Engineering College or participate in the state counselling through BCECE, as well as consider private engineering colleges. Admission to GFTIs or through CSAB rounds may be marginally possible in the final rounds, but chances are limited. ALL the BEST for Your Brother's Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Sandip Sir, You can try SVNIT for Mechnical, Chemical, Civil, EE as chances are more & ECE/M&C in later rounds. Other chances are with NIT-Jamnagar, IIIT-Vadodara, and MSU-Baroda for CSE/IT Branches. I suggest you also cross-check the JoSAA opening and closing ranks data from the last 2–3 years before filling in the maximum number of your daughter’s preferred institutions and branches during counselling and if the need arises, can participate also in CSAB round later. ALL the BEST for Your Daughter's Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Govind Sir, With 93.60 percentile, CRL 1,00,144 and OBC-NCL rank 32,618 (MP domicile), your son should try both MP BE counselling and JoSAA. For SGSITS Indore, recent MP-counselling data show General home-state closing ranks around CSE 18,410, IT 37,589, ETC 48,484 in 2025, so CSE looks difficult, IT is borderline, and ETC appears the most realistic; OBC-MP quota may improve chances somewhat. For JoSAA, at OBC 32,618, expect mainly lower-demand branches in mid/lower NITs, IIITs and GFTIs, not CSE/IT in top institutes. My recommendation: SGSITS ETC/IT first, then good MP colleges like IET-DAVV/JEC, while keeping JoSAA + CSAB as backup. (I suggest you also cross-check the JoSAA opening and closing ranks data from the last 2–3 years before filling in the maximum number of your son’s preferred institutions and branches during counselling). ALL the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Shlok, At a 90 percentile in JEE Main, your chances in JoSAA regular rounds are limited because JoSAA uses CRL for Open seats, and this percentile typically corresponds to a rank around 1.0–1.5 lakh, where most NIT and IIIT seats for the General category are already out of reach. With a BITSAT score of 225, you fall below most 2025 B.E. cutoffs at BITS, but some M.Sc. programs or lower-demand branches at BITS Hyderabad or Goa may still be possible depending on 2026 cutoff movements. With a MET score of 157, lower branches at MIT Manipal’s main campus and several branches at MIT Bengaluru appear more realistic than top branches. The best approach is to prioritize Manipal first, consider BITS as a second attempt or dual option, and Keep JoSAA and CSAB counselling, along with admission to 2–3 private engineering colleges, as backup options to maximize your chances of securing a suitable seat. ALL the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: With a CRL of 8,308 in the General category, the best targets are ECE and EE branches in strong NITs, while CSE in top NITs and IIITs is mostly difficult to secure. JoSAA uses CRL for closing ranks on Open seats. Recent cutoffs show IIIT Allahabad ECE closed at 7,228 in 2025 and 7,355 in 2024, so that is unlikely; MNNIT Allahabad EE closed at 10,898 in 2025 and 10,710 in 2024, making it a realistic option. NIT Calicut ECE and EEE also extended beyond your rank in 2025, making them good targets. If Delhi is his state of eligibility, NIT Delhi’s CSE, ECE, and EE branches become strong possibilities under the Home State quota. It is advisable to prioritize filling choices like NIT Delhi, MNNIT Allahabad, NIT Calicut, NIT Jaipur, and good IIIT options in ECE and EE first. However, I suggest you also cross-check the JoSAA opening and closing ranks data from the last 2–3 years before filling in the maximum number of your son’s preferred institutions and branches during counselling. This will help ensure informed choices and improve his chances of admission. ALL the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: With a JEE Main rank around 14 lakh, EWS rank about 1.44 lakh, and 68% in Class 12, it’s best to focus on budget-friendly private colleges in UP and Delhi-NCR through direct admission or UPTAC counselling rather than expensive tier-1 private universities. Good fee-compatible options include GNIOT, KIET Ghaziabad, ABES Engineering College, and NIET Greater Noida. Prefer admission in CSE or IT branches if available; if not, consider ECE, then EEE or Mechanical branches. ALL the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: With a 91.49 percentile and an AIR of 1,32,219, your best realistic private college options include JIIT Noida, JSS Noida, Bennett University, Shiv Nadar University, UPES, and Amity Noida.

JIIT Noida is particularly practical—its 2025 cutoff closed around 1,26,758 for Mathematics & Computing and 1,52,139 for Robotics & AI. Since ECE's cutoff was much higher than your rank, branches like ECE, Robotics & AI, or some allied streams appear possible.

All these institutions accept JEE Main or equivalent admission routes, but Thapar University is likely to be more competitive at your rank.

Since your Class 12 results are still awaited, make sure to meet each college’s PCM and overall eligibility criteria once your results are out. ALL the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Shyam, since you haven’t mentioned your Home State, I’ll provide a general overview. Based on official JoSAA opening and closing rank trends from 2024 and 2025, your realistic admission chances are mainly in mid- to lower-tier NITs for lower-demand branches such as Civil, Chemical, Production, Metallurgy, Mining, Biotechnology, Food Technology, and Materials Engineering. You may also find opportunities in several IIITs and GFTIs, particularly in non-CSE branches. Admission to top NIT or IIIT branches like CSE or ECE under the All-India quota is unlikely at your rank. However, you should fill in the maximum number of your preferred institutions and branches during counselling to keep all possible options open. This strategy increases your chances of securing admission in a program that suits your interests and rank.

Please note, these estimates are indicative and based on historical data. Cutoffs can fluctuate due to factors like exam difficulty, seat matrix changes, reservation policies, branch preferences, and counselling rounds.

My recommendation is to diversify your applications by also appearing for 4–5 private engineering entrance exams alongside JEE/JoSAA/CSAB to maximize your chances of admission beyond the highly competitive IIT/NIT/IIIT ecosystem. ALL the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Since you passed Class 12 from Delhi, your JoSAA State of Eligibility is Delhi, not Madhya Pradesh. The permanent address does not determine this. JoSAA considers the OBC-NCL category rank for OBC seat cutoffs.

With a 76 percentile, CRL around 3,80,524, and OBC rank approximately 1.37 lakh, your chances in regular JoSAA rounds for NITs and most IIITs are very low. Realistic options are mainly some lower-demand GFTIs and, if vacancies remain, CSAB Special Rounds, typically in branches like Civil, Mechanical, Production, Food Technology, Biotechnology, or other non-CSE branches.

It’s important to keep state and private college counselling as your primary backup plan rather than relying solely on JoSAA. ALL the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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