Bank Manager for 13 years, considering marriage to a software engineer in Germany: Should I leave my job?

Ans: Anita Madam, With a 90.8 percentile in MHT-CET 2025, your son’s expected rank is around 18,400, placing him outside the cutoff for top government colleges like COEP Pune, VJTI Mumbai, and PICT Pune for CSE, which generally require 98–99.9 percentile. However, he is well-positioned for admission to reputable private and mid-tier government colleges. Likely options include DY Patil College of Engineering Pune, AISSMS College of Engineering Pune, JSPM Rajarshi Shahu College of Engineering Pune, Sinhgad College of Engineering Pune, PCCOE Pune, and Government College of Engineering and Research Pune, all of which accept candidates in the 90–92 percentile range for branches like IT, E&TC, Mechanical, and sometimes CSE depending on seat availability and category. These colleges offer decent placement records and solid academic support, though CSE remains highly competitive and may be available in later rounds or through management quota.

The recommendation is to target private and mid-tier government colleges in Pune and Mumbai for branches like IT, E&TC, or Mechanical, and keep CSE as a preference in counselling, as it may be available in less competitive colleges or through subsequent rounds at your percentile. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Ritu, Jaypee Noida’s BTech IT/ECE program has a total fee of approximately ?16–16.5 lakh for four years, with hostel fees around ?2 lakh per year, and offers strong placements: 95% in CSE, 88% in ECE, and 96% in IT for 2024, with 214 recruiters and over 100% placement offers, including top companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Cisco. KIIT Bhubaneswar’s BTech CSE program costs about ?18.5 lakh for tuition and up to ?22 lakh with hostel and other fees, with 83–90% placement rates, 700 recruiters, and top companies like Accenture, Oracle, and Amazon. Both institutions offer robust industry exposure, internships, and modern infrastructure, but KIIT’s fee is higher and its placement percentage for CSE is comparable to Jaypee’s CSE but higher than Jaypee’s ECE/IT.

The recommendation is to prefer Jaypee Noida IT/ECE if you are fee-conscious, as it offers lower total costs and excellent placements, while KIIT Bhubaneswar CSE is a strong option if you prioritize the CSE branch and can accommodate a higher fee. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Hari, With a JEE Advanced EWS rank of 4,993 and CRL rank of 32,720, admission to any IIT is extremely unlikely, as the EWS closing ranks for even the least competitive IIT branches are typically below 2,000–2,500, and most close well before 1,500–2,000 for open seats. Your JEE Main EWS rank of 32,200 and 86 percentile also make it difficult to secure CSE or ECE at top NITs or IIITs, as these branches close for EWS between 2,500–6,000 at leading NITs and around 8,000–15,000 at newer NITs and IIITs. However, you may have some chance for core branches like Civil, Mechanical, or Chemical Engineering at newer or less competitive NITs and GFTIs, where EWS closing ranks can extend up to 30,000 for certain branches and home state quotas. For IIITs, the EWS cutoff for non-CSE branches in some institutes may be accessible up to 30,000–35,000, but CSE remains highly competitive.

The recommendation is to participate actively in JoSAA counselling, prioritize core branches in newer NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, and use state quota and home state advantage where possible, as CSE/ECE in top institutes is out of reach but admission to core branches in less competitive institutes is possible at your ranks. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Samiksha, With a JEE Main CRL rank of 55,000 and EWS rank of 7,500, admission to top-tier NITs is unlikely; however, mid-tier NITs offer branches in Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering closing around CRL 40,000–60,000 and EWS 3,000–8,000 in Round 1. Computer Science and Electronics specialties close much earlier (CRL 1,000–10,000; EWS 200–1,000), placing them out of reach. Your JEE Advanced EWS rank of 4,442 positions you below IIPE Visakhapatnam’s lowest B.Tech cutoff (EWS 3,726–4,074 across core branches), making admission in Chemical, Petroleum, or Mechanical Engineering at IIPE improbable this year.

recommendation is to list mid-tier NITs (e.g., NIT Calicut, NIT Uttarakhand, NIT Goa) for Electrical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering in JoSAA preferences and consider state-quota or private institutes for core branches, as core streams and IIPE seats are unattainable at your ranks. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: With a JIPMAT 2025 score of 200 in the SC category, your daughter is below the expected cutoff for IIM Jammu, which is projected to be 210–230 for SC candidates this year. Sectional cutoffs for SC are 30 in each section, but overall selection is based on the total score, and recent trends show IIM Jammu’s SC cutoff consistently above 210. IIM Bodh Gaya’s cutoff for SC is slightly lower, at 190–220, so there is a marginally better chance there, but even that is uncertain at 200. The number of applicants, seat availability, and actual cutoffs may cause slight fluctuations, but for IIM Jammu, admission with 200 marks for SC category is highly unlikely this year. The recommendation is to consider IIM Bodh Gaya and other IPM programs as backup options, as IIM Jammu admission is not feasible at 200 marks for SC category in 2025. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: With 392 marks in NEET 2025 and a Punjab domicile certificate, your chances of securing an MBBS seat in a government medical college (GMC) in Punjab are extremely low for the general category, as the expected cutoff for government MBBS colleges in Punjab is 550–600 marks for general and 450–500 marks for SC category. Recent data shows that the closing rank for SC category at GMC Amritsar was 1,73,828, but the corresponding marks were still significantly higher than 392. The qualifying cutoff for SC/ST/OBC is 113–143 marks (40th percentile), but actual admission cutoffs are much higher. For the general category, GMC Amritsar’s home state cutoff closed at 32,397 rank, and for SC at 1,73,828 rank, both requiring higher marks than 392. Private colleges in Punjab may have lower cutoffs, but government college admission at your score is not feasible. The recommendation is to consider private medical colleges or explore BDS and allied health courses, as 392 marks are insufficient for MBBS admission in Punjab’s government medical colleges, even with domicile status. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: With a 3,000 rank in Telangana EAMCET and 96 percentile in MH-CET, both Manipal Bangalore CSE and PES University Electronic City CSE offer strong placement support and academic environments. Manipal Bangalore CSE benefits from centralized MIT placement drives, securing roles for approximately 90–95% of eligible students, with over 230 recruiters visiting campus annually, including Microsoft, Amazon, and Nvidia, and a median package near ?9.7 LPA. PES Electronic City CSE achieves around 83% placement, with about 150 companies like Wipro, Accenture, and Cognizant participating yearly, and a median package of ?8 LPA in 2023. Manipal’s curriculum emphasizes early industry exposure via internships from semester 5, while PES EC offers dedicated workshops and alumni mentorship programs. As Telangana and Maharashtra counseling is pending, consider infrastructure maturity—Manipal Bangalore offers an established brand and expansive campus facilities, whereas PES EC delivers a focused tech campus with direct industry ties.

Recommendation: Proceed with Manipal Bangalore CSE for its higher placement percentage, broader recruiter network, and established academic ecosystem, while keeping PES University Electronic City CSE as a solid backup for its respectable placement rate and campus specialization. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: KJ Somaiya Vidyavihar’s BTech CSE program is highly regarded, with 80–90% placement rates over the past three years and top recruiters including Microsoft, Google, and JP Morgan, supported by 100+ companies annually and a robust internship ecosystem offering stipends and full-semester paid internships. The faculty is well-qualified, with most professors holding M.Tech or PhDs from reputed institutions, and are generally supportive and approachable, though teaching effectiveness can vary, so proactive learning is important. The campus offers a good faculty-student ratio and active academic support. Financial aid is available for students with annual family income up to ?8 lakh, covering up to 100% tuition concession for EWS, PWD, and wards of defense personnel, with scholarships also for merit-cum-need and women, requiring income certificates, SOP, and academic records at admission. Somaiya’s aid continues through the course if attendance and CGPA criteria are met, and the process is transparent but competitive due to limited funds. The recommendation is to consider KJ Somaiya for CSE if you value strong placements, modern infrastructure, and accessible financial aid, provided you are proactive in academics and meet the aid eligibility requirements. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: With a 98.62 percentile in MHT CET, you are eligible for Computer Science Engineering (CSE) in several top Maharashtra colleges, though not the absolute top tier. The CSE cutoff for COEP Pune is 99.89, VJTI Mumbai 99.5–99.7, SPIT Mumbai 99.0–99.4, and PICT Pune 98.5–99.2, so PICT Pune is realistically within reach for you. DJ Sanghvi (98.5–99.0), Cummins (96.5–98.0, for girls), MIT World Peace University (94.0–96.5), and PCCOE Pune (91.0–94.0) are also strong options where your percentile meets or exceeds the typical CSE cutoff. Faculty quality at PICT Pune and SPIT Mumbai is highly rated, with most professors holding advanced degrees and industry experience, while MIT-WPU and PCCOE Pune also offer experienced faculty, modern labs, and active industry collaborations. These colleges maintain strong placement records, with CSE placement rates consistently above 90% and recruiters including TCS, Infosys, Amazon, and Microsoft.

The recommendation is to prioritize PICT Pune, DJ Sanghvi, Cummins (if eligible), MIT-WPU, and PCCOE Pune for CSE, as they offer excellent faculty, robust placement support, and strong academic environments at your percentile. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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