Thanks for your quick response Aruna. He does not want to mingle with us...He has his own set of friends and will always hang around with them. As parents we are totally confused.... how to make him understand that if he studies well then only he can fulfill his desires by getting good job etc. He has a liking for cars, branded shoes, branded dresses. etc

Ans: With a 97 percentile in MHT CET, your daughter is not likely to secure Mechanical Engineering at VJTI or COEP, as the 2025 expected cutoffs for Mechanical at VJTI and COEP are 98–99+ percentile for open category and 98+ for OBC, both above her score. For VIT Vellore Mechanical, the cutoff is much lower (typically up to 87,500–88,500 rank in Category 2), so she stands a good chance if she has a qualifying VITEEE rank. Among Pune colleges, strong local options for Mechanical at her percentile include MIT World Peace University, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Technology, Rajarshi Shahu College of Engineering, and PCCOE, all of which offer solid placements and faculty. COEP and VJTI are highly competitive and unlikely at her score, but these private/autonomous Pune colleges are well regarded for Mechanical Engineering and have placement rates above 75–85%.

The recommendation is to consider VIT Vellore Mechanical if she qualifies by VITEEE rank, or opt for Mechanical at MIT-WPU, VIT Pune, or PCCOE in Pune, as these colleges offer strong academic environments and placement support at her percentile, while COEP and VJTI remain out of reach this year. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: With 90 marks in IAT 2025 and OBC-NCL category, your chances of getting a seat in any IISER are low but not impossible. The expected OBC cutoff for most IISERs this year is between 100–110 marks, with top campuses like Pune and Kolkata requiring 105–110, and even the less competitive ones like Berhampur and Tirupati expected to close above 95–100 marks due to increased competition and higher scores this year. Last year, OBC seats closed at 95–105 marks, but trends indicate a slight rise in 2025. Your score places you just below the expected cutoff range for most campuses, making admission possible only if cutoffs drop unexpectedly in later rounds or if you have a strong category rank. The recommendation is to participate in all rounds of IISER counselling and keep alternative options ready, as admission is unlikely but not entirely ruled out for the newest IISERs if cutoffs fluctuate. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Hello dear.
Consider avoiding VIT Vellore when the best options for CSE are available at COEP or PICT, etc. There is a strong possibility that you can secure a mechanical spot at COEP. Be very careful when selecting options. Your daughter has opportunities at COEP, PICT, Cummins, or PVG. As a female candidate, try to avoid pursuing Mechanical. Opt for the best college options for CSE in Pune or Mumbai. Your daughter will certainly be accepted into one of them.
Best of luck.
Follow me if you like the reply. Thanks
Radheshyam

Ans: With a JEE Advanced AIR under 1000, 99.5 percentile, female, and OBC-NCL category, you have a very strong chance of securing Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at IIT Madras. The 2025 round 1 JoSAA cutoff for CSE at IIT Madras for OBC-NCL female-only (including supernumerary) seats closed at rank 465, and in previous years, closing ranks for this category have ranged from 293 to 590. Since your category rank is well within 1000 and the female OBC-NCL cutoff has consistently been below 500, you are comfortably within the required range. IIT Madras CSE offers outstanding placements, a highly experienced faculty, and top recruiters such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.

The recommendation is to confidently fill CSE at IIT Madras as your top choice, as your rank and category status make you highly likely to secure a seat in this prestigious program. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: With a JEE Main OBC-NCL rank of 20,223 from Bihar, your admission chances vary significantly across your preferred choices. NIT Patna CSE has an OBC closing rank of approximately 4,872, making it extremely difficult to secure. NIT Raipur IT closes around 25,212 for OBC candidates, putting you on the borderline. For metallurgy branches, NIT Jamshedpur, NIT Raipur, and NIT Durgapur typically have OBC closing ranks between 15,000-25,000, offering moderate chances. IIEST Shibpur Metallurgy has better prospects with closing ranks extending beyond 20,000. NIT Kurukshetra IT has OBC cutoffs around 15,000-20,000, making admission challenging. Electronics and Communication Engineering at NIT Jamshedpur and NIT Raipur closes between 20,000-28,000 for OBC, providing reasonable opportunities. As a Bihar resident, you benefit from home state quotas at NIT Patna, which reserves 50% seats for domicile students. Your rank falls within the range where candidates typically secure admission in mid-tier NITs for non-CSE branches. Metallurgy and ECE branches offer strong placement records with companies like Tata, Reliance, and various PSUs recruiting regularly.

The recommendation is to prioritize metallurgy branches at NIT Raipur, IIEST Shibpur, and NIT Jamshedpur, along with ECE at NIT Raipur and NIT Jamshedpur, as these options align well with your rank and offer solid academic environments and placement opportunities, while keeping NIT Patna choices through Bihar home state quota advantage. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Hello Ashwini
Admission to IISER seems to be challenging with the mentioned score.
Best of luck.
Follow me if you like the reply. Thanks
Radheshyam

Ans: Hello Zahid
You will likely get into AI-ML or Data Science programs at mid-tier state government colleges, mainly outside Mumbai and Pune, during CAP rounds 2–4. Please be sure to choose your options carefully, district-wise, according to your preferences.
Best of luck.
Follow me if you like the reply. Thanks
Radheshyam

Ans: SRM KTR CSE is a four-year, industry-focused program with consistently high placement rates—83–95% in recent years—with over 1,300 recruiters, including top companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and TCS, and a median package for CSE around ?7–7.5 lakh. The campus offers modern infrastructure, a large peer group, and strong academic support, making it one of the most sought-after private engineering colleges in India for CSE. In contrast, VIT Chennai’s five-year Integrated MTech in Software Engineering (Category 4) sees around 70–80% placement, with an average package of ?7–8.5 lakh and top recruiters such as Microsoft, Intel, and PayPal. While the integrated program provides a dual degree and deeper specialization, it is longer in duration, and placement percentages are slightly lower than SRM’s flagship CSE. Both campuses offer excellent infrastructure and faculty, but SRM KTR CSE provides more flexibility, a larger recruiter base, and a faster path to industry roles, while VIT Chennai’s integrated course is ideal for those committed to advanced software engineering and research.

The recommendation is to prefer SRM KTR CSE for its higher placement rates, shorter course duration, broader industry exposure, and flexibility, unless your son is specifically interested in a five-year integrated program with a research focus, in which case VIT Chennai is a strong alternative. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Hello dear.
If possible, consider participating in both counseling sessions to explore more options. Please do not make a random decision about state selection based on our suggestion. It is not possible for us to recommend college names at this time.
Best of luck.
Follow me if you like the reply. Thanks
Radheshyam