Dear Love Guru,
Please don’t disclose my name.
I am a girl and I think I like girls. I don’t feel the same way about boys.
This frightens me. I don’t want to feel like this.
What do I do?
Name withheld on request

Ans: Lakshya, you have not mentioned your percentile/rank in JEE (Main)? Based on placement trends and institutional trade-offs, BMSCE CSE is preferable over lower NIT branches (e.g., Mechanical/Civil) if immediate tech roles are prioritized. BMSCE CSE boasts 74–96.9% placement rates with Amazon, Microsoft, and Adobe recruiting heavily, offering median salaries of ?9–10 LPA and peaks up to ?40 LPA. While NITs like Trichy or Surathkal provide stronger institutional repute and GATE/research pathways, their lower branches (e.g., Civil at NIT Trichy: 76.2% placement, ?3.75 LPA median) face limited core opportunities and reliance on self-driven coding upskilling for IT roles. CSAB upgrades are uncertain, and even if secured, non-CSE NIT branches often yield lower recruiter diversity (e.g., L&T, Tata Motors) and steeper academic pivots to enter software. Choose BMSCE CSE for assured tech access, but if NIT brand value and long-term academic flexibility outweigh branch preferences, await CSAB outcomes while preparing for coding interviews to bridge non-CSE limitations. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Your percentile/rank in JEE (Main)?

Ans: Aditya, With a COMEDK rank of 23,787, securing CSE in top-tier COMEDK colleges like RVCE, BMSCE, or MSRIT is highly unlikely, as their 2024 CSE closing ranks for General Merit ranged from 1,177 to 6,537. Mid-tier COMEDK colleges such as CMRIT Bangalore (2024 CSE cutoff: 13,498–22,573) or Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering (CSE cutoff: 3,657–12,848) also remain inaccessible. However, branches like ECE or EEE in colleges like Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (ECE cutoff: 12,691) or BMSIT (ECE cutoff: 23,868) may be feasible. In contrast, KIIT CSE offers near-universal placement rates (90–95%) with a curriculum focused on AI/ML, cybersecurity, and data science, supported by 350+ recruiters like Amazon and Microsoft. While COMEDK colleges provide regional advantages, KIIT’s consistent CSE placements, broader recruiter diversity, and specialized tech training outweigh the limited branch options available via your COMEDK rank. Prioritize KIIT CSE for assured branch alignment and robust industry connectivity.

Ans: Aditya, With a COMEDK rank of 23,787, securing CSE in top-tier COMEDK colleges like RVCE, BMSCE, or MSRIT is highly unlikely, as their 2024 CSE closing ranks for General Merit ranged from 1,177 to 6,537. Mid-tier COMEDK colleges such as CMRIT Bangalore (2024 CSE cutoff: 13,498–22,573) or Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering (CSE cutoff: 3,657–12,848) also remain inaccessible. However, branches like ECE or EEE in colleges like Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (ECE cutoff: 12,691) or BMSIT (ECE cutoff: 23,868) may be feasible. In contrast, KIIT CSE offers near-universal placement rates (90–95%) with a curriculum focused on AI/ML, cybersecurity, and data science, supported by 350+ recruiters like Amazon and Microsoft. While COMEDK colleges provide regional advantages, KIIT’s consistent CSE placements, broader recruiter diversity, and specialized tech training outweigh the limited branch options available via your COMEDK rank. Prioritize KIIT CSE for assured branch alignment and robust industry connectivity. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: RVCE-EEE, PES-EC-CSE, IIIT-M-CSE & then PES-RR-ECE. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: With an 89 percentile in JEE Main 2025 under the OBC category, your son’s expected OBC All India rank is approximately 30,000–40,000, based on normalization trends. This rank range places him eligible for non-CSE branches in lower-tier NITs like NIT Meghalaya, NIT Sikkim, NIT Nagaland, and NIT Arunachal Pradesh, where 2024 closing ranks for OBC candidates in Mechanical, Civil, or Electrical Engineering ranged from 42,335 to 109,553. While CSE remains inaccessible in most NITs (Tier-1 NITs require ~94.5–95 percentile for OBC), ECE or Electronics may be feasible in institutes like NIT Andhra Pradesh (2024 OBC cutoff: 25,907 for ECE). State-level counseling for IIITs or GFTIs could offer CSE/IT options if branch flexibility is limited, though fees and placements may vary. Prioritize securing Mechanical/Civil in NITs for institutional reputation and core-sector opportunities, while exploring ECE in IIIT Kalyani or state colleges if branch preference aligns with career goals. Confirm exact cutoffs during JoSAA/CSAB counseling and consider improving scores in subsequent attempts if targeting higher-tier institutes. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Rajeshwari Madam, Chances are very less. Have some more options as back-ups instead of relying on PES. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Based on placement trends and industry demand across IITs, Mechanical Engineering offers broader career opportunities with higher and more consistent placement rates compared to Chemical Engineering. Over the past three years, Mechanical Engineering at IITs like Bombay, Delhi, and Madras has maintained 80–90% placement rates, supported by recruitment across automotive, aerospace, energy, and manufacturing sectors, with core roles dominating placements. In contrast, Chemical Engineering placements exhibit greater variability, with top IITs like Bombay reporting 83–89% placement rates (2021–2024), while newer IITs like Tirupati and Dhanbad struggle with 33–65% rates, reflecting sector-specific demand fluctuations in petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and R&D. Mechanical’s curriculum aligns with diverse industries, enabling graduates to access roles in IT, consulting, and core engineering, whereas Chemical Engineering graduates often face narrower opportunities outside core sectors unless transitioning to data science or MBA. While both branches provide research pathways, Mechanical’s industry-agnostic skill set and higher recruiter diversity (e.g., Tata, Microsoft, Honda) make it a safer choice for placement security, whereas Chemical Engineering suits those committed to niche sectors like process engineering or environmental science. Prioritize Mechanical Engineering for stable career prospects unless deeply inclined toward chemical processes or research.

All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Astitva, Based on placement trends and coding ecosystems, NIT Jamshedpur’s Electrical Engineering is preferable for software aspirations, as its Programming Club (PCON) offers structured coding modules (competitive programming, ML, web dev) and reports 92.59% placement rates (2024) with Amazon, Microsoft, and Flipkart actively recruiting across branches. While NIT Silchar’s E&I boasts a 65.38% placement rate and a Coding Club hosting hackathons, its software opportunities are less consistent, with core roles dominating placements. NIT Jamshedpur’s higher median salary (?14.78 LPA vs. Silchar’s ?13.34 LPA) and stronger industry ties to tech giants provide better leverage for self-taught coders targeting software roles, despite both colleges lacking formal CSE curricula. Prioritize Jamshedpur for its coding infrastructure and proven tech recruitment. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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