How to choose the right engineering college?

Former Vice Chancellor of Anna University  Balagurusamy has suggested tips to help students choose the best engineering colleges.
File picture of engineering counselling in Chennai
File picture of engineering counselling in Chennai

Former Vice Chancellor of Anna University Balagurusamy has suggested tips to help students choose the best engineering colleges. He advised  students and parents to make the right decision since there are more than 550 engineering colleges, of which 40 per cent are not worth consideration. The following are his recommendations

Understand yourself:
Try to understand yourself. Analyse strengths, weaknesses, interests and aptitude. If your score in Mathematics and Science subjects are less than 50 %, it is not advisable to join engineering courses.

Choose the course first:
If you have decided to study engineering, then first choose the course depending on your interests and aptitude. Do not yield to parental and peer pressure or the current popularity of the course. 

Short-list a few colleges:
Consider your marks, investment capacity and select at least five colleges where the course of your interest is offered.

Beware of brochures:
Colleges will supply beautiful, colour-full brochures. While these brochures are filled with lots of useful information. Remember that they may be biased and tout only the positive aspects of the college.

Rank the list:
Using the information available on the booklet, websites and other sources rank the selected colleges considering the factors such as faculty, infrastructure, extracurricular activities and pass-out percentage, etc.

Don’t rely on media advertisements:  
Many colleges usually place huge advertisements in both print and electronic media containing false claims such as 100 per cent placements world-class faculty, facilities and ranks.

Don’t get attracted by freebies:
Many mediocre colleges offer liberal fee concessions and scholarships for students with high marks. Do not fell prey to such gimmicks.

Make a campus visit:
The best way to evaluate a college is to make a visit to the campus. Make sure to visit labs, library, classrooms, hostels and extracurricular facilities.

Seek out personal information:
Seek opinions from the people who have connections with the colleges like old students, faculty members, parents of the old students, and genuine educational counsellors.

Understand the culture of college management:
Most colleges are run on a business model and therefore their commitment to quality and social values are highly questionable.  Look at the background of the chairman and the trustees and their social standing.

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The New Indian Express
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