Returned from work quite late today, past nine o'clock or something. Not more than an hour had passed when got a call from Dad. He said that some 'Jha Uncle' wanted to get some help from me in deciding the best thing for his son. 'Yeah sure, why not', must be yet another father worried about which college his son should opt for, I said to myself. His son had got some 4**** AIR in IIT JEE, and 6**** AIR in AIEEE, I got to know as I talked to this 'Jha Uncle', still figuring if I even knew him. I talked to both father and son, and told them all I could think of.

'Look you wont be getting any IIT. Forget it. Try your luck with civil or may be ceramic at IT-BHU or ISM-Dhanbad or something like that. But it would be better if you can get a decent branch at NIT Jamshedpur with your AIEEE state rank. All the best'

This has been my second on-phone councelling session in less than a week. And it's painful. Why does anyone think, that a guy like me who cleared IIT-JEE more than three years ago and knows only about how IIT Madras is, is the best person to help him make "the right decision"? But then, if not someone who is in IIT can tell what's the best thing to do, then who else? Valid question. The answer needs to be found.

Before coming to the answer, there's one thing that should be realized at all costs. We, the students are definitely not the best people to help you out in making the best choice, whatever your rank is! Believe me when I say this.

Infinite querries popping up in IIT related communities in Orkut are hilarious to say the least. Would like to quote some of the questions thrown in the community. (you wont be able to access the orkut links if you aren't a member)

harish: to take which course in IIT 6/13/2006 8:34 AM
hi i got 1354 rank in IIT
i would be getting
aero space engi kanp,kgp,mad
bio teac kgp
bio chem+biotech mad
chem kgp,kan,mad
civil all
ECE guwa
energy engi kgp
industrial enge kgp
engi physics delhi,mad
mech guwa,roorkee
metallugical kanpur

i am intersted in elecctronis
should i take ECE in guwa
or chem in kgp,mad(which are better than guwa)
or biotech in kgp,mad(since future is good)
how much can i depend on branch change
kpg is best for electronics so should i take chem i try for branch change
please send me your opion

Look dude, you are definitely not someone who needs opinions. Given that you already know so much about so many things, you should go ahead and open an agency that helps students (and I mean the ones who really need counselling, not like you) in making the best decisions. I am sure you can make more money being a counsellor yourself, than by joining any of the IITs.

Anshul: JEE Rank 21 - help 6/14/2006 12:32 AM
I have got AIR JEE Rank of 21 this year. I am currently quite confused on which IIT to choose for Comp Science. I am looking for your advise on the same. I have to choose between IIT Kanpur and IIT Delhi.
Please help.
I am getting quite mixed opinions and hence a lot of confusion.

F*** you! What else??

So you see, how stupid these guys can get at times! A rank 21 bullshitting makes no sense at all. Not to me!

And coming back to the question, that who are the best people to approach for help in these regards, I should say that the students need to shoot the doubts they have to themselves first. When one says, he loves electronics, I can't help but laugh! Oh really? And how do you know that you love electronics? Just because, you happened to do some silly physics experiments in your plus two?

Interest is such a vauge vauge thing to talk about here! Do you even know what engineering is? 99% don't. I didn't! This is such a stupid rat race and yet everyone pretends so much. Come on, accept you **** rank holder who is saying that you are interested in branch XYZ that you are trying to bluff me. If you are really interested, then it's so easy to make a decision. Choose the college that you think is best where you can get that branch, and then go for it. And if you don't know which college is the best, then select some parameters on which you would like to judge a college and then, find out for yourself, which is the college for you! This is such a personal choice!!

And for those, who actually have no clue, what are the stuffs various branches are made up of, there's just one suggestion. Keep running in the rat race! You will reach somewhere.