'Many successful careers begin from ordinary colleges,' counsels rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar as he guides a worried Class 12 student who was unable to secure admission at an IIT.
The IIT-Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is the gateway to some of India's top engineering colleges, including the Indian Institutes of Technology and the National Institutes of Technology.
With the results of the JEE Advanced 2026 out this week and the admission season beginning, students and parents are busy weighing college and study stream options to make the best decision for their future.
Which is the best Indian Institute of Technology based on your JEE score?
What should you do if you do not qualify for JEE or fail to secure admission to your preferred IIT?
"A JEE drop does not define your future," insists rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar, founder of Zanwar Classes, which prepares aspirants for competitive exams such as the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT-CET), the Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate courses (NEET-UG).
- You can post your career-related questions for rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar HERE
Sreelatha: Based on his JEE Main score, my son is getting NIT-Trichy electrical and electronics engineering.
Based on JEE Advanced, his other choices are IIT-Hyderabad and Guwahati (chemical), IIT-Bhubaneswar (electronics and communication engineering), IIT-Jodhpur (electronics), IIT-Goa (computer science and engineering) and IIT-Gandhinagar (mechanical).
What is the best option based on job opportunities?
If branch preference is not a constraint, choose IIT-Jodhpur for electronics (electrical engineering/electronics and communication engineering).
The other preference order may be computer science and engineering at IIT-Goa, electrical and electronics engineering at NIT-Trichy, chemical at IIT-Hyderabad/Guwahati and mechanical at IIT-Gandhinagar.
Your son's choice may be different due to many circumstances. Talk with him closely before taking the decision.
Choose the core branches if and only if he is more inclined towards them; otherwise, either IIT-Jodhpur or IIT-Goa would be the best options among the mentioned ones.
Ritika: I have completed my Class 12 with physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science and passed with 82 per cent.
I started preparing for JEE and took my first drop for it but I did not get enough percentile for admission to an IIT.
Then I took a second drop for JEE so that I could get into an NIT or some other good college but again it did not go well.
Now I am stuck on a directionless path where I do not know what to do.
My parents are telling me to start preparing for government job exams such as Staff Selection Commission examinations along with a bachelor of science degree but I am afraid I may not be able to clear those either.
So I am thinking of getting admission to a private bachelor of technology college but the fees are high, which is stopping my parents from agreeing to it.
I do not know what I should do. I am already isolated because of JEE preparation and I have lost my confidence, willpower and hope. I want to gain them back but I do not know how.
Do not take another drop. Either join a reasonably affordable bachelor of technology college now or start a graduation degree (bachelor of science/bachelor of computer applications) and build skills alongside it.
Two JEE drops do not define your future.
Many successful careers begin from ordinary colleges. However, losing more years usually hurts more than choosing a less-famous college.
Anonymous: Sir, I passed my class 10 in 2024 (91 per cent). Later, I took admission in the same school for class 11 but I fell ill for a long period and could not attend school at all. So I took a transfer certificate from that school in 2025 and took admission to another school again in Class 11 (I repeated Class 11).
I will pass my Class 12 in 2027.
Am I eligible for JEE Main and JEE Advanced in 2027 and 2028?
Will there be any problem because of the extra year between Class 10 and 12?
Will I be in more trouble if I take one more drop after Class 12 to prepare for JEE in 2028?
Sir, will I face problems in future job interviews (government or private)?
Yes, you will be eligible for JEE Main 2027 and 2028 and for JEE Advanced 2027 and 2028 (subject to the official eligibility rules in force at the time).
Repeating class 11 due to illness and passing class 12 in 2027 will not affect your eligibility for JEE or most college admissions.
Even if you take one drop after class 12, it is generally not an issue for private or government jobs provided your academic records and documents are genuine and consistent.
An extra year due to illness is rarely a concern. Focus on performing well in class 12 and in the entrance examinations.
- You can post your career-related questions for rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar HERE
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