A brief summary of BITS Pilani

Being from the Goa campus, the weather is great throughout the year. The campus infrastructure is fantastic. Professors are well qualified and helpful. The only downside is high cab prices in Goa and lack of proper public transportation system.

The course curriculum is well designed. The first year courses are common for all students and set up a strong base for the future. The core courses are taught well with focus on real-life applications. The curriculum is diverse and offers a lot of academic flexibility in terms of choosing courses that interest a student. Apart from evaluation on the basis of attendance, quizzes, assignments and projects/presentations, there are two main exams conducted every semester- the mid semester and the comprehensive exam.

The placement opportunities are fantastic for the IT sector, and decent for the core sector(electrical, mechanical, chemical etc). The college does provide 2 internship opportunities, namely Practice School-1 and Practice School-2. PS1 was an unpaid internship for the duration of two months. My experience was decent as it gave me a fair idea about how organisations and their working structure. PS2 often provides stipends to students and the companies also give a pre-placement offer to the students.

The fee structure is a little expensive since the college is privately funded. However scholarships are provided to students who excel in academics and belong to economically weaker sections. The quality of infrastructure and it's maintenance requires high fees. However the facilities provided are great.

The college provides a merit scholarship to students who excel in academics based on their CGPA. Another scholarship considers the students' annual family income and provides relaxation on the fees to be paid.

Equipped with great sports infrastructure, labs with state-of-the-art equipment and and activity rooms for dance, music etc. , every student gets an opportunity to participate in activities they like. Apart from this there are several clubs (literary and debating club, aerodynamics club, robotics club, dance club etc). Students have a plethora of options to choose from.

The hostels are Wi-Fi enabled with a common consisting of recreational facilities like carrom table, table tennis etc. A TV connection is also provided. Newspaper and laundry services are also provided.

The alumni network is one of the strongest networks and the best thing about the college. With alumni spread out throught the world, anyone can seek help and expect assistance. The alumni also guide current students by informing us about available opportunities, industrial scenario at different locations and how we should go about preparing for our goals.

I applied for BITSAT-2017, the all-India entrance exam for admissions in BITS Pilani. The admission process included entering a branch and campus preference. Keeping this under consideration, candidates were allotted the best option according to their preference and marks. Unlike JoSAA counseling, there was no option of "freezing" the choice i.e. confirming a particular branch and campus when the iterations were going on. There are 5 iterations after which all candidates are selected.

The faculty is well qualified and involved in research across various fields. Most of the professors have completed their Masters/PhD from reputed universities around the globe. Many projects are funded by the government. Apart from this, the faculty is well-experienced in teaching and believe in converting theory to practice via various projects.