VIT Vellore Student Review

I chose mechanical engineering as it best suited my future career and research interests, I wasn't as interested in CS and coding or circuits. Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and most preeminent branches at VIT with a faculty to student ratio of about 1:65. All teachers are well qualified with pHD's from IITs and NITs and other institutions of well repute. Teachers generally take up theory lessons by teaching from a ppt and sharing it on our student portal and tutorial hours are done once a week to solve questions from the topics discussed in class. Some teachers can be boring as they solely read from the ppt in class but the content itself is well curated and easy to learn so far. Term exams are held once a month or so with two CAT exams (one closed book and one open book) for 50 marks, one FAT exam at the semester end for 100 marks and one PAT exam which is the practical test. CATS account for 30% of your grade and FATS for 40%. The remaining 30% is for quiz and homework.

We have a 6 month internship in our fourth year but for now, we did 2-3 month internship by ourselves as we had a 5 month break. The college did provide a few internship opportunities with professors at VIT, Vellore and with other companies - with stipends but as I did not avail those, I am not clear on the details.

I am still a third year (5th sem) student and so we haven't actually sat for placements or placement training yet but the college boasts a placement rate of 100% even though a lot of students are either not allowed to sit for placements altogether because they failed their placement exams or they are mass recruited to TCS and other companies with low salaries and offers. Still, for those who are good at studies and co curricular activities, great company offers can also be given.

Depending on the category in which student was admitted, tuition can range from 1,98,000 to well over 5,00,000 per year which is a significant sum and not very cheap. Hostel and mess fees also range on the higher end with costs going up to 48,000 per semester ie 96,000 per year. While there may be grants available, actually getting them is a tough ordeal. I got a merit scholarship for 13,000 once as I was one of the top scorers in my branch. While there are project and internship opportunities at campus, the stipend is either low or non existent. Good for exposure and reference or on your resume, but not so great if you want to actually earn a substantial amount.

Riviera is the annual cultural fest held in January or February every year and it is an amazing event with all clubs participating, stand up comedian shows, singing, dancing, music and instrumental performances, chapter and club run stalls selling merchandise, food, concerts etc. The tech fest called Gravitas is also an awesome event and is generally held around September and includes all tech oriented clubs and chapters. Hackathons, online games, Robowars, ideathons, coding events, treasure hunt etc. are some of the few events that take place during gravitas. Guests are also called to conduct lectures about important technologies coming into the market and their significance. Periyar Library has a vast collection of books and study material for reference and borrowing and is sufficient for any student looking to get a textbook for any course at VIT. All classrooms have fans and some labs have air conditioning as well. Classes are well lit and seats are comfortable with good desk space

I am in a 4 bedded AC room in Q block, one of the best blocks on campus and it has 4 cupboards, 4 bed frames, a window with a view outside, 2 fans and an AC. There is a common washroom on the floor for all hostellers which is regularly cleaned and maintained. The food at VIT, while substantially better than at a lot of places does have its differences depending on the mess selected and the type but overall the food is healthy and balanced. Our fees include breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner and we can select either veg, non veg or special mess plan with special including veg and non veg along with perks such as an a la carte menue sélection, juice at breakfast etc. Hostels are allocated based on a selection and application system based on merit with NCGPA being calculated and hostel counselling rank given to each student. It is a slightly cumbersome system.

Online exam conducted during COVID - VITEEE Ranking and admission done based on VITEEE Rank. Application details are available on VIT website. Admission is based on lots/categories ie higher rank ensures you're in 1st or 2nd category with a corresponding fee reduction and vice versa. Admission is done till category 5 in some cases and preference for course and branch can be selected. Approximately 65-70% percentage in 12th boards required to give VITEEE and get admitted into VIT. Dates depend on fresher intake.