It is better to choose core branches for under-graduation and go for specialisation in post-graduation, V. Rhymend Uthariaraj, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions, said on Friday.
While parents have a role in identifying the interests of the students, the onus is on the latter to take informed decisions. For instance, polytechnics will best suit those who find the practical component more interesting than theory. Through the scope for lateral entry into engineering, theory could be studied subsequently. Choose engineering only if you are interested in mathematics, Mr. Rhymend told a student gathering at a ‘Career Planning' session organised by Confederation of Indian Industry, Tiruchi Zone.
Once the results are out, check the university website to know where you stand, based on last year's cut-off. Make a list of colleges, and make the choice after speaking to the current students to assess the quality in terms of infrastructure and faculty, and accreditation by National Assessment and Accreditation Council or National Board of Accreditation. Don't be taken away by visiting individual college websites, he told the students.
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Applications for engineering admissions to 525 colleges under the single window counselling will be sold through 58 centres throughout the State, and counselling was tentatively scheduled for start during the latter part of July, for 1.5 lakh seats.
Applications can also be obtained through post from Anna University, Chennai, or downloaded from the university website. Additional seats approved by AICTE to existing colleges will be known at the time of counselling, he said.
As for admission to architecture programmes, the score of students in NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture) out of 200 marks will be added to the Plus Two cut-off. Twenty five colleges in Tamil Nadu offer the five-year architecture programme, he said.
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Mr. Rhymend advised students to keep ready from now onwards all the required documents including standard X mark sheet, permanent community certificate, first-generation graduate certificate (if applicable) from the tahsildar, and income certificate, to avoid eleventh-hour difficulties.
The higher secondary certificate and transfer certificate could be obtained soon after the Plus Two results. Noted television personality G. Gnanasambandan delivered a motivational talk. G. Balakrishnan, former vice-principal, St. Joseph's College; G.V. Uma, head, IT department, Anna University, Chennai; and J. Sujith Kumar, location head, HRD, Infosys, Chennai, also handled sessions.
Earlier, in the inaugural session, T.V. Murali, Chairman, CII Tiruchi Zone; IP Nirmalnathan, Director, Santha Maria Matriculation School, Tiruchi; A.M. Natarajan, Chief Executive, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology; and J. Jayaraman, Secretary, Hallmark Business School, called upon parents to facilitate their wards to choose programmes suiting their aptitudes.
M.A. Maluk Mohamed, Convenor – Education Panel, CII Tiruchi Zone and principal, MAM College of Engineering, explained the theme of the programme.