One of my friends completed his MA in Industrial Psychology through IGNOU. According to him, it is a well-thought-out course with a term-end examination, compulsory internship, and research projects. My friend also consulted with some practicing Psychologists regarding the study material. According to them, the course is at par with the regular university courses. 

The advantage of this course is that you can complete the course over a period of 5 years and examinations are taken twice each year. So, you can take examinations for 2-3 subjects each term and complete the course easily along with a full-time course or job. Study Center and Regional Center are two points of contact for IGNOU. 

Lately, there have been some issues regarding RCs and teachers in IGNOU. Going forward they need to address these issues. 

You seemed to have performed quite well considering your JEE rank and BITSAT score. While most board toppers fail to do well in competitive exams, you managed to excellently score well in all competitive exams. You seem to have great opportunities ahead if you join BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, and CSE. considering your ranks and your being a board topper, you can easily maintain an 8 +. The only major drawback is the high fees for which you can seek assistance from the institute regarding scholarships. 

Here are a few pros of BITS Pilani CSE

• Top-notch placements
• Excellent exposure
• A flexible college life with responsibilities

If you face serious financial issues and are unable to get BITS, don't lose hope as other colleges offer great opportunities too. The best way to determine the worth of an institute is to evaluate it on the basis of fees, placements, campus life, and academic and professional exposure. Analyze your preferences and go for the institute that satisfies your preferences the most. 

A decent alternative for doing an MBA is NMIMS. Due to the fact that it provides specialism in areas like HR, business analytics, digital transformation, etc. In 1981, the famous organization NMIMS was established in Mumbai, Maharashtra. NMIMS is a deemed-to-be university with eight campuses located throughout India in Mumbai, Shirpur, Indore, Navi Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Dhule, and Chandigarh. Here are a few factors that make NMIMS a suitable choice for those interested in pursuing this degree program:

•  Ranking: NMIMS ranked #21 among the top MBA schools in India. Due to its high academic standards, emphasis on research, and professors drawn from the best national and international universities and businesses, NMIMS is considered to be at the forefront of great education.
• Accreditation: NMIMS Deemed-to University is accredited by NAAC with a 3.59 CGPA and Grade A+, whereas SIBM Pune is accredited by NAAC with an "A" grade
• Financial support: Students at NMIMS Mumbai are eligible for the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for economically disadvantaged General, SC, ST, and physically challenged groups.
• Placement: The majority of students who apply for placements in NMIMS are accepted. The comparison between the placement stats of these colleges are as follows:

• Alumni network: Ashis Gupta (Managing Director and Head of Research, Credit Suisse India), Kamlesh Rao (Managing Director, Kotak Securities Ltd.) and many more established professionals are the notable alumni of this organization.

In conclusion, NMIMS is undeniably a commendable institution that continues to excel in its pursuit of academic excellence and professional as well as personal development. So based on these basic aspects NMIMS would be a better option for pursuing this course.

When selecting a business school, there are certain assumptions to keep in mind. These assumptions are valid for all top business schools, at least for the top 20. Consider the following assumptions and evaluate which business schools align closest with your preferences:

• Assumption 1: Business schools are student-driven, meaning that the success of the school depends largely on the students, clubs, events, committees, placements, and fests and not on faculty, infrastructure, or knowledge capital. The bigger and more active the student body, the better. Classrooms are a facilitator of knowledge dissemination, but the greater good of the school is found in the activities outside the classroom.
• Assumption 2: Alumni play a key role in the success of a business school, which is why schools like FMS, JBIMS, and IMT Ghaziabad thrive.
• Assumption 3: The activities you choose to participate in at a business school can be largely classified into (1) clubs and committees, (2) business school events, and (3) a focus on academics only and a good CGPA.
• Assumption 4: The location of a business school has marginal advantages, such as Delhi or Mumbai types.
• Assumption 5: Rankings do not matter for the top 10-15 schools.

BITS Hyderabad is a private college. On the other hand, NIT Surathkal is a government college. So it won’t be correct to compare the two. Both have their own pros and cons.

I am listing below the strengths of each-

• NIT Surathkal-

• It has affordable fees which are much lower than BITS colleges.
• It has a strong alumni network as it was established in 1960. The alumni network of BITS colleges is quite strong too.
• It is situated in the beautiful western ghats and has a private beach of its own.
• The campus life is great. There are good extracurricular facilities.

• BITS Hyderabad

• As it is a private college, it has better infrastructure and faculty than NITK.
• It has a better hostel and mess facility.
• The peer groups are better at BITS Hyderabad. This is because it admits students purely on a merit basis.
• There is no minimum attendance criteria at BITS Hyderabad.

Both the colleges are well-renowned. You can choose either of them for your higher studies, based on your personal preferences.

These three colleges can be compared with each other on several factors. I am listing below these factors-

• College tag- Both the tags- ‘BITSIAN’ and ‘NITIAN’ are reputable. Both will help you in your career. But as far as international recognition is concerned, a BITSIAN tag holds more value.

• Peer Group- BITS Hyderabad has a better crowd because of no reservation scheme. NITs have caste based reservation and home state quota.

• Infrastructure- BITS Hyderabad is the newest BITS, so it has a better infrastructure than the other two colleges. Its infrastructure is better than BITS Pilani as well. NITs are government institutions which receive government funding mostly for research, and rarely for infrastructural development. 

• Placements - BITS Hyderabad offers good CSE placements, at par with NIT Trichy and NIT Surathkal. Its placement record is improving with time. However, these NITs offer better placements for core branches due to PSU visits.

• Faculty- The faculty is top notch at all these colleges. However, NITs experience a shortage of professors which causes problems for the students.

• Alumni network- All the BITS campuses have a common alumni network- BITSAA. BITSAA is the second largest alumni network after the IITs. It is bigger than the alumni networks of these NITs.

• Degree- All the BITS students are offered the same degree, irrespective of the BITS campus.

• Research- In terms of research, NIT Trichy and NIT Surathkal are a better option.

• Fees - The fees at BITS Hyderabad is quite high. NITs are government colleges, so their fees are low. BITS offer scholarships and scholar loans of 20 lakhs to students. You can definitely opt for NITs in case of financial constraints.

NIT Surathkal, NIT Trichy and BITS Hyderabad are all good colleges for your CSE degree. They are a much better choice than the new IITs. You can choose any of them based on your personal preference. 

 If you are trying to decide between PCCOE and VIIT, both of these colleges have their unique qualities. However, based on the experiences of people and the knowledge that has been gained from them, it would be suggested that you should consider choosing PCCOE. Here are some reasons why:

• Good college life: PCCOE offers a better college life compared to VIIT. While there may not be a major difference between the two colleges, choosing the best college can have a direct impact on your future.
• Quality and quantity of placements: PCCOE has a good track record for placements. In every department, 95% of students received placements. Capgemini was one of the top recruiters along with Accenture. The salary package offered ranges between 6 LPA to above 10 LPA. While the percentage of placements may differ by course, PCCOE ensures that its students have access to quality and varied job opportunities.
• Excellent infrastructure facilities: The infrastructure facilities at PCCOE are top-notch. Each student is provided with Wi-Fi access through a username and password. Classrooms are spacious and airy with ample sunlight. The library is well-stocked with almost all the books required. The mess and canteen serve good quality food. 
• Overall life: Campus life at PCCOE is great. You will get the opportunity to learn a lot of things. The placement and internship cell at PCCOE works hard to ensure the full recruitment of its students.

While choosing between PCCOE and VIIT, keep in mind that both colleges are good in their different aspects. However, based on the factors mentioned above, PCCOE emerges as a better option.