When it comes to colleges, don’t blindly accept surveys

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Yet another national magazine has come out with its list of top ten colleges in India. But exactly how much trust should students seeking admissions repose in these rankings? Should you rely on anything but your own research?
Says Dr Pushar Manohar Desai, principal of a leading Mumbai college, “The surveys that magazines rely on, just involve sending a representative to colleges and making a list. They have a few questions they need answered, but they never actually do any hands-on checking. They analyse this information to come up with their list. I don’t think this is a good method to follow. There is a difference between what is practised and what is published.”
Experts advise that rather than focussing on questionable “rankings”, students are much better off considering practical parameters. “The first thing that students should look out for is the convenience of commuting from home to college,” says career counsellor Shailaja Mulay. “Secondly, you need to find out if the college is offering the subjects that you want to undertake. Also consider the sort of extra-curricular activities the college undertakes.” Dr Desai adds, “You should pay careful attention to the infrastructure, quality of students and prospects after graduation. Taking feedback from other alumni of the institute is very helpful.”
Mulay says it is very important for students to find a college whose ambience is in tandem with their upbringing and family background. Education counsellor Swati Vats agrees. “As far as young adults are concerned, they need to fit in. The background, culture and people in a particular college should not be alien to a student and they should have realistic expectations from the institute. If they don’t look at these parameters, then issues like ragging and feeling inadequate step in. At the end of the day, the college you choose should be able to give you what you want in terms of qualifications. The faculty should be able to cater to your needs.”