Introduction
Hi everyone! I am Pranav Dhamane, a JEE 2025 aspirant. Many juniors often get confused during the JoSAA counselling process, especially when they fall in the mid-rank range.
Here is my complete experience regarding the entrance exam, counselling process, and why I chose Indian Institute of Information Technology, Nagpur.
1. Entrance Exam & Criteria
To get into IIIT Nagpur, the primary pathway is through JEE Main.
My Background:
- JEE Main 2025 Percentile: 97.1
- Rank: 44,224
At this rank, I was not getting top NITs or highly preferred branches, so I had to choose between:
- Newer IIITs (CSE/ECE)
- Lower NITs with core branches
- Some GFTIs
The Key:
At this level, your choice filling strategy plays a very important role in determining your final college.
2. The Counselling Process (JoSAA)
The admission is conducted by Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA).
Registration
I registered on the JoSAA portal after my results and started checking previous year cutoffs and available options.
Choice Filling
This is the most critical step.
Initially, I was confused between:
- College vs Branch
- IIITs vs NITs
- Circuit branches vs core branches
I kept modifying my preference list multiple times after seeing different opinions online.
Later, I made my list based on:
- Interest in tech field
- Placement opportunities
- Coding culture
- Long-term growth
Allotment
I was allotted a seat at Indian Institute of Information Technology, Nagpur during the counselling rounds, after which I finalized my decision.
3. Why IIIT Nagpur?
Honestly, I had multiple options, but I chose IIIT Nagpur for these reasons:
- Tech-Focused Institute: IIITs are known for coding and software-oriented culture
- Placements: The placement performance is improving consistently
- Peer Group: Students are generally serious about skills and coding
- Growth Opportunity: Being a newer institute, it has strong future potential
4. Initial Thought Process & Reality
At the beginning, I was mainly focused on:
- Highest package
- College tag
But during the process, I realized that:
- No college guarantees success
- Skills matter more in the long run
- Environment plays a big role in growth
This changed my perspective completely.
5. Challenges I Faced
This phase was not easy.
- I overcompared colleges based on small differences
- I got influenced by random online opinions
- I kept searching for a “perfect option”
But eventually, I understood:
There is no perfect college , only a decision you commit to.
6. Advice to Juniors
- Don’t panic if your rank is not very high
- Do proper research before filling choices
- Don’t blindly follow YouTube or trends
- Focus on long-term growth instead of short-term hype
- Be careful during choice filling — it matters a lot
Verdict
If you are interested in tech, willing to work hard, and want a coding-oriented environment, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Nagpur is a good option.
Your growth will depend more on your effort than the college itself.
