Is anyone familiar IIT? It just may be the world's most selective university.

College Search & Selection
41

<p>All those in support of IIT must have parents who went there. IIT is by no means an institute of world stature.</p>

<p>Take a look at the following site - <a href="http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/ranking.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/ranking.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>This was a purely academic ranking (not taking selectivity and all that crap) into account, and it has Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton etc. on the top. Where's IIT? Somewhere betweeen #400 and #500.</p>

<p>Take a look at the ranking methodology. This ranking is not a mere gimmick. It was making headlines (I remember a Times of India article about it).</p>

<p>IIT is crap.</p>

42

<p>Mercurysquad: All of us who supported IIT did have parents who graduated from the school. I'm surprised that you are criticizing IIT. For many of our parents, the name "IIT" has opened up job opportunities and success in this country. Obviously IIT, itself, may not be a great school because it lacks funding. But the point is that the students there are not jokes - they are of the brighest in India and in our world - equal to MIT, Harvard, and Stanford grads.</p>

43

<p>Why I'm criticising IITs is because of precisely that. The society has made IIT into such an angelic thing that the moment you proclaim you don't wanna go to IIT; parents, friends and teachers start thinking of you as someone who isn't determined or hard-working or doesn't want to study. Count 1.</p>

<p>While it's true that IIT "opens up a lot of doors" and also that IIT students are equal o MIT, Harvard or Stanford grads (I'd say brighter than them, as half of MIT freshmen can't qualify in the JEE). But look at the flip side - that exact "opening doors" thing has turned IIT into such a highly coveted place that the selection criteria sore to artificially high levels. Count 2.</p>

<p>Why do all those 2.5 lac students want to go to IIT? Ask any one of them what major they want and half of them will have no clue. They "just want to get into IIT." That's one thing I'm against. Why do you have to be among the top few hundreds in the whole country to even get to study what you want? Count 3.</p>

<p>Then we get to some of those brilliant students who haven't been able to qualify for the IITs (a live example is one of my friends). Is it not true that non-IIT grads get Nobel prizes too? Is it not true that none of the IIT grads have so far gotten one? Or the Wolf award? Or any major award for that matter (other "best entrepreneur" or something!). Virtually everyone at IIT is there for one thing - to earn. While most of these are fine young gentlemen wanting to contribute to the country and the community, most of the time they get caught up in this "opportunities and success in this country". Count 4.</p>

<p>Should I go on?</p>

44

<p>All those arguments just point out flaws that exist in every other university in the world. Obviously, universities are number driven (it's just assumed that every applicant meets a high standard); and all those people want to earn money and be successful. There's no difference between IIT and other top universities like it - they all have the same problems. Criticizing an institution for some of its problems doesn't make IIT, overall, a bad place.</p>

45

<p>
[quote]
Criticizing an institution for some of its problems doesn't make IIT, overall, a bad place.

[/quote]

I'm speaking relatively, mediterranean. It's not BAD - but it's not as good as people think it might be. Of course no one likes to hear all the ******** about their parents' alma mater and I'm sorry about that, but I really do have such a whole lot of arguments against the IITs that I can't help talking about it when I see such a discussion going on.</p>

<p>
[quote]
All those arguments just point out flaws that exist in every other university in the world.

[/quote]

Definitely not. How many applicants think they just have to go to Harvard? How many parents want their child to do nothing for the 4 years of high school, but "prepare" to get into MIT? School is about learning, making friends and having fun (a balance) - but sadly students spend those years studying frantically just to go "clear" the JEE. Suddenly all the 12 years of their schooling, their accomplishments, hobbies, interests, personality, achievements cease to carry any value. All that matters is a few numbers. How do you identify this trend with MIT or Harvard, for instance? Does every "other" top university have this problem?</p>

<p>Look at the JEE e.g. Every thing about it is tailored for the institutions' convenience. Instead of the 250 thousand applicants, they are more bothered about their 250 employees.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Obviously, universities are number driven (it's just assumed that every applicant meets a high standard); and all those people want to earn money and be successful.

[/quote]

Yes, but does someone who knows a lot about Phy,Chem and Math make a better engineer than someone who knows enough about Phy,Chem,Math and is also a great person? The very "high standard" for selection by IITs is arbitrary. If that was all that mattered, I'm sure MIT could admit students based on SAT II scores alone.</p>

46

<p>"The very "high standard" for selection by IITs is arbitrary."</p>

<p>Hmm... I think a lot of people on this board need to take a course in cultural studies 101. what colleges base their admissions on is totally based upon the country's values. america values leadership, and thus, colleges always want to accept leaders. in most asian countries, leadership isn't AS important as smarts/intelligence, knowledge, and top-notch performance. that is partially why asian schools are so numbers driven (besides the fact that a ton of applicants apply); they want applicants who know their stuff well and can deliver the best test performance. </p>

<p>"All those in support of IIT must have parents who went there. IIT is by no means an institute of world stature."</p>

<p>I am in full support of IIT, yet I don't have parents who went there (parents were educated by Stanford and Berkeley), I'm not Indian, and I wasn't born in Asia. No connections... I support IIT because IIT IS NOT "CRAP" like you said it is, mercurysquad. </p>

<p>"Take a look at the following site - <a href="http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/ranking.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/ranking.htm&lt;/a> "</p>

<p>The ranking does NOT show academics. I don't see how I can figure out the academic quality of the school for undergrad based on those rankings. Nobel prize winners don't tell me anything about how good of an education I will get. Besides, if you agree with that ranking, you're saying dartmouth and brown are crap too, cuz look where they are ranked. Again, the ranking doesn't measure undergrad academic quality... i mean, UCSF is on there! (it only has grad med programs)</p>

47

<p>This isn't directed at anyone, but just collegeconfidential in general: sometimes when posters put down a great school like berkeley or even caltech, then i sense some elitism. but when posters put down great foreign schools that they don't know anything about besides what rankings (that don't measure educational quality) or rumors tell them, then i sense ethnocentrism and ignorance, which is far worse. there are a lot of great schools out there beyond HYPSM, and i urge posters in collegeconfidential to open their eyes and try to respect some of those other schools out there, both american and foreign alike.</p>

48

<p>Guys who are going on and on about IIT is this and IIT is that need to shutup. If you are finding so many IIt grads in US institutes is because they kno where they are is better. Please dont say because they get more money because thats shows how narrowminded and uneducated you are about colleges. </p>

<p>Merc 50 % of mIT admits may not be IIt material but same is true for vice versa! I think that counts for strike 4 ! :D</p>

49

<p>Please check
<a href="http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf96334/tables/tab20.xls%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf96334/tables/tab20.xls&lt;/a>
Top 25 foreign baccalaureate institutions of 1994 non-US science and engineering doctorate recipients, ranked accounting to total doctorates, by filed of doctorate</p>

<h1>1 Seoul National University</h1>

<h1>2 National Taiwan University</h1>

<h1>3 Beijing University (China)</h1>

<h1>4 Fudan University (China)</h1>

<h1>5 National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan)</h1>

<h1>6 Yonsei University (Korea)</h1>

<h1>7 Qinghua University (China)</h1>

<h1>8 University of Bombay (India)</h1>

<h1>9 National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan)</h1>

<h1>10 Korea University - Seoul</h1>

<h1>11 Hanyang University (Korea)</h1>

<h1>12 National Chiao Tung University(Taiwan)</h1>

<h1>14 hahahahahahahah It's IIT</h1>

<p>For National Chiao Tung University (Taiwan), it is a very small school.
I think they produce a lot of high quality semiconductor engineers.
It is major reason why Taiwan can survive and make so much money
from computers, semiconductors, DRAMs, TFT, Design jobs ....</p>

50

<p>that is a pointless ranking tokai. "total doctorates?" shocking that its all asian schools, as they have the highest population! thats like ranking US schools by total bachelors degrees! youd have a school like Ohio State (not to insult Ohio State- its just a big school) as number one and Harvard and Yale would be toward the bottom.</p>

51

<p>I nver heard of IIT? Why is evryone talking about it?</p>

52

<p>kfc4u..great posts !!</p>

53

<p>PLEASE NOTE - Don't take anything personally!</p>

<p>
[quote]
Hmm... I think a lot of people on this board need to take a course in cultural studies 101.

[/quote]

There's a difference between taking a course, and living here in India, studying furiously day and night to get into a college you don't wanna go. Doesn't first hand experience count? I'm not just a frustrated test-taker.</p>

<p>
[quote]
but when posters put down great foreign schools that they don't know anything about besides what rankings (that don't measure educational quality) or rumors tell them, then i sense ethnocentrism and ignorance, which is far worse.<a href="Read%20above">/quote</a>. I might not know a lot about actually studying at one of the IITs, but I've been a victim of the "obligation" to clear their entrance test. It's not ignorance about IIT, but an opinion formed on purely personal experience and observation. Only a fool would criticize aimlessly or baselessly.</p>

<p>
[quote]
what colleges base their admissions on is totally based upon the country's values.</p>

<p>

[/quote]

Exactly. And over here we have a rotten sense of "value." What's called a "nerd" all over the world is considered a champ here - the ideal student. While that might not be bad in itself, it doesn't leave enough space for people like me who like to do other things like music, independent learning etc. No one cares about it. There's no stimulus. And IIT is a major catalyst in this "thought control."</p>

<p>
[quote]
I support IIT because IIT IS NOT "CRAP" like you said it is, mercurysquad.

[/quote]

This is typically what happens when anyone criticizes any school. Any criticism is bound to offend those in support of it. I have put forward so many arguments in my support but unfortunately those in support of IIT have so far criticized only my generic comments rather than bringing up arguements in support of IIT itself.</p>

<p>
[quote]
the ranking doesn't measure undergrad academic quality...

[/quote]

Ok come on I never said I'm argueing against IIT's academic quality. What I'm trying to do is to bring the 'backstage' reality of the students/parents and the circumstances that go into preparing and getting into an institution which is being touted as some heavenly abode when it is not.</p>

<p>And to add to that, I'd like to say that (don't mind), living in LA, you wouldn't know a lot about living in India as a guy from a middle-class family. The only thing that matters here is how good a job you can get after graduating from a particular institution, rather than the "academic quality" or undergraduate life experience you can get out of it.</p>

<p>Don't want to sound conceited or anything, but being a "bright" student, going to IIT is somehow expected of me - when I plan to use my abilities to its fullest by pursuing my interests more than studying 18 hrs a day for one lousy exam. I love stargazing, and I spent hours at the library reading up on Devid Levy's "Starwatching". I had to quit it. I had to quit programming. I had to quit music. I had to quit working on my DataCoder project. I had to quit everything that caught my fancy.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Nobel prize winners don't tell me anything about how good of an education I will get.

[/quote]

1) IIT students have "smarts/intelligence, knowledge, and top-notch performance"
2) the students there are not jokes - they are of the brighest in India and in our world - equal to MIT, Harvard, and Stanford grads
3) Stanford, MIT and Harvard graduates/professors get Nobels, while IIT grads/professors don't.</p>

<p>Why? If the academic quality at IIT is so much closer to Stanford or MIT or whatever, why doesn't it show? Are you questioning the Nobel prize or any other reputable award for that matter? Now a lot of people will come down at me, saying things like "awards aren't all it just shows how narrowminded you are" - OK I agree, but isn't it a bit surrealistic? Nobel prizes are not for nothing.</p>

<p>
[quote]
If you are finding so many IIt grads in US institutes is because they kno where they are is better. Please dont say because they get more money because thats shows how narrowminded and uneducated you are about colleges.

[/quote]

Look nomad, I know IIT opens up a lot of doors and earning money isn't bad. What I'm trying to say is that pricesly these two factors have brought about the popular belief that you cannot be successful unless you graduate from the IITs. This social mindset is what I'm trying to fight. It's sort of like believing that you absolutely have to go to Harvard because the starting salary upon graduation is two million dollars. Don't speak based on how many benefits your parents reaped (again, don't take it personally). Go out to the streets in India and ask people why they want their son to attend IIT and tell me what answer you receive.</p>

54

<p>Ya, my dad attended the science division of IIT at Bangalore and is enjoying many excellent opportunites here in the U.S.</p>

55

<p>dude i was supporting your point. LOL. What are you tlaking about?</p>

<p>Most of the people have no real goal in mind its like either IIT or medical nd notw BITS comes into the picture too. </p>

<p>Anyway I need to say that this is the most useless thread I have ever seeen in a college forum. Someone here needs to get a life and post stuff relevant stuff to college not about things hes not goign to be affected by. </p>

<p>Thats the purpose of the collegeconfidentiality cafe, post there.</p>

56

<p>Just got this from the following thread
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=32482&page=2%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=32482&page=2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>FYI, The Times Higher Education Supplement rankings:</p>

<p>The World's Top Universities (Engineering and IT)</p>

<p>1 University of California, Berkeley (US)
2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
3 Stanford University (US)
4 Indian Institutes of Technology (India)
5 Imperial College London (UK)
6 California Institute of Technology (US)
7 Tokyo University (Japan)
8 Cambridge University (UK)
9 National University of Singapore (Singapore)
10 Peking University (China)</p>