NUS vs. IIT Bombay

[sakshamsaini18]

<p>^@codeguy…</p>

[codeguy]

<p>sakshamsaini18, are you an IIT aspirant?</p>

[rishav17]

<p>@codeguy - I think you’re living in a bubble. A big one.</p>

<p>As much as I dislike the system of admissions for IITs and the kind of education at IITs, you have to give the IITs some credit.</p>

<p>IIT undergrads are sought after all around the world for jobs and for grad/doctorate courses at MIT/UCB/Caltech & other top universities!!
So you cannot say that IITs don’t have any standing!</p>

<p>Not everyone is like you & me. Not everyone has varied interests. For many people math, phy & chemistry is their life & love - again see my previous post, it all boils down to personal choices.</p>

<p>If you want to pursue different interests, IIT is not for you. But don’t blame the IITs!! Look at it this way, you like football but you hate cricket. It’s probably because you like running around and like the fast pace of football. But that doesn’t mean cricket is useless - it is an equally good sport!! :)</p>

[rishav17]

<p>@jak, see where the IITs score low on - International outlook & Research.</p>

<p>Coming to teaching - imagine a Ukrainian student sitting in a chemistry class in IIT-B. The professor says “Today we will study YALKANES” but what he actually means is Alkanes but the Ukrainian student won’t understand it!! :p</p>

<p>The teaching at IIT is ranked low only because it doesn’t match the world-wide prescribed norms – but you can’t take away it’s effectiveness from it!!</p>

<p>Again, I heard something and you heard something else - I’m not saying that what I’ve heard is true to the point, but I believe there’s truth in it!!</p>

<p>Coming to the research part - I NEVER double counted research, you mixed up two different posts!!
That should be a criteria, I’m not saying that it shouldn’t!! In fact, it used to be on the previous QS rankings (note they’ve revamped their site recently!!) . Anyway what I’m saying is that some students are inclined towards research & some are not!! :)</p>

<p>Anyway, coming back to the OP’s post & my original reply. I clearly stated that the choice depends on your personal likes & dislikes!! :)</p>

[codeguy]

<p>well, rishav17. You’re far more experienced than me. And i respect you for that.
But when it comes down to IIT faculty, the ones whom i’ve met, don’t seem to be down to earth or what. They aren’t completely supportive when it comes to helping a weak student. They are more an IIT Professor than a teacher.</p>

<p>Also, the number of IIT aspirants i’ve met (who later made it there) -</p>

<br>

<p>Studied 12 hours a day.
Didn’t had a social life.
Were super bad at ECs.
Didn’t had a clear vision of what they wanted to do in life.
Wanted to study CS but had no interest in the subject ‘computer’ taught at school.
Considered sports as a waste of time.</p>

<br>

[codeguy]

<p>An institute is best when its students are the best.</p>

<p>So, This is where IITs fail.</p>

[sakshamsaini18]

<p>^Hmmm…not sure about what they are gonna do in future and not passionate about computer science , and still working so hard to get in an IIT …
Imagine what they’ll do and what all they can achieve once they start working in the field they are passionate about …</p>

[jak321]

<p>Apparently I did mix up posts but I reiterate my points (but without the sass :p)</p>

<p>To all points stemming from IITs selectivity I’d like to quote myself:

Numerically speaking IIT is more selective than top US colleges, but that’s the difference between a priori and a posteriori information. Since admission to IIT is predicated on one exam, and I couldn’t possibly know my chance of success in said exam until I give it, several people (who don’t have much of a chance) end up giving the exam. On the other hand, while admissions are a crap-shoot to most top US colleges, I already know my credentials and therefore know, to a much greater extent, my likelihood of getting into a top US (there is much greater self selection). Consider, in my high school most of students who reside in the bottom half of the class are giving JEE. I doubt more than the top 1-2% of students in the US even bother applying to Harvard.

</p>

<p>@rishav17, while IIT does score its lowest in International outlook & Research., it scores badly in every other field there as well (check out its subject rankings - it’s unranked in most). </p>

<p>

The teaching at IIT is ranked low only because it doesn’t match the world-wide prescribed norms – but you can’t take away it’s effectiveness from it!!

Taking away implies prior existance, which hasn’t been proved by anyone here so far… IIT does ok (very well compared to all but the tippy-top), but I would attribute that less to its teaching, and more to the fact that most Indians have few places to turn to but IIT. As I said before, IIT has a monopoly among students in India (which is not quite devoid of good students to say the least). </p>

<p>IIT is a great institution, but it’s not quite as good as the top 10 in the US.</p>

[texaspg]

<p>“No, but as your post (to which I responded) brought up only competition and rigor, I don’t see why I should.”</p>

<p>The true strength of a school is where their graduates end up. MIT considers IIT students well trained enough to not only offer them PhD admissions but also accept them as faculty members. </p>

<p>Let us reverse this paradigm - You want to claim superiority of MIT by downplaying IITs for the privilege of being taught by IIT graduates at MIT?</p>

[codeguy]

<p>and yes, nearly 90% of them had little or no creativity.
I guess that very much answers your question.
Point is, they are only passionate about getting in, get a 12 lakh job, buy a 2 BHK flat and marry a beautiful girl.
Their quest of life ends there!</p>

[rishav17]

<p>@codeguy - Think of this, the aspirants you mentioned - do you think they’d be happy at Harvard(if they got in?) - No. They are more suited to IIT! :D</p>

<p>I know you feel that you’re better than all those who study 24x7, you may be. But never underestimate them, they’ll go on to top the toughest entrance exam in the world - that doesn’t make them the “worst” students, does it?? Most IITians are successful in life and are at the helm of things. They might not be happy but all they wanted in the first place was success!! :)</p>

<p>So IITs students are not bad, they are brilliant - just their field of brilliance is difference! :)</p>

<p>@jak - I ain’t gonna argue anymore!
Just because we’re swaying away from the OPs original question of NUS vs IIT!!</p>

<p>Lets just put it like this - IIT has its own advantages and other top universities in the world have their own. It all depends on what you want to do!!
I feel, IIT’s representation on the Global stage doesn’t justify it’s actual quality!! :D</p>

<p>And texaspg makes a very good point, that I too mentioned in the reply to codeguy!! The IITs are renowned worldwide!! :)</p>

[jak321]

<p>My father, my fathers brother and my cousin went to IIT, and I was an IIT aspirant for most of my life. I lived and breathed JEE practice tests and was expected by peers and instructors alike to get a top 100 rank at IIT. This is me from one and a half years ago (excuse the shabby post):
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/264721-whats-hardest-most-prestigious-university-world-post13051649.html#post13051649[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/264721-whats-hardest-most-prestigious-university-world-post13051649.html#post13051649&lt;/a&gt;
As you can see, I was very pro-IIT. Then I met IIT grads and professors, researched into IIT courses, went to the IIT-D/B campus. I became disillusioned. I have stated my (if anything, intitialy pro-IIT biased) opinion.</p>

<p>

The true strength of a school is where their graduates end up. MIT considers IIT students well trained enough to not only offer them PhD admissions but also accept them as faculty members.

IIT students. IIT is almost unique, because it absorbs most of the top students of an entire country. While the selection mechanism does take in several of the kind codeguy mentioned, many top Indian students have nowhere to turn to, but the IITs, which is where they end up. These are the kind who you would see at top graduate schools one day. That any credit for this entire process should go to IIT, is not obvious to me. I’ve heard the same thing from my aforementioned family members, who agree that their education wasn’t too great (they all had horrible experiences) and only encouraged me to apply because they believed that it opened doors (in India, that is), and due to price and proximity. BTW could you direct me to a stat that shows IIT outperforming top 10 US univs (which usually have smaller student bodies btw) in this regard? (honestly asking…). Almost every top 30 university sends students (however few and far between) to MIT/Harvard etc. and almost every top 50 university would have Harvard/MIT grads teaching students.</p>

<p>

Let us reverse this paradigm - You want to claim superiority of MIT by downplaying IITs for the privilege of being taught by IIT graduates at MIT?

I’ll admit that I’m having some trouble parsing this one. English isn’t my native language :p</p>

[rishav17]

<p>@jak - I get where you’re coming from. I have no empirical data to support what I’m saying and so it would be useless to continue!!</p>

<p>But let me restate my point again. IIT sets you up for life at the same level as MIT or any other top university does. IIT lags behind on global outreach/research and other co-curricular fields and I won’t dispute that ever. Point is not all students are cut out for the education IIT provides and India lacks universities which offer the kind of education the Ivy league offers. But that is not IITs fault. Period.</p>

[geek96]

<p>IIT vs NUS or the ivies is a very dicy topic to talk about.I am myself thinking about IIT vs US universities after my 12th. The thing is the curriculum and studies at IITs is no doubt good.It is the best available in our country.
But from what I have learnt and read,The IITs donot provide a great platform for research work which the other universities do.
I agree with Rishav17’s opinion.IITs still are reputated and Best in India
@codeguy Yes you’re true about the point that IITs aspirants have almost zero ECs and donot know about computers and still want to pursue CS in some IITs.I myself never get time to develop additional ECs(which in my case is programming,blogging or tech reviewing) due to my IIT prep</p>

<p>And ultimately about NUS vs IIT, I think you should list down the pros and cons of both universities and decide it yourself. You know whats best for you.</p>

[quiverfox]

<p>We are far from NUS…u see wHat I have to say is that NUS is another top university~IIT but for home(though Singapore is second home to iNdians…huge indian population there :))
You should consider both… If chemical/petroleum…etc->NUS else IIT B/D/M/K/K:)</p>

[hopingforbetter]

<p>I entirely agree with rishav17…@rishav17 felt great to read through your posts in this thread.</p>

<p>Choosing a college is one’s personal choice. Base your decision on the kind of environment you want to be in for the next four years of your life.</p>

<p>Please let’s not discuss about any A college vs B college. This post has run it’s course, I guess.</p>

<p>OP: follow rishav17’s advice</p>

[guyinblue]

<p>I think this is a useless discussion which gets brought up again and again.
If you really let others decide whether IIT or NUS is right for you, then sorry to say you might end up regretting 4 years at college.</p>

<p>So, instead of asking people, ask yourself. Look inside yourself and try to understand what you want. What suits you. Because in the end, no one knows you as well as you yourself do.</p>

<p>No offence intended OP. And sorry if I sounded harsh or something but that’s just my two cents :)</p>

[kushalsogani]

<p>Thank you guys but my actual point was that no other top university take IIT rank into account for their undergrad admissions except NUS.</p>

<p>So for a person like me, who excels in studies but has no olympiad medals or some research work into bank, what college options are available?</p>

[sakshamsaini18]

<p>Try NTU,NUS and universities in Hong Kong …they will consider your board marks …and if academics is your strength ,I would suggest you try for some UK colleges as well…even they will give top priority to your board marks , best of luck</p>

[geek96]

<p>My condition is very similar to you with not amazing ECs… But I think you still can try at US Universities.Give SAT 1 and SAT 2, Score above 2200 and I think you can do well.Just be sure to follow your passion for your extra curriculars You may get into good universities like Cornell or UCs if you have a Good SAT score</p>