No better place to start than INDIA

For most NRI engineering aspirants, the DASA scheme which allows them direct admission into one of the many NITs(previously called Regional Engineering Colleges) all over the country as well as a few other prominent institutions is a fantastic option.

The NITs(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Institutes_of_Technology) are extremely difficult to get into through AIEEE and they are amongst the top colleges in India, with some of them like NIT Surathkal or NIT Trichy consistently featuring in the top 10 in India.

To be eligible for the DASA scheme, students need to give the SAT subject tests for Math-Level2, Physics and Chemistry. The tests are scored out of 800 each and a student needs to have a score of 1800+ out of 2400 to be eligible for DASA.

You can find more details about it and register for the SAT subject tests at http://www.collegeboard.org/

More details about the DASA scheme can be found on http://www.dasanit.org/

Download the DASA-2011 brochure from http://www.dasanit.org/dasa2011/docs/DASA%202011%20Brochure.pdf

The fees for students admitted to DASA are higher(roughly $7000 annually) than what the indian students admitted through AIEEE pay, but then it is much easier to get in through DASA. Also, most NITs have great placement cells and you can expect to recover all the cash you have made your parents spend on you within a few years of work.

Intelligent students can still register for AIEEE, IIT-JEE, BITSAT and other competitive indian entrance exams to try and get in through them. Sadly, the IITs no longer have a DASA scheme. BITS Pilani is again one of the foremost institutions of the country but the admission chances are low and from what I have heard, the BITS campuses in Goa, Hyderabad or Dubai do not have the same standards or quality as the original in Pilani.

According to me, the NITs should be the preferred option for everyone who has the money as well as the brains to get in through DASA scheme. Many private colleges might be good too but they have still not matched up to the NIT levels. These options must be only considered if one is trying through AIEEE or some other competitive exams as then getting into NITs is difficult. A few other colleges like ICT (Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai) and DTU (Delhi Technological University) also rank high in engineering college rankings.


The SAT subject tests in detail: http://engineeringfornris.blogspot.com/2011/05/sat-subject-tests.html