Make a list of the pros and cons of the engineering institutes you are considering, and rate them out of 10 against different aspects of college life like affordability, distance from home, teacher-student ratio, college infrastructure and the facilities available, the brand name or status of the engineering college, the university it is affiliated to, placement record, whether it has a hostel attached or if paying guest accommodation is available nearby and so forth. When you add up all the marks, you will see which college is leading and you will hopefully be better equipped to make the final decision. “Institutes like the IITs will have many faculty members with Ph. D.s and so, they can give proper guidance with their experience. Placement records and higher studies record matter as well. The faculty-student ratio should be maintained. Labs, library access, Internet access (facility and the timings) matters, and so does the location of the college. Result statistics of previous batches is also important. IEEE access, the availability of journals and publications etc. can be add-ons,” says Jacob, listing the various factors that would help you rank your list of engineering colleges.