Here are some of my thoughts to help students who are applying to colleges .

             1. When considering a undergraduate program, look beyond college rankings. College rankings like India Today , Outlook and various websites rank colleges and universities based on scholarly productivity, Infrastructure, campus Placements,  and ability to teach undergraduates. It is wise to supplement these rankings with more undergraduate-focused criteria.

            2. Don't worry about your HSC percentage. You can get admission in good universities even with not very good percentage in HSC or equivalent.

            3. Undergraduate admission is difficult at top schools in INDIA. If a family is considering undergraduate admission, admission is competitive and costs may be high. Since most of the good universities are government in nature, It becomes difficult to get a good college except getting good scores in competitive exams .  So keep on getting information about private colleges and universities alongwith your HSC studies

            4. Don't overlook smaller prestigious colleges. Instead of focusing on famous colleges and universities look for smaller, prestigious colleges that feed into these for graduate study. Again the ranking is helpful.

            5. Look for the right college match. Base your decisions about where your student will attend not soley on location, prestige or cost--instead make sure that the college's values are the same as your student's. Colleges, like people, have values; it's like joining a family. The network that you inherit by attending a particular college is for life.