Saying that BITS Pilani is famous for its placements or education is rather lame as it’s a no-brainer that no matter how good it is, it cannot be compared to the old IITs in terms of research opportunities, faculty, and even placements.

But there is certainly something special about BITS Pilani that makes it a coveted choice despite the high fees. From what I have heard from my friends who are alumni of BITS Pilani, there is a magical effect the college has on its students with its dynamic campus life and the family-like bond you develop there. 

The people you meet here are each extraordinary in their own way and all have made their way to the institute through merit. The overall ambiance and the company of geniuses instill in you a feeling of achieving something huge and that influence is what makes BITS Pilani special. There is a positive pull that the institute triggers in you that makes you come out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. To date, many of my friends from BITS Pilani talk about their college with a gleam in their eyes and cherish the learning and experiences of their life there.

If BITS Pilani is your dream school but your financial background is not letting you join it, rest assured. BITS Pilani has provisions for 2 kinds of scholarships. 

• Merit cum need: This scholarship is based on your grades as well as family income. You can get a 60-80% fee concession depending on your grades.
• Merit scholarship: This scholarship is solely based on merit.

Additionally, many banks offer educational loans at low-interest rates at BITS Pilani. You just have to show your BITS ID card as security and loan repayment time is long enough (minimum 4-6 years). On average, you can repay this loan within 2-3 months and thus it’s the best way out.

Let me clear the general misconception that the level of MSc Maths at BITS Pilani is similar to the 10+2 level. Class 12th Maths is highly analytical while MSc Maths is full of definitions, theories, and proofs. The pedagogy adopted is poor and the majority of students study this subject despite a lack of interest.

For someone who has no interest in Analytical stuff, courses such as ERA, Topology, and Functional Analysis can be very challenging. Some courses which will intrigue you will be of no use because BITS follows the relative grading system where you are graded according to how well you perform as compared to others.

Overall, if you like complex theories and expressions then go for it, but if you too have no interest in complex theories it’s better to not take it. 

While many claims that Maths+CS is the best combo, let me tell you that you can take 3–4 Maths courses that help in CS as electives in your CS degree. MSc in Maths is a suitable option only if you are willing to pursue a career in Mathematical research, else the best dual degree option is MSc in Economics. The curriculum is light and knowledgeable. 

Yes, one of my friends strongly regrets giving up on BITS Pilani just because of the high fees and went for a low-ranked NIT instead and to date regrets his hasty decision. He wanted to pursue MSc in Economics from BITS Goa but he had to take civil in NIT. 

He stated that the condition of core placements in NITs was pathetic and the average package was as low as 3-4 LPA. Only non-core companies visited for placements while his friends that chose BITS Goa MSc in Economics got excellent internship offers from JP Morgan Chase, Credit Suisse, etc. Moreover, the BITS Pilani dual degree places students in good IT, Analytics firms as well.

My friend's career has been set back by 3-4 years in comparison to his counterparts and it will take years to reach the salary package they are currently receiving. He now considers his last options as GATE, PSU, or MBA.

Yes, BITS Pilani is worth taking a year drop irrespective of whichever branch you will be getting. 

I will tell you an anecdote about a friend who wanted to get admission at BITS Pilani but failed to clear it in the first year. He ended up taking ECE in an average college but still yearned for BITS Pilani and decided to give himself a second chance. Surprisingly enough he got MSc. Economics in BITS Pilani. He decided to take the dual degree and convinced his parents who were against the idea of dropping ECE and taking Economics at a remotely located college. 

Fortunately, luck stayed on his side and he was offered a stipend in his internship much higher than what his counterparts were earning in their full-time jobs. Later, he got admitted to the Masters of Finance program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The year drop did not stop him from achieving great heights and fulfilling his dreams.

Ultimately, more than academics and faculty, it is the environment you are taught under and the people you interact with that affect your college life greatly. BITS has the best crowd because of the no-reservation policy and the opportunities and exposure offered are excellent. 

On the contrary, I feel BITS Pilani has been able to maintain its standards because of its high fees. Unlike IITs, BITS are not funded by the government so they need to charge high fees in order to improve the infrastructure and quality of campus life here. In fact, BITS Pilani is the only private institute that is almost at the same level as old IITs.

But I think BITS is behind IITs in a few aspects such as the qualifications and the research grant that the professors get. I heard of a professor getting a 50 lakh grant for conducting research. This entire amount came from the government. The reason IITs have a rich research culture is because they are constantly backed up by the government while BITS fails to receive such grants and thus charges high fees for research. Thus the high fees charged by BITS Pilani are completely justified and do not affect the BITS charm in any way.