BITS Pilani (Pilani Campus), Pilani

Here are a few bitter truths about life at BITS Pilani and IITs in general that many are not known to 

• The faculty no doubt is one of the best but they are more qualified in research work than in teaching.
• The girl-to-boy ratio at IITs and BITS Pilani is deteriorating rapidly.
• IIT students stay awake most part of the night and sleep early morning around 5 thus disturbing their sleep cycle tremendously.
• The average IQ of IIT students is higher than people of the rest of the world yet the output is not particularly high
• The attendance policy is a major hurdle here and even students with decent marks get detained.
• The food served in the mess is hardly edible 
• The highest package rarely reaches the CPA mark and if it does, it's usually an international package where the in-hand salary is much less.

Despite it all, IITs and BITS have excellent placement scenarios because the recruiting companies are well aware that these students will commit to work more than their capacity and thus prefer IITians over other people.

Yes, BITS Pilani is very costly and a student from a middle-class family may not afford the hefty fees here. The semester fee at BITS Pilani for integrated courses and higher degree courses is Rs 2,31,500 for the first and second semesters. This roughly amounts to double the fees of IITs. 

However, when you become a part of the BITS family, you will realize that every penny you spent was worth it. BITS does not charge fees for themselves, rather the high fees are reflected in the top-notch infrastructure, lab facilities, and huge campuses. Moreover, they are not funded by the government so they have no option but to charge high fees to maintain their standards. 

So if you failed to make it to the top IITs, go for BITS Pilani, it will not disappoint you. Just consider the high fees as a long-term investment that will fetch you good returns.

BITS WILP is a two-year postgraduate level course, in which 15 specializations are offered by the university. It is a degree course that is completed mainly on weekends to enable students and professionals to gain a full-time degree course while continuing their professional pursuits.

Pros

• You get associated with the BITS tag
• You can do your PG alongside working
• The course is rather easy and with the right dedication you can complete it in 2 yrs.
• The syllabus is the same for both on and off-campus students

Cons

• You won’t be able to sit for PG campus recruitment
• Not many companies consider this degree valuable and thus makes it is difficult to land a job.
• The admission criteria are rather flexible thus the peer pool is not very filtered.
• Most of the subjects are from bachelors and lack relevance and rigor
• There is no visible difference in the knowledge base of the students.
• The classes are not conducted by the original BITS faculty.

In all, I think the cons overshadow the pros and don’t deem this course a very wise decision.

There are many reasons why someone might choose BITS Pilani over IIT. Some potential factors could include:

• Zero Reservation policy: The students are selected solely on the basis of merit and there is no reservation policy. Hence, every student has earned his seat proudly by his own efforts. 
• Zero Attendance Policy: Another great aspect here is the zero attendance policy requiring students to skip classes at their own will. This ensures the students' own willingness to attend classes. Additionally, the lecture slides and Video lectures are uploaded on the BITS website.
• Location: Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, BITS Pilani is located in a peaceful area with minimal life outside the campus. The students thus spend more time with each other strengthening the junior-seniors bonds even better.
• Collaborations: BITS Pilani has many collaborations with foreign universities and follows a well-updated curriculum at par with global standards.
• Timetable: The students of BITS are at complete freedom to decide their own teachers, time slots, and breaks. They are under no compulsion to follow a fixed schedule.
• Dual Degree Program: Another major perk of BITE is its dual degree program that allows students to do an MSC + Btech degree.

Ultimately, the choice between BITS Pilani and IIT will depend on an individual's personal preferences and priorities.

No, I don’t think BITS Pilani is overrated in any way. In fact, it deserves the hype it gets because of its standard of education and the opportunities it offers. 

BITS is certainly comparable to IITs in terms of academics and faculty. It only seems a bit lacking in terms of research although it has been improving gradually.

BITS tag makes it easier to secure a Master’s in foreign universities. The average GRE score for a BITSian is around 330/340. Thus portrays the excellent English-speaking culture of BITS.

Being a part of the BITS family gives you access to its elaborate alumni network. Its alumni are working successfully across the globe and can be found everywhere be it the UK, US, Germany, France, or Singapore.

BITS Pilani Practice School is a compulsory graduation requirement for all students that comprises Practice School I and Practice School II. Practice School I is an internship of 2 months for students at the end of their 2nd year and Practice School II is an internship of an entire semester, around 5 -5.5 months either in the odd semester or the even semester in the final year. 

We can safely conclude that BITS Pilani is nowhere overrated and it certainly deserves all the hype.