If you are getting a good IIT, no need to read this. Otherwise, please analyze your situation.
- Can I do better?
- Did something went wrong for me during GATE?
If your answer is yes, do consider giving a second chance. Start from analyzing your GATE exam. mark down the topics you couldn’t answer. Fix those topics properly. There are students who have gone from 10,000 to 100 and there are students who have gone from 1000 to 3000. So, simply don’t repeat. Analyze and then repeat.
Are you good in academics? If so do consider a direct Ph.D. or MS Research in IITs. Even good IITs/IISc. starve for good research candidates and so mostly GATE rank won’t be an issue here. IITM usually calls around 1500 GATE rank and some new IITs go beyond and some even consider good academic profile and just a valid GATE score. You can see respective IIT tabs here.
http://gateoverflow.in/40163/prepare-written-interviews-subjects-focus-questions-asked
Is there any other exams to try?
- For Application Deadlines
- Yes, go for IIITH which is equally good as old IITs.
- BITS is not far behind so are IIITB, IIITD etc.
- For those who want specialized areas, TIFR, CMI (both Theoretical Computer Science), ISI (Statistics) are also good.
- If you are academically strong do consider MS or even direct Ph.D. abroad. A 9 pointer might fail in GATE, but he/she might get preference while applying abroad. While applying to foreign places do consider making a Latex Resume and CV. Though small this might create a good impression.
- Some other national level colleges are also there like IIST for Machine Learning.
- Try for PSU jobs which have their own exams like SAIL. More info on “PSU” tab here.
- If you are fed up with studies (I don’t know why you want to do M.Tech. then) then consider joining any other institute. Many of them have their own tests as well as consider GATE. You can see “Others” tab here.
Joining a State level college
- Highly discouraged, unless you find a worthy faculty to work under because the overall environment won’t be that good.
- Those who have done M.Tech. from decent NITs have scored 2 digit ranks in GATE and then went to PSUs.
- Doing really good in M.Tech. (like being University topper) in a state university, can get you INSPIRE scholarship and a Ph.D. admit almost anywhere in India. But scope of an average performer is pretty bad.