NID/NIFT vs Engineering: How do I convince my parents about design?

NID grad here, batch of 2019. I get your parents' worry—it's very common. But here's the truth: top design institutes have comparable or better placement rates than many NITs, and the starting salaries are now quite competitive (₹8-15 LPA depending on specialization). The key difference is that design careers are more diverse—you could go into UX at startups, fashion, furniture, auto design, or even start your own venture. Show your parents the placement reports from NID and NIFT official websites, and maybe talk to some alumni directly. It helped when I showed my parents real numbers rather than vague fears.

I counsel a lot of students on this exact crossroads. My honest take: if you're borderline on JEE (say, expecting 85-90 percentile), design is absolutely worth pursuing because engineering at a tier-2 college isn't always the 'secure' bet parents think it is. However, if you're JEE-2024-level prepared, engineering at a top NIT gives you more flexibility to pivot later. Also, design has exploded in India—MAAC, Grey Cells, and even smaller studios hire aggressively. One thing: don't frame it as 'design OR engineering.' Many students do BTech in mechanical + a design specialization, giving them both paths. Explore that middle ground with your folks.

OP here (reply mode): This really helps, thank you so much. I'm actually pretty decent at JEE prep (getting around 92-93 percentile in mocks), so the consultant's point about flexibility makes sense. I think I'll sit for JEE as a safety, but put my heart into NID applications. My dad just wants to see that I have a plan B, which is fair. Thanks for the reality check, everyone!