Chennai: With the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) 2026 counselling underway, students should look beyond college rankings, infrastructure and placement statistics while selecting engineering institutions and instead evaluate factors that enhance long-term employability and industry readiness, an education expert said on Friday.

Rahul Attuluri, CEO and Co-Founder of NIAT (NxtWave of Innovation in Advanced Technologies), said students and parents should ask seven key questions before finalising a college to make an informed choice.

"As counselling begins for TNEA 2026, students must assess whether an institution is equipped to prepare them for the rapidly evolving technology landscape. If the answer is 'yes' to at least five of the seven questions, they are likely making the right decision," he said.

According to Attuluri, students should first examine whether the institution offers practical, hands-on learning from the first year instead of relying solely on classroom theory and final-year projects.

He said the curriculum should be revised regularly to keep pace with rapid advances in artificial intelligence, software development and emerging technologies, ensuring graduates remain relevant to industry requirements.

Another key consideration is whether students are guaranteed internship opportunities by the end of the second year, allowing them to gain practical industry exposure and improve their employability before graduation.

He also stressed the importance of integrating premium AI tools into everyday learning, saying familiarity with such technologies has become essential as artificial intelligence increasingly shapes business operations and software engineering.

Students should also assess whether the college actively supports entrepreneurship by offering mentorship, incubation facilities, funding opportunities and programmes that encourage them to develop products and launch startups, Attuluri said.

Participation in national and international hackathons is another important indicator of a college's focus on innovation, he said, adding that such competitions expose students to real-world problem-solving, teamwork and opportunities to build industry-ready portfolios.

The final criterion, he said, is whether students regularly interact with engineers and technology professionals from leading global companies through masterclasses and mentoring sessions that provide insights into current industry practices and expectations.

Attuluri said selecting a college based on these parameters would help students make informed academic decisions and better prepare them for careers in emerging technology sectors.

NIAT is a four-year on-campus programme offered in collaboration with more than 30 universities and colleges across the country. The programme focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, Robotics and other emerging technologies through project-based learning aimed at enabling students to build real-world solutions from their first year.