Choosing a College or Career in India Shouldn’t Feel Like a Maze

Branding. Cutoffs. Hidden quotas. Unrealistic expectations.

In this episode, we sit down with Pooja Gupta — career coach, media mentor, and one of India’s most trusted voices for students — to decode the REALITY of Indian education.

From media to commerce, journalism to film, and studying abroad to college branding, this is a brutally honest guide for anyone making career decisions in 2025.

🎯 What we cover in this episode:

• Why niche-focused career coaching matters more than ever
• The truth about media careers: journalism, advertising, film & PR
• Mumbai vs Delhi for media and commerce education
• Why students fall for college brands — and how to avoid that trap
• Minority quotas & cutoffs in Mumbai colleges
• Media literacy: why every schoolchild needs it today
• Studying abroad — dream or financial disaster?
• Why skills and personal branding beat degrees in media careers
• The infrastructure myth: why most Mumbai colleges aren’t what you expect
• Blind ranking of India’s top media colleges (XIC, ACJ, IMC, SIMC & more)

🔥 Key Insight:

College names may open doors —

but your skills, clarity, and consistency decide where you actually go.

👇 Comment below:

Which matters more today — college brand or personal skillset?

If you’re confused between courses or colleges, this episode could save you from making the wrong decision.

⏱️ Episode Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro Teaser: Mumbai media reality, college fees & campus myths

01:02 – Introduction: Pooja Gupta (Media Mentor) & Twisted Truths

01:30 – Channel Growth: Why she started Media Mentor & niche focus

03:20 – Best Media Colleges (National): FTII, Xavier’s, IIMC, Whistling Woods

05:52 – Advertising & PR Colleges: XIC (Advertising), SCORE (PR)

06:53 – Mumbai vs Delhi vs Bangalore: Best city for each media career

08:24 – Best Commerce Colleges in Mumbai: Mithibai, NM College, HSNC

10:17 – Delhi University vs Mumbai University

11:51 – Self-Financed Courses: BMS, BAF, BBI

14:15 – Education Reform: Why media literacy must start in schools

16:24 – Content Creation Degrees: Should it be a separate degree?

19:49 – Entrance Exams: Why MCQ testing fails creative fields

23:13 – Overrated Colleges: Ashoka, NMIMS, Christ University

26:08 – Brand Obsession: Choosing names over courses

28:09 – Management Quota: Is paying extra worth it?

29:04 – Minority Quotas: Catholic & Gujarati quotas in Mumbai

31:12 – Studying Abroad: ROI issues & the “K-Pop” influence

33:14 – Biggest College Myth: “My life is set if I get in”

34:00 – New Universities: Atlas SkillTech, Rishihood, Vijaybhoomi

36:15 – No Campus Reality: The truth about Mumbai college infrastructure

40:32 – Are Media Degrees Irrelevant? Skills vs degrees

41:59 – Masters/PG: When it helps — and when it doesn’t

44:19 – Attendance Rules vs lecture quality

45:52 – Blind Ranking: IIMC, XIC, ACJ, Jamia & more

🎥 Credits:

• Produced by: Lal Bhatia
• Guest: Pooja Gupta
• Host & Creative Director: Joydeep Sen
• Content Strategist: Harshit Pandey
• Script & Research: Trisha Deyashi
• Production Head: Darakshah Sohail
• Audio & Video Editing: Rajesh Kr. Samanta
• Supporting Video Editing: Rashida Mondal
• Poster & Thumbnail Design: Bidyut Singha Roy & Kamalika Biswas

🔔 Subscribe for real conversations about:

Education • Media Careers • College Reality • Skills vs Degrees • Career Clarity