Which Rank Is Best for NEET? Target Ranges, Cutoffs, and Strategies
Learn which NEET rank gets you into top medical colleges, how to set a realistic target, and actionable strategies to improve your rank for 2025 counselling.
NEET Counselling: How It Works, When It Starts, and What You Need to Know
When you take NEET counselling, the official process that allocates medical and dental seats across India based on your NEET score. It's not just a form you fill out—it's the gate to getting into AIIMS, JIPMER, or any government medical college. Also known as NEET seat allocation, this is where your hard work turns into a seat in a hospital, not just a score on a screen.
NEET counselling doesn’t happen right after the exam. It starts weeks later, once results are out and the National Medical Commission (NMC) releases the merit list. You’ll need your NEET admit card, scorecard, ID proof, caste certificate (if applicable), and migration certificate if you’re from another state. Missing one document can delay or even cancel your seat. The process is run in rounds—first for All India Quota seats, then state-level counselling. Each round lets you lock in choices, and if you don’t get your first pick, you might still move up in later rounds. Many students think counselling is just picking colleges, but it’s really about strategy: knowing which colleges have open seats, understanding cutoff trends from last year, and deciding if you’ll take a lower-ranked college now or try again next year.
State counselling is just as important as the All India round. If you’re from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, or Tamil Nadu, your state’s counselling portal controls most of your options. Some states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have hundreds of seats available, while others have tighter competition. You can’t apply to both AIQ and state counselling at the same time unless you’re willing to forfeit one if you get both. And yes, there’s a fee—usually between ₹1,000 and ₹5,000 depending on your category and state. If you’re confused, you’re not alone. Thousands of students miss deadlines because they assume the college will email them. They won’t. You have to check the NMC and state counselling websites daily during the window.
There’s also a twist: mop-up rounds. If seats are still open after the main rounds, they’re offered again. That’s where some students land in colleges they didn’t even consider. But don’t wait too long—once you accept a seat, you can’t go back to earlier choices. And if you don’t report to the college after getting a seat, you lose it forever. This isn’t a game. It’s your future.
What you’ll find below are real stories and guides from students who’ve been through it. From how to fill choices without panic, to which states give the best shot at a government seat, to what happens if you’re waitlisted. No fluff. Just what you need to make the right call when it matters most.