Objection 1: 'Design is not a stable career'
Many parents associate the word design with boutique dressmakers or sketching logos. You must frame it as Creative Technology (UI/UX).
The Counter-Argument:
Every app, software, banking portal, and website requires digital designers to function. It is a core tech job. Frame it as software engineering for the user interface. UI/UX design is one of the highest-paying and fastest-growing segments in the Indian IT sector.
Objection 2: 'Why not B.Tech instead?'
In India, the IIT brand is highly prestigious. Parents feel B.Tech is the only real degree offered by IITs.
| Metric | IIT B.Des (Design) | Average B.Tech (Mid-Tier) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Salary Range | ₹10L - ₹18L per annum | ₹6L - ₹10L per annum |
| Brand Value | Identical IIT Graduate Tag | State/Private college tag |
| Major Recruiters | Google, Microsoft, Samsung, Adobe | TCS, Infosys, Cognizant |
Objection 3: 'Is B.Des a real degree?'
Providing Institutional Security
Show your parents the official IIT placements portals. Highlight that B.Des students share the same hostel rooms, same placement office, and same alumni network as B.Tech computer science students.
If they qualify for fee concessions based on family income, the same rules apply. Pursuing a B.Des at an IIT is a safe, high-paying, and prestigious career choice that offers immediate entry into top tech firms.
On the it's too expensive objection: SC/ST/PwD students get full tuition waiver — the four-year program at IIT Bombay costs roughly ₹82,500 total rather than the full ₹8.83 lakhs. For families with annual income under ₹5 lakh, the MCM scholarship covers full tuition regardless of category. See the Scholarships page on this site for the complete breakdown.
When the counsellor argues your side
My parents were very against UCEED from the start. I even went to join Allen. The counsellor there actually ended up convincing them. I even tried to say no, that I'd be fine doing engineering — but they were set on UCEED after whatever the counsellor said.
The pushback on UCEED doesn't always come from parents being closed-minded. Sometimes it comes from genuine uncertainty — about stability, about prestige, about whether design is a real career. That uncertainty is reasonable.
What's interesting is that even traditional coaching institute counsellors — who have every financial incentive to push engineering preparation — sometimes see the value in design for the right student.
The implication: if your parents trust a specific authority figure — a family friend in a relevant field, a counsellor, a senior whose opinion they respect — that endorsement may carry more weight than your own argument. Find that person and have the conversation with them first.