He missed IITs after 3 JEE attempts and BITS Pilani by 0.5%: 30 years later, man shares a lesson

After completing school, many students want to enrol in their dream university or college. But the enrolment depends on the scores achieved, the cut offs and other aspects. But Gauravl Kheterpal's journey offers a different perspective on setbacks, determination and timing. The founder and CEO of a Jaipur-based company recently revisited a disappointment from his teenage years after life brought him back to BITS Pilani decades later. What began with three unsuccessful JEE attempts and a near miss at BITS eventually became a story of returning to the institution and receiving one of its awards.

Three JEE attempts did not get him into IITs

Kheterpal took to X to share the journey behind what he described as a full-circle moment. He began with a simple message: “Never say never.” Looking back at his academic journey, he revealed that he appeared for the JEE three times between 1995 and 1997 but “did not make it to the IITs”. His disappointment did not end there.

Kheterpal said he missed the BITS Pilani cutoff by “less than 0.5%”. He subsequently joined a Tier-3 college, but instead of allowing that setback to define his path, he focused on improving his academic standing. He wrote that he “studied hard” and eventually topped a lateral entrance examination, which allowed him to migrate to a Tier-2 college.

Missing BITS Pilani hurt more than missing IITs

While not getting into the IITs was undoubtedly a setback, Kheterpal said it was his narrow miss at BITS Pilani that stayed with him for years. “More than IITs, the fact that I missed BITS Pilani by a whisker hurt me all those years,” he wrote. The institution was one he admired deeply, making the rejection particularly difficult. Kheterpal recalled being so dejected that he would “shut my ears when anyone mentioned the name”. But his connection with BITS Pilani did not end with that missed cutoff.

He returned to BITS Pilani years later

In an unexpected turn, Kheterpal eventually found himself back at the same institution he had once been unable to enter as an undergraduate. “As fate would have it,” he wrote, he returned to BITS Pilani to pursue his Masters in 2002-2003. Years later, another unexpected chapter unfolded.

Kheterpal revealed that just a few days ago, BITS Pilani honoured him with a Startup Excellence Award for his and his team’s work. The award was presented during an alumni event in Jaipur, turning an old academic disappointment into a moment of recognition from the institution he had once desperately wanted to join.

‘Life came full circle’ at 48

For Kheterpal, the significance of the award went beyond the recognition itself. It represented how dramatically circumstances can change over the course of a career. Reflecting on the journey, he wrote, “Sometimes life doesn't give you what you want at 18, so it can give you the grit to earn its respect at 48.” His post ended with another reminder drawn from his own experience: “Keep walking.” He added that one day, a person may not simply walk through the halls they once dreamed of entering, but may return to “hold their trophy.”

Internet reacts

Kheterpal’s story also prompted several users to reflect on the pressure surrounding prestigious engineering colleges in India. One user said there should not be an “extreme obsession” with a specific engineering college, pointing out that many institutions can offer a good education, while the internet now provides access to lectures from Ivy League universities and other quality learning material. The user concluded that “hard work always pays”.

Another user argued that schools and colleges should be seen as part of a person’s “growing up journey” rather than the final destination, calling the obsession with institutional status a major problem.

One commenter said Kheterpal’s journey showed that “life doesn't deny your dreams”, but can prepare people to meet them at the right time. Reflecting on the three-decade gap, the user called it a “dream deferred” at 18 and a “triumph defined” at 48. Another user pointed out how challenging the 1995-97 period must have been, particularly when coaching options were not as widespread as they are today. The user also noted that attempting JEE three times itself reflected “some self belief”, which they felt was visible in Kheterpal’s journey today.