Despite the recent shooting at Virginia Tech which claimed the lives of 33 people, four city engineers are determined to enroll for post- graduate studies in the institute this August.

Their hearts may have skipped a beat as they heard the news of the cold-blooded massacre, but not for a moment did any of them feel the need to rethink their decision.

“Why would someone alter his plans because of such an incident?” asks Vikrant Joshi, Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from Pune University who is all set to pursue MTech at Virginia. “My parents were concerned and I can understand that. But I am glad they understood how rare this opportunity and gave me the go-ahead.”

Ashwin Zalte has been receiving panic calls from concerned friends and relatives, but says, “Something similar happened at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore some time back. Has that deterred anyone from going there?”

The only ramifications of the incident is that these students are promising their families that they will be more cautious and aware. “But considering the credibility of this university, it will not be fair to hold back plans that will make our lives. Getting the best of teachers and the best of opportunities is not an everyday thing,” says Zalte about the university located 200 km from Washington DC and housing around 26,000 students from all corners of the globe.

Nikhil Bam, another graduate from Modern College of Engineering cleared, his GRE with a creditable score, bagging a seat at the prestigious university. “The attack has unnerved my family and friends. But all said and done this is a freak incident. This university is too good to hold me back for a reason like this,” he affirms. Bam will be pursuing masters in Science and Industrial engineering in Virginia Tech.

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