JEE Main 2021 topper has no plans to join IIT, aims to be an astrophysicist 

In the JEE Main 2021 results declared on August 6, two girls made it to the list of 17 perfect scorers. Pal Aggarwal is one of them. An avid stargazer, Aggarwal has been fantasised about space since childhood and wishes to be an astronaut. 

For the past two years, Pal has been focused on preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and therefore, stayed away from social media. However, she has no intention of studying in the coveted IITs but is aiming to join IISc Bangalore.

“I want to study astrophysics and IISc Bangalore would be my first choice. I am also aiming for the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram in case my first choice didn’t work out. If none is available, I would then choose to study BSc Astrophysics at IIT Bombay,” the topper quoted her future plans.

Pal was the Uttar Pradesh state topper in the JEE Main 2021 February session with a 99.988 percentile but was unsatisfied with her performance. Hence, she appeared for the April session. 

Talking about her preparation for the JEE Main, Pal said that she took coaching from FIITJEE to prepare for the exam and studied 10-12 hours every day. 

As the pandemic hit, the learning mode switched to online but Pal found it a better way to save time and study at the comfort of home. “During the online classes, our teachers shared blog links, research papers, educational videos which would not have been possible in the offline classes. Hence, it proved to be a better way of learning for me,” the topper explained.

Pal was always inclined towards academics. She remained a topper throughout her academic life. “I knew the paper has gone well but once the answer key was released, I was sure that I will qualify for the next level,” said she. 

For JEE Advanced, her strategy is relying on NCERT books and study materials that her coaching institute will provide. “I appeared for mock test and went through previous years papers. It is only when you keep practicing, you will be confident to attempt this exam,” she said.