how to select colleges for nit counselling?

Make a list of probable colleges with branches according to your rank with the help of previous years data of opening and closing ranks, fill as much choices as possible

Fill your either in order of  preferable branch or preferable college, it's on your choice full as much choices as possible

You can select the college on the following criteria:

1) Do some research to find out your area of interest i.e. Engineering Branch
2) Check previous year opening and closing rank for that particular branch in top institutes.
3) If you have location constraint then you can filter out colleges accordingly.

Based on the above parameters, you can start giving preference for few colleges and you can select the top most one in the initial round of counselling.

Let's say. If based on your current rank, someone was getting NIT Allahabad CS last year then I will select NITs better than NIT Allahabad on the top. My 1st preference would be NIT Surathkal CS . 2nd - NIT Trichy CS. 3rd - NIT Warangal CS. 4th - NIT Allahabad CS. 5th - NIT Allahabad CS. 6th - NIT Jaipur CS.

In short, I will keep all the top colleges in the list and will also include 1-2 college below so that I don't miss out in getting a seat in the initial rounds.

Please  let me know if you have some doubts.