You have a high chance of receiving a call from IIM-L and C but negligible chances of receiving a call from the old IIMs, namely A, B, K, and I, given that you are a general engineering male with the academic scores and a 99.78 percentile in the CAT exam.
You should focus on the high chance of converting FMS Delhi, given your strong academic record and impressive CAT percentile.
Factors such as gender and academic background can also play a role in the admission process and the likelihood of receiving a call from certain institutions.
Firstly the question is pretty vague as you haven’t mentioned the parameters for comparison between IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, and FMS Delhi. Yet I have included some factual comparisons between the three.
FMS is the oldest as it was established in 1954, IIM Calcutta in 1961, and IIM Lucknow in 1984.
FMS and IIM Calcutta offer only one MBA program (2 years) whereas IIM Lucknow offers 3 PGP, PGP-ABM, and PGP-SM.
The order for the batch size of the three colleges is IIML>IIMC>FMS Delhi.
Both the IIMs i.e. IIM Calcutta and IIM Lucknow are autonomous institutions where FMS Delhi is a department of the University of Delhi.
Fees for IIM Calcutta: INR 2700000, IIM Lucknow: INR 19.25 Lakhs, FMS Delhi: 1.92 Lakhs
The specialty of IIM Calcutta is finance, FMS Delhi is Marketing and IIM Lucknow is operations.
All this comparison is based on actual facts and not my personal opinion.
Yes, FMS and XLRI have campus placements like any other B-Schools in the country. XLRI placements are excellent, especially for HR. FMS placements are great as well. It offers a good return on investment. Here are the recent placement highlights for the institutes.
| Institute | XLRI | FMS |
| Average CTC | INR 30.73 LPA | INR 32.4 LPA |
| Highest CTC | INR 60 LPA | INR 58 LPA |
| Major recruiters | Americal Express, Swiggy, DE Shaw, Mastercard | BYJU’s, Accenture, Capgemini, EY |
Recruiters from every sector visit the campus drive of XLRI and FMS.
Choosing a B-school can be a tricky decision especially when it comes to ROI. I understand that ROI is one of the most important factors when it comes to MBA courses since funding your education with loans come with its own set of challenges. But the institutes that you have mentioned above certainly surpass the challenges since they belong to the tier 1 category.
You might come across articles and blogs stating that FMS or JBIMS do not provide a typical MBA environment but for me, that discussion does not even make sense. What is an MBA environment after all? You spent 2 years of your life at the campus and wish to land a good job. FMS, JBIMS, and IIT Bombay all three have good market reputations, they home the best candidates and charge minimal fees. So, if ROI is even a little bit of a concern for you, go for these colleges without any second thought or regret.
FMS Delhi is one of the most prestigious MBA colleges in the country, so a good pool of companies visits the campus.
To a small extent the gap matters, but it does not affect much while shortlisting the students for interview. It also depends on what you did in those 2 years and how can you justify the same to the interviewers.
Also, different companies have different shortlist criteria so the gap won’t affect the final placements much.
The competitive admissions process is based on a number of variables, including your academic record, job history, entrance exam results, and performance during the selection process.
You can take the following actions to improve your chances of enrolling in FMS Delhi, though:
Keep in mind that admission to FMS Delhi is difficult, so it's important to concentrate on every step of the application process and make an effort to position oneself as a well-rounded candidate.
CW-1 - Widows/Wards of Defence Personnel killed in action
CW-2 - Wards of serving personnel and ex-servicemen disabled in action
CW-3 - Widows/Wards of Defence Personnel who died in peacetime with death attributable to military service
CW-4 - Wards of Defence Personnel disabled in peacetime with disability attributable to military service
CW-5 - Wards of Ex-Servicemen and Serving Personnel including Police Personnel who are in receipt of Gallantry Awards
The CW seats also depend on your CAT percentile. Although the CW level is important, your academic profile and CAT percentile also matter. So you should target the highest possible percentile to improve your chances of admission.
Yes FMS does accept students with low academic grades. It is one of the few institutes which give low weightage to past academic records. The following is the weightage of various components for admission to FMS:
|
Parameters |
%weightage |
|
CAT Score |
50% |
|
Marks obtained in Class X |
10% (60% and above but less than 75%: 5%, 75% and above: 10%) |
|
Marks obtained in Class XII |
10% (60% and above but less than 75%: 5%, 75% and above 10%) |
|
Discussion on Statement of Purpose |
10% |
|
Extempore |
5% |
|
Personal Interview |
15% |
Alumni who view FMS Delhi as the most overrated B-school in India have a limited perspective on the value of an MBA program. Some people view an MBA degree solely as a means to get a high-paying job, and thus prioritize finding a program with a high return on investment (ROI). But this calculation is not entirely accurate, because an MBA education provides benefits that extend beyond the initial job placement. The skills, knowledge, and experiences gained from an MBA program can shape your career trajectory for decades to come, such as in IIM-A where the campus life and activities play a significant role in shaping your growth and development. The relationships built during MBA programs can be invaluable to your career and personal life.
While you may have a higher student loan after attending a program like IIM-A or FMS Delhi, the long-term ROI can be higher thanks to the comprehensive education and formative experiences provided by the program.
Firstly, you should focus on getting a very good score on the entrance exam as it is something that demonstrates your innate intelligence, which is a good indicator of your potential to succeed in the program.
Secondly, you should focus on scoring well in the GD/Essay portion of the admission process. This demonstrates your intellectual capacity and knowledge, which can also be important qualities for success in an MBA.
Thirdly, you should focus on other points in your engineering experience that showcase your interests and abilities such as hobbies, sports, books, or other extracurricular activities that you are passionate about. Discussing these during the interview can help to showcase your personality and unique qualities.
Lastly, you should be very clear on why they want to pursue an MBA and why they want to attend that specific college. This demonstrates your clarity of thought and future career aspirations, which can be appreciated by the admission committee and compensates for the low CGPA.