Get Answers on Test Preparation, Admissions & Campus Life
Study Abroad Countries
Which school should I choose for consulting/operation - IIM Indore or Management Development Institute, Gurgaon?
My sister was in a similar situation and could not reach a decision. But in the end, she went for MDI. She does not regret her decision at all as she says MDI is one of the best B Schools in India. Some points that support her opinion are
- MDI is recognized by the Eduniversal rankings as a 5 palms institute. This included other top B Schools like IIM ABC and a few others.
- The MDI faculty is at par with that of any top IIM. The faculty strength is around 80 permanent renowned faculty. The faculty is extremely experienced and well-known in the industry.
- MDI has its own mutual fund which is unique in the whole country. One of the most reputed investors is Sanjay Bakshi.
- Corporate talk series is conducted to host guest lectures led by eminent people like the CEO of Deloitte US.
- The students at MDI enjoy a fun-filled campus life. The ambiance is rather fresh and clean with trees and red bricks.
- The exchange program is also top-notch with partnerships with some of the top universities across the globe.
- The placement opportunities are also much broader and versatile here. Many companies that only visit IIM A B C, visit the campus of MDI as well.
|
Particulars |
MDI |
IIM Indore |
|
Highest CTC |
INR 1.14 CPA |
INR 49 LPA |
|
Average CTC |
INR 26.65 LPA |
INR 25.01 LPA |
|
Major Domains |
Consulting |
Consulting & Finance |
Consulting
MDI has largely improved in the consulting domain over the past few years. The most reputed recruiters of the consulting sector visit the campus and offer the best profiles. Some of them include
- AccentureStrategy
- Aditya Birla Group
- Boston Consulting Group
- Deloitte India
- Deloitte USI
- McKinsey & Company
- PwC US Advisory
- Hinduja Group
- RelianceIndustries Limited
The highest CTC in the consulting domain at MDI stood at INR 38.30 LPA with 171 offers. So if you are ready to give up the IIM tag for a lifetime, then MDI is the best option.
Is it worth joining IIM Calcutta for a person with average/below average profile?
First let's sink in the fact that anyone who gets a call from IIM Calcutta is anything but average or below average. The fact that you got selected is enough to claim that you are not below average.
But if you still consider your profile inferior to others then you need to put in extra efforts within the institution. Honestly even the above average students have to put tremendous effort inside any IIM. Look at the bright side. You, being a below average student, just need to put in more effort than an average student to get at a level equivalent to that of an above average candidate.
So yes, it is worth joining IIM Calcutta with whatever profile you have.
Why should I choose IIMK over IIMI?
My brother was confused about the same. He later decided to go for IIM Kozhikode. Some reasons that helped him take this decision are
- Smaller Batch-size: IIM Kozhikode has a smaller batch size (475 students) in comparison to IIM Indore (572 students). The reason for it being the IPM program merging with the PGP Program. The placements are affected and the larger the batch size the fewer opportunities you will get.
- Lower fees: The fees of IIM Kozhikode are a bit lower ( INR 20,50,000) than IIM Indore (INR 21,14,222). So with almost the same curriculum and opportunities a lower fee is better.
- Location: Kerala is God's own country. You will not regret stepping into the serene campus of IIM Kozhikode. Moreover, you can explore Southern India which is filled with natural beauty.
- New culture: The culture of South India is very different from that of Central and Northern India. So you get to learn new things and traditions.
Apart from these differences, both IIM Kozhikode and IIM Indore are similar with respect to their status, faculty experience, Alumni network, equality and diversity of students, and foreign exchange opportunities.
Is it worth leaving a Rs. 65K per month job to join IMT, Ghaziabad?
Leaving a job with such good pay is a very risky decision and should be considered only if it’s the top B School you are after. These include the top IIMS, XLRI, FMS, SP JAIN, or MDI. Giving up your high-paying job to join IMT Ghaziabad does not make sense. The ROI will not be worth the program considering the two-year opportunity loss of salary and high IMT fees.
Moreover, IMT Ghaziabad placements are quite restricted in the sense that if you are not among the top 100 students in a batch of 600 students, you will end up with an average package only. The companies visiting IMT Ghaziabad offer the MT position usually to freshers and not students with work experience. Considering all this I don’t think leaving your job for an MBA from IMT Ghaziabad is a wise decision.
Which is a better choice, IIM A, IIM B, IIM C, JBIMS, or FMS Delhi, and why?
The choice of B Schools depends on your interests and priorities. The school you choose depends on
- What you want from your MBA degree
- How much you are willing to invest
Some people consider placement statistics for making their decision but personally I find that a bit misleading. One other good way is to talk to the alumni of the schools and make a list of pros and cons. This will help you analyze the worth of each college and thereby make a sound decision.
Every B School has a specialization. You need to identify that and match it with your own goals and aspirations. For example,
IIM Ahmedabad is known for its strategy, IIM Bangalore is known for its marketing, IIM Calcutta is known for its finance, and FMS is known for its high ROI and location (Delhi).
So make a choice that suits your inclinations and don’t adopt the sheep mentality.
Should I join IIM sambalpur or IIM bodh gaya? Or should I try again next year? I got a 93.26 percentile with no preparation.
Anyone who can get 93.26 percentile without any preparation is bound to get 97 or 98 with proper preparation. So why give away the chance easily when you can aim for a better institute? It’s best you prepare for the CAT sincerely this time and target the top B Schools in India.
However, if you are planning to sit for CAT again, you need to be certain about some things. Like you will have to tolerate tremendous pressure and a hectic schedule. You will have a non-existent social life and all your energy will be invested in preparing for CAT. Most importantly you have to remain consistent throughout your preparation. Without consistency, all your efforts will go in vain. You should also make research the colleges you are planning to target next year and study their respective admission criteria.
But if you are not confident enough to sacrifice so much just to risk a year, you can always go for IIM Bodh Gaya or Sambalpur. Both these IIMs are new but will provide the necessary means to start your career. Basically, you need to be sure of what you are expecting from your MBA degree and you will have the answer.
Should IIM Lucknow be chosen over FMS or XLRI just for the IIM tag? It reeks of secrecy (no placement reports, no waiting list numbers provided without RTI) and barring the campus life I haven't heard
I have said this before. No college is better than the other. It’s just a matter of preferences and suitability. Yet you are here comparing some 3 best B Schools in India. Neither of the 3 colleges is lacking in any aspect. So you won’t be making a bad choice by choosing one from FMS, XLRI, or IIM Lucknow.
The most crucial step while choosing a college is checking your priorities and knowing what you want from the college and where you are headed to in the future. Once you are determined in what you are seeking no college can really stop you. So don’t worry about the confidentiality at IIM Lucknow. With the right mindset, you can make the best out of it. I think focusing on the following aspects will help you make a better decision
- Quality of education
- Campus life
- Career goals
- Big companies coming to the campus for placements
- Fees
Once you have set your goals, all the above 3 colleges will help you achieve them. Lastly, don't choose IIM Lucknow for its IIM tag. If you are honest with your goals, the IIM brand value is not more than a mere tag.
The minimum cutoff for the general category is 90, whereas the cutoff for OBC is 82 at IIM Lucknow.
|
Section |
Marks |
|
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (Section 1) |
85 |
|
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (Section 2) |
85 |
|
Quantitative Ability (Section 3) |
85 |
|
Total |
90 |
The final selection of a candidate is based on his position in the merit list. The merit list is prepared by calculating the Grand Total for all the students.
Grand Total = Shortlist Total + GDPI Total
Career Counselling: Has anyone regretted leaving iits for bits pilani?
No one has ever regretted leaving IITs for BITS Pilani as one must have a really good reason for this switch.
One of my friends studied at BITS, and here’s what he experienced.
- First-year: You will get thoughts like why you are not in an IIT. But do not listen or trust anyone who comes up with a thought like that. People will keep on telling you that IITs would have been so much better, but do not believe them.
- Second-year: You might consider giving JEE another shot. But while you focus on preparing for JEE, you will gradually miss your ongoing classes. Your attendance could be hampered.
- Third-year: You would sulk about how you do not have any skills that would be required and consider getting into IIM-C, but then, the cut-off might not make you very happy.
- Fourth-year: You would freak out looking at the IIT placement scenario. Do not worry, it is pretty normal. The feelings might intensify on the day-5 of your IIT placements.
However, by the time you reach the end of your fourth year, you would be absolutely drained to even consider or see how the off-campus jobs work, the IIM/MS admission scenario, and even the PPOs approaching.
Can I prefer SPJIMR over IIM IKL?
Yes, one can definitely choose SPJIMR over the three IIMs IKL. To answer the why part, I have individually compared each IIM to SPJIMR and justified why SPJIMR is a better choice in all the 3 cases.
IIM Indore
SPJIMR over IIM Indore is a choice as everyone is aware of the huge batch size at IIM Indore which becomes a major obstacle during placements. Moreover, it gives a lot of weightage to past academics so it’s not a good option for those who fared average during 10 and 12 but are now ready to face challenges.
IIM Kozhikode
The only aspect in which Kozhikode has an upper hand when compared to SPJIMR is the campus beauty and I am sure this is not the most important criterion for judging a college at all. SPJIMR offers a more innovative and structured curriculum, a smaller batch size combined with the chance to live in the city of Dreams. The only aspect that it lacks in comparison to Kozhikode is the fact that you have to choose your specialization during admission itself whereas Kozhikode gives you a year's time to do so. Then again if you are certain of your specialization, nothing is better than SPJIMR.
IIM Lucknow
Honestly speaking many might consider IIM Lucknow a tad bit better than SPJIMR and rightly so. When it comes to consulting and Finance, IIM Lucknow is a better option. It also attracts the best profile and not the kind accepted at SPJIMR. Additionally, the batch comprises IITians majorly who are there for the tag. These geniuses create tough competition which is lacking in the case of SPJIMR. This turns out to be a benefit for SPJIMR as students who are not at the top are able to get good roles at top consulting firms. So in terms of Finance, Consulting, and IIM tag, IIM Lucknow seems to be better but is similar to SPJIMR in all other aspects.
Is the MDI Murshidabad worth joining keeping in mind the brand tag of MDI Gurgaon and is the highest package mentioned in report inflated? Can we trust their reports?
This answer is based on the experience of a friend who completed her MBA from MDI Murshidabad. The points of comparison between MDI Gurgaon and MDI Murshidabad are mentioned below
- The curriculum is almost similar to the pedagogy adopted is also very similar
- Most of the faculty is from MDI Gurgaon, IIM Calcutta, IIM Shillong, and other prominent B Schools
- The infrastructure and facilities are decent enough to meet the requirements of a B School.
- The institute provides a decent digital base that has major databases that helps in conducting basic research related to industry and academics. Yet this library is not as fast as MDI Gurgaon.
- Comparing the placements is not justifiable as the duration of establishment is highly varied. But a general view ensures that MDI Murshidabad is going as per the trends in the industry.
- Many national and international companies approached MDI Murshidabad students with decent job offers.
Be it a B School of the MDI family or the IIM family, it’s your efforts that enable you to get successful. Being serious about learning and having the desire to do better helps develop a better business sense which is in dearth these days.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWS LETTER
