Experience as a student of the 10th PGPM batch

Among the new IIMs, IIM Trichy is the most preferred due to its skilled faculty & pedagogy, state-of-the-art infrastructure, placements and NIRF ranking. Naturally, this was my first choice. The process starts with the CAT exam which is usually conducted in the last week of November. The shortlists are announced well ahead in January. Candidates eligible for CAP (Common Admission Process) will go through two rounds: WAT (Writing Ability Test) and PI (Personal Interview). The final rounds are announced in June and some may be put on the temporary waitlist. I referred to the placements reports before deciding on the college. Also, it is better to choose a college based on the placement roles offered and the domain of one's interest.

The 2-year flagship program, Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM) was my preferred choice as the courses offered to cover various disciplines quintessential for business and administration. In the second year, the student can choose electives based on their domain of interest. Almost all courses are case-based and I found it really beneficial as it helps in the practical application of concepts. Further, simulation software, group projects, access to HBS articles & cases are additional benefits. When it comes to exams, quizzes (both surprise and announced), midterm and end-term exams are conducted in a term. A term lasts for approximately 3 months. The questions asked range from easy to difficult and are mostly conceptual. Paying attention to classes and doing pre-reads regularly can help in scoring well.

Yes, the college offers internship opportunities in top companies. However, this year both the interviews and internships were online due to pandemic. Around 70 companies visit the college for the SIPs with an average stipend of 80,000 and a maximum of 2 lakhs.

The college offers great placements in various domains like finance, operations and analytics, marketing, consulting. Regular recruiters include Deloitte, L&T, Saint Gobain, RBS, Godrej, Avalon. Most students have an engineering background followed by commerce and others. The highest CTC offered is 25 lakhs and the average is 15 lakhs.

Having enrolled for the Post Graduate Programme in the year 2020 during the global pandemic, classes were online. Due to this reason, the fee structure was waived, mess and hostel fees were cut down. Rs. 3,00,000 per term and Rs.18,00,000 for the entire course.

Disclaimer: All my experiences are confined to the online mode due to the global pandemic. There are various clubs and committees that conduct contests and events throughout the year. Dhruva is the flagship annual cultural fest. The college has clubs dedicated to specific domains. As a part of these, guest lectures are conducted by eminent speakers. The Learning Resource Centre is a hub for book lovers. The resources available on the online portal are equally good with access to emerald insight, capitaline, financial outlook, oxford publications and so on. Aspirants can follow the clubs on social media platforms to get an idea of what happens in the campus.

CAP comprises two rounds: WAT and PI. Anything from political news to abstract topics can be asked. Reading newspapers and business magazines can help. One should also be careful about the structure, grammar and punctuation while writing. For PI, questions like telling me about yourself, Why MBA? about workex/gap-year are frequently asked. The aspirant may also be asked quantitative/logical reasoning questions. I referred to the WAT-PI kit provided by the college for aspirants. It is also useful to learn basics in marketing, operations and finance.