IIM C: The best MBA experience India has to offer

The MBA course at IIM Calcutta offers subjects across academic disciplines. They structure it in a way that is relevant to business & management but it retains the core domain knowledge. The faculty is qualified and well-equipped for the class and most classes revolve around a case-based discussion. The faculty-to-student ratio is decent and you get to choose from a wide variety of courses spanning multiple domains in your second year. Second-year classes tend to be in the 40-60 students per class range. The first year is comprised of compulsory courses wherein you're divided into classes of 80. Individual attention can be hard to provide for a class this size but the faculty are always open to your doubts and discussions and all you need to do is reach out via mail or in class to set up a separate meeting. The timeline for term exams and assignments/quizzes is always declared at the beginning of the course. Passing them is not hard at all as long as you adhere to deadlines.

All top companies from all sectors come for internships. Average stipends hover around the 1.4L mark. Projects given during the period are industry specific and ensure a learning experience for all students.

Everyone gets placed. All top consulting firms recruit in heavy numbers (MBBK, A&M, Accenture, ADL, Big 4, Boutique firms, etc.). Finance offers a wide variety of jobs and firms with the best firms like BoFa and JPMC also recruiting at obscenely high salaries. Top PEVC firms like A91 also come for recruitment. Marketing and Product Management also have all the top companies present (HUL, P&G, Reckitt, Loreal, Nestle, Dabur, Microsoft, Atlassian, Media.net, etc.). General Management also sees top firms like TAS, ABG, Mahindra, Bajaj Finserv, etc. appear. Placement opportunities are aplenty and the salaries offered are the highest in India. (Avg. package 34L+).

For my batch, the fees were 23L for the program with hostel and mess charges separate. All in all, we spent anywhere in the range of 25-27L for the course. The cost is high and many students had to take a loan to meet their needs. However, this loan is usually disposed of easily given that the placements here are the best in the country. I did not avail of any financial assistance or scholarship but options for the same are present and are availed by quite a few students. My summer internship was at MX Player where my stipend was 1.5L a month for 2 months.

Annual fest are there like 7 Lakes Fest, Annual sports fests is also there named Sangharsh (IIM ABCL), C-XL. From what I've heard from my peers, the library is well-equipped in terms of books & journals. The classrooms are extremely comfortable and equipped with all the amenities one can possibly need. IIM C has a vibrant sporting culture with most of the batch participating in at least 1-2 sports. One sees most of the sports facilities being used every evening. The college also offers a wide variety of clubs run wholly by students.

The hostel facilities are outdated and lack air conditioning. This is a serious problem in Calcutta weather as it gets extremely hot and humid. On top of that, the administration doesn't allow you to bring in portable ACs (BlueStar, Croma). So you'll have to sneak it in: either by putting it in the boot of your taxi and sneaking it past the guards or by carrying iot over the short wall behind the Annexe hostel. Do it at night. The meal is not great but it's edible. They do give veg and nonveg options so you'll have a variety. The mess and hostel aren't that expensive and the night messes and other outlets give decent food.

The admission process takes into account your CAT score, past academic scores, gender, academic diversity, and work experience. The application for it is through the CAT portal and if you are deemed eligible for an interview round, you're sent forms by colleges that have shortlisted you. The admissions process can be improved by expediting this entire process as candidates have to wait for months before they get their shortlist and results.

I only faced an interview and there were no other rounds then. It involved an exploration of my past in terms of academics and the reason behind choosing an MBA. Apart from this, the interview also involved some recent current affairs and my long-term goals. My preparation involved creating write-ups on my main choices and decisions in life as well as on commonly asked questions.