SCMS - genius ambition, complicated execution

I chose this course to explore deeper into the world of business. During the course, I discovered my love for marketing and chose that specialization. Course consisted of 6 semesters, with 23/26 credits in each semester adding to a total of 150 credits. College offered 6 specializations: Finance, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Environment, HR and international business. One could get a general BBA, single or dual specializations. Lack in number of faculty, resulting in guest faculty taking entire semesters. Some faculty members had already worked in the industry, making them amazing sources of in. Each faculty member handled a class of 30-40 students for a subject. Teaching methods were good on paper but execution was hampered due to the lack of spirit of the class. Course completion was on time and notes were provided but true knowledge became a personal responsibility, not the college's. Term exams were comically easy to pass, presenting a lack of challenge throughout the course

Internship Cell came forward with several lucrative internship opportunities, the most popular one being Zomato. Roles offered were social media managers, marketing analysts, content creators and content writers, finance analysts and hr interns. Stipend ranged from 1k to 10k, mostly within the range of 2k - 5k. As part of the corporate internship component of the fifth semester, we could submit internships done on our own or those offered by the college under the corporate internship program. The fourth semester also required 120 hours of compulsory community service for which the college teamed up with ExploreiT for a period of 6 months and we contributed to the environment in various ways. Exchange programs allowed worthy (and rich) students to study at various European colleges for a semester abroad.

Sixth semester students are eligible for placement. Top companies visiting were kpmg, pwc, deloitte, ey, deltax, iquanti, zomato, accenture, intellipaat, barclays, fuld and company etc. Lowest package was around 3LPA (not sure) and highest was around 8.8LPA. Most companied ranged between 4 and 6LPA. Profiles offeres were financial analysts, relationship manager, marketing manager, general management trainee, hr personnel, social media manager. 98% students got placements.

Fees structure is 10 Lakhs for a period of three years, with 2 installments in each year. Economically weaker students were offered scholarship opportunities DURING the course. Official hostels of the college cost more than 2 Lakhs per year, but a lot of better cost-efficient options are available in and around the area. While a large majority of the students applying for placements do get placed, satisfaction with the pay and role is another story. SCMS placements reach the same average salary as any other premier BBA institution in the country. Median salary is 5 LPA, with only five or six companies exceeding 7LPA. There is minimal placement training, which can be improved by organizing rigourous training sessions for hopeful candidates. Placement assistance during the process of placement is moderately good.

The annual fest is Sympulse which is one of the biggest college fests in Pune and consists of a plethora of cultural, business and sports events. In 2021 and 2022 however, it was organized at a much dampened scale. The annual business fest is Conoscenza, with several business competitions in startup pitching, mock stockmarket, marketing, hr and finance contests and quizzes and so on. There is another fest called IntraSympulse held among all the Symbiosis colleges. Library is huge and comfortable, filled with both textbooks as well as novels, newspapers and magazines. It is the best place on the campus. Classrooms are spacious and well-ventilated. The campus is exceptionally clean and colourful. There are many cultural and business clubs which organize fun and insightful events but entry into these clubs is marred by student politics. However, once in, it is a heaven for socialization and cultural development.

Most rooms are spacious and well-ventilated but not air-conditioned. There are double rooms and some triple occupancy rooms. Each room includes two singled beds with mattresses and pillows, two shelves with three spaces each, two large cupboards, two desks with drawers, one large window, sink and bathroom. Hostels are wifi-enabled which works fairly well, warm meals are served four times a day and cleaning staff sweeps, mops and washes every room every single day except Sunday. The quality of meal is great but it is predominantly vegetarian, with chicken and egg on three days of the week at dinner only. There are many other cost-effective options (flats/student hostels) more affordable than college hostel. Hostel is 1km away from the college and offers shuttle bus facility for commute. Registration is simple and all steps are through email. Be sure to check whether they're alloting a regular room and not a smaller corner room. Hostel has a pantry with iron, telephone and microwave

Admission is through a national level entrance examination called SET (Symbiosis Entrance Test). It was conducted in online-proctored mode due to COVID in 2020. It tests candidates on 4 subjects - Mathematics, General Knowledge, Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning. The marks for this entrance is 75, followed by a shortlist for the WAT and PI. Qualifying all three rounds ensures admission. Eligibility is passing Class 10+2 with a minimum of 50% marks for general candidates and a minimum of 45% marks for reserved category candidate from any recognized board. Application form can be found on the official website of SET - www.set-test.org Application fees is ?1750. The entrance test is in MCQ and is easy to moderate. WAT (Written Ability Test) Round is also computer-based and requires candidates to write about a topic in 30 min. Interview is of a mix of Qs about personal life, career goals, current affairs, opinion based, and your background (city, school, achievements etc)

For admission, I faced Written Test and a Personal Interview. Written Ability Test involved writing an essay in 30 minutes on the given topic. My topic was on the pros and cons of online education. Topic is provided on the spot and not prior to the test. Interview is conducted by a panel of faculty from SCMS and lasts for around 15-25 minutes. Here are some of the common questions: 1. Introduce yourself 2. Strengths and weaknesses 3. Why BBA 4. Why SCMS 5. Reasons for shifting from Science to BBA (my personal situation) 6. Money vs power which is better 7. What is your city (Cuttack) known for? 8. Hobbies and questions about the them 9. Achievements and questions about them 10. Asked to show certificate pdfs of the achievements I spoke about I prepared for interviews from the internet. I googled most asked interview questions and crafted perfect responses for them and wrote them down on a paper and revised them a few times as it was the first ever interview of my life.