Apply First, Know Your Result Later

Earlier, the standard practice was that students used to write the CAT exam, wait for their results, evaluate their percentile, and then select the institutes where they wanted to apply. From the student’s perspective, this method was financially sound and less stressful.

But now things have changed; students are required to apply weeks before the results are announced. The issue is that a B-School application costs anywhere between Rs.1,500 and Rs.3,500 per application. With students applying for multiple colleges on average and adding the 18 per cent GST on every application, this amount adds up to a large sum. A wrong judgment can easily cost the student a small financial loss.

The Hidden Issue

This problem is not only financial but also psychological. In the current scenario, candidates are required to guess their percentile, apply to more colleges due to uncertainty. A candidate might apply for colleges that he or she might not even qualify for. This can lead to constant anxiety and uncertainty.

Nothing in this method helps the student to make a calculated decision; the burden of the risk has been put onto the student entirely.

Where the System Breaks Down

Outsourcing the applications to a third party might be favourable and convenient for the B-Schools, but this system is deeply flawed when it comes to students. The following points help us to understand the issue better.

Imposed Financial Gamble

Students are asked to pay for the applications before even knowing whether they are qualified. This can be a significant financial burden for students from middle-class and rural families as multiple application fees for multiple B-Schools represent a serious financial decision.

Timing Replaces Merit.

Candidates who perform well in the CAT examination but apply late miss the chance. On the other hand, candidates with a weak profile who apply early enter the selection pool. In such cases, merit-based admission hardly matters. The possibility of a mediocre cohort also increases.

Emotional Stress and Burnout

Preparation for CAT is mentally exhausting, and adding the pressure of B-School application, it becomes quite an intense experience emotionally and mentally for the student. Fear of failure amplified by the deadlines can lead to anxiety attacks, sleep disruption, and other issues. This is a perfect example of Pay First, Hope Later.

The entire admission process is more like a gamble rather than an academic journey. Students are forced to bet on themselves, without any certainty or data to help them make a decision.

The current system leads to application inflation and the student applies everywhere, not because he or she wants to but because they have to.

What to do as a student?

It is a flawed system, till the time there are changes, students have to be smart about how and where they apply.

Strategic Application: Students should apply for B-Schools strategically and not emotionally. They should apply, keeping in mind past cut-offs and their own mock-test scores.

Categorise the B-Schools: Before applying, students should divide their preferences into three categories: Reach B-Schools, where chances are low but not impossible, Safe B-Schools and Balanced B-Schools.

Application Budget: To ensure that you do not go overboard with your B-School applications, make sure you have an application budget that is based on how much you can afford.

The Larger Question

Education should be about gaining knowledge and nothing else, but if fairness and clarity are replaced by uncertainty and fear, it starts to resemble something that it should not be: a business.

The system of closing applications before the CAT results do more harm than good to the student community in large. It leads to increased anxiety, possible financial burden, merit takes a backseat, and students bear the load and no one else.

Until this system changes, candidates must move carefully, plan wisely, and take care of their finances and mental health.