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How to Select the Right B-School: Selecting the right MBA program is one of the major decisions of a B-school aspirant’s life. With new management institutes coming up every other week, who doesn't need guidance? But how do you select the right B-school? If you are aspiring to take MBA admission based on good CAT percentile, choosing a B-school is not quite tough. Scoring the 95-99 percentile in the CAT exam will help MBA aspirants to get MBA admission at top management colleges like IIMs, IITs, NITs and 1500+ BSchools in India.
This is because there are plenty of promising institutions. But how to choose a B-school on the basis of less or 60+ percentile in CAT or other national level management entrance exams. The answer lies on you and your future plans. It depends on multiple factors like college location, reputation, quality of students and faculty, job profiles and salary offered in placement, alumni network, course fees etc. Let us check the parameters to look into while choosing the right B-school.
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Before proceeding on how to select the right MBA college, lets get familiar with the B school meaning. B-School is a colloquial term that refers to business schools. Programs offered at B-School focus on business and management education only. B-Schools in India provide undergraduate, graduate, and sometimes doctoral programs in fields such as business administration, management, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, and related disciplines.
A good Business school is characterized by several key factors such as Accreditation, Faculty Quality, Curriculum, Career Services, Reputation and Rankings, Facilities and Resources, Global Opportunities, Alumni Network, Experiential Learning, Entrepreneurship Support, Diversity and Inclusion, Financial Aid and Scholarships, Student Life, and Career Outcomes. Also what makes a good business school also depends on your personal goals, preferences, and the specific resources that a candidate is seeking.
From picking a new dress to buying a new car, ultimately what aspirants invest depends on what factors are most important to them. So why should you compare MBA colleges in India? Check the factors below on why it is important to compare B-schools before taking admission into MBA or PGDM courses.
To achieve your post MBA goals
Whether a particular MBA college is a best fit based on your academic profile, work experience and own career interests
To make sure whether it is the right B-school where you are investing the huge amount of money
To be aware of fraudulent tactics and unscrupulous methods some of the institutes accept to fill their seats
Most MBA aspirants would say that the selection of B-school depends on the salaries they get after placements. No wonder B-schools do report successful placement reports every year. However are you sure that the starting salaries reflect the key outcomes? So planning an MBA or how to choose the right MBA college is a very crucial step. Let us check below the parameters on the basis of which you can decide how to select a business school.
1. MBA Vs PGDM: Choose Your Program
One of the most common questions among young MBA aspirants is whether to choose MBA or PGDM? Though choosing either MBA degree or PGDM diploma doesnt make any difference except for some of the factors, such as PGDM offers a dynamic course syllabus which gets updated as per needs of the industry. The syllabus is approved by AICTE. So you need to select what degree you want to pursue and accordingly select the right B-school.
Read here more about MBA vs PGDM.
2. Location of the B-school
When it comes to IIMs or other top B-schools, the location hardly matters. The impact of the location on an institute is less for top 20 MBA institutes. However, it becomes more pronounced when you move down the ratings list.
How does the location of B-school matter?
Some of the experts believe that the location of the B-school in any major city has its own perks. This is because the number of companies visiting the campus are much higher with a large number of opportunities. Also the good location helps students in practicing internships and thus being mentored easily. Companies often find it much easier to recruit management graduates from institutes located geographically closer to their own headquarters. This is why B-schools located in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore score better than institutes based in other cities.
Also check-
Expert Tips on choosing a B-school in Delhi NCR
3. Return on Investment
This is the most important parameter while selecting any B-school. It must be considered how much money you can expect to make post an MBA from a given institute and how much money will be spent in acquiring the degree. ROI tries to directly measure the amount of return on a particular investment, relative to the investment’s cost. To calculate MBA ROI, the benefit (or return) of an investment is divided by the cost of the investment. The result is expressed as a percentage or a ratio which is :
ROI = (Current Value of Investment - Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment.
You can also compare an MBA programme’s ROI to others using the average salary-to-debt ratio. For example, if the average starting salary at a B-School is around Rs 17,50,000 and the average debt (bank loan) taken by the aspirant is Rs 12,00,000 then the salary-to-debt ratio of 1.45-to-1.
Read More-
4. Programmes offered by an Institute
First and foremost you must be well aware of why you are doing an MBA ( and the answer must not be because of a good package). This is important because if you wish to pursue a specialization in MBA, then you need to choose an institute accordingly. The programmes offered can be classified into two categories:
General Management Programme (GMP)
Specialisation-based Programme (SP)
A General Management Programme gives a student the flexibility to join any sector and thus affords maximum diversification and placement opportunities as opposed to a specialisation-based programme. All the IIMs and most of the Ivy League schools offer this programme to students.
Some B-Schools offer programmes catering to a specific sector or specialising in a specific area. Institutes like XLRI (PGDHRM), MICA, IRMA, and TISS, are the best in their respective sectors and students should have no reservation while applying to them.
5. Alumni Network
A wide Alumni base is self-explanatory. However, the statistics of the number of alumni offered jobs in reputed companies is worth a consideration. Alumni are the mirror of any institute. Their profile defines the reputation of an institute and hence makes it stand tall. Aspirants must contact the alumni as they can give you invaluable information and suggestions that none can give.
Also Read: IIM Alumni
6. International Exposure
An institute that has a global curriculum in terms of business, marketing, management, sales and operations, etc. is worth going for. You develop leadership from an international perspective that makes you understand business in a different way. You get the confidence to work in any organization in any part of the world. You can also soak yourself in a new culture and take in more rich and varied experiences. Hence you broaden your horizons by studying in an institute that provides you good international exposure.
7. Placement statistics
Almost every MBA college boasts of 100% placement which is a myth. Even IIMs may not provide 100% placements. The MBA placements depend entirely on you and your worth. It is better to look at the detailed placement reports including both summer internships and final placements that every college releases in a year. A successful placement track can be inferred from the number of companies that visit the campus year after year, average salary offered and the number of students selected from the campus each year. However, it should not be the sole criteria to select the right MBA college.
8. MBA Scholarships
While most business schools offer some form of financial assistance by providing MBA scholarships, it would be prudent to check and confirm with data available on the website, or by asking the admissions team. Prioritize this aspect based on the value you assign this criterion in selecting Business Schools.
9. Rankings and accreditation
A consistent rank and UGC, AICTE, NAAC or NBA accreditation speaks volumes about the credibility of the school. Make sure to refer to top international publications to check the rankings of an institute. This is so because some Indian rankings suffer from the perception of being sponsored.
The top five MBA Rankings or B-school Rankings in India are:
NIRF Ranking Framework by HRD Ministry, Government of India
MBAUniverse.com Ranking
Business Today B-School Ranking
The Week Ranking of B-Schools
Outlook B-School Rankings.
Top 3 International Accreditations:
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), USA
EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS)
Association of MBAs (AMBA), UK
Top 2 National Accreditations:
National Board of Accreditation (NBA)
National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC)
These rankings and accreditations can help you make an informed choice about how to choose the right B-school.
Check out: NIRF Ranking 2024 for MBA Colleges (OUT): Check NIRF MBA Ranking/Management Colleges
10. Quality of Faculty
The faculty have a massive role to play in your learning experience, and it is important that you read through their profiles and understand how they will shape your understanding of global business. While researching you could check for the following qualities below:
Professional Experience
Academic Qualification
Research Area and publications
Industry engagement
Every good college publishes the details of the faculty members on its official website. However if you don’t find any, think twice before opting that particular college. The core faculty helps in providing adequate mentorship to the students. If there are fewer good faculty members and the ratio does not remain good enough, it may adversely affect the learning experience at the B-school.
Admission into top B-schools in India is a two-way process and not one. You will choose the best management institute but will that institute want to choose you? All the top MBA colleges want the best brains because that is what enhances their college’s reputation in the future. Sometimes these top institutes do not have enough seats to cater MBA admissions. Another factor that comes into play is higher the reputation of the institute, higher the applicants, then higher is the level of selection procedure in top B-schools. Hence choose your MBA college wisely considering all the above parameters mentioned.
The best way to choose the right BSchool is by analysing the course fees and packages offered during the campus placements. MBA aspirants can choose the BSchool, If the salary package offered is higher than the fee paid by the candidates
The MBA aspirants can select their BSchool by analysing the campus placements offered in the previous years and can also connect with the alumni of the institutes before making the final decision.
Candidates can choose their MBA specialisation based on their interests, educational background, course fees, and analysis of the demand in the job market for a particular MBA specialisation.
A score of 64 marks in CAT would likely fall around the 85th percentile depending on the difficulty of the exam and the overall performance of candidates in this year.
So,it is highly unlikely that you will receive a call from any of the IIMs as the required percentile for an IIM call is typically much higher, usually ranging from 90% and above, especially for top IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta.
If you are looking for MBA programs, consider exploring other B-schools that may have lower cut-offs for admission.
Here are some B-schools that may have lower cutoffs for admission:
SOIL Institute of Management: Has a CAT cut-off of 75 percentile
T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal: Has an expected CAT cut-off of 85+
Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM): Has an expected CAT cut-off of 85+
MICA: Has an expected CAT cut-off of 85+
S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai: Has a CAT cut-off of 85 percentile
Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management (SJMSOM), Mumbai: Has a CAT cut-off of 97.5 percentile
Others are IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee, JBIMS, XIMB, and GIM.
Now coming to your academic background which often calculated as a weighted average based on the importance of each component different b school has different criteria for it.
You can use predictor tool for prediction of most accurate information of col
leges
To get admission into the NAARM MBA program , which is officially called a PGDM-ABM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management - Agri Business Management), candidates need to apply online, take the CAT or CMAT entrance exam, followed by a shortlisting based on their scores, and then appear for a Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) on campus; the final selection is based on a combination of their entrance exam score, performance in GD/PI, and academic record, with a strong emphasis on agricultural business related skills and experience.
Reservation criteria is same here as other MBA colleges set by government of india i.e
Scheduled Caste (SC): 15% of seats
Scheduled Tribe (ST): 7.5% of seats
Economically Weaker Section (EWS): 10% of seats
Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC): 27% of seats for candidates belonging to the “non-creamy” layer
The CAT cutoff percentiles for the 2024-26 PGDM-ABM batch at the ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research and Management (NAARM) are as follows:
General: 75.14
EWS: 38.00
NC-OBC: 44.16
SC: 72.980
for a NAARM MBA PREPARATION interview (specifically their PGDM Agri-Business Management program), focus on thoroughly researching NAARM's curriculum, emphasizing your agricultural background and business acumen, practicing answers to common MBA interview questions, and showcasing your passion for the agri-business sector, while also being ready to discuss your career goals aligned with NAARM's focus on rural development and sustainable agriculture practices.be genuine with your answers.
Hello Varun,
Based on your CAT raw score and profile, here's a breakdown of your potential calls and your chances for different institutes:
1. GIM Goa, GLIM Chennai, IMT Ghaziabad, IMI Delhi:
Overall, you can expect a call from institutes that weigh work experience and academic performance heavily, but you should also be prepared for lower-tier institutes in terms of CAT score cutoffs. Ensure you target institutes that match your profile for better chances.
I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries then feel free to share your questions with us we will be happy to assist you.
Thank you and wishing you all the best for your bright future.
Hello,
Some of the popular coaching institutes in Pune for CAT preparation include:
TIME (Triumphant Institute of Management Education)
The institute is well known for its structured approach, expert faculty, and comprehensive study material. Offers both classroom and online programs. It has a very good success record and also provides several mock tests, workshops, and test series.
Career Launcher
Provides both online and offline courses for CAT preparation. The institute is known for its focused approach and quality study material. Personalized mentoring and mock tests.
IMS Learning Resources
BYJU's (Pune Center)
Mentors' Academy
Excel Academy
These institutes, both classroom coaching and online options, will vary, so it's all up to you. Some points to be kept in mind before one selects the institute are faculty experience, success rate, mock tests available, and if they offer personal support or not.
Hello aspirant,
Here below I am providing you the name of some of the top CAT coaching institutes in Pune:
Thank you
Hope it helps you
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Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024 | Application Deadline: 1st Dec 2024
67 Years of Established Legacy | Ranked #79 in India by NIRF | Among the only few top 100 B-Schools currently accepting applications
Recruiters: Godrej, HCL, Genpact, IBM etc
180+ Companies | Highest CTC 15 LPA | Average CTC 8 LPA | Ranked as Platinum Institute by AICTE for 6 years in a row | Awarded Best Business School of the Year
A++ Grade by NAAC | Recognized as Category-1 University by UGC | 100% Placement, 60 LPA Highest CTC, 400+ Recruiters
9 IBS Campuses | Scholarships Worth Rs 10 CR