Great Lakes - PGPM & PGDM 2025
Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024 | Application Deadline: 1st Dec 2024
After results of most of the MBA exams including CAT 2024, XAT 2024, IIFT entrance exam, SNAP exam candidates focus must be shifted to their admission options to different B-schools depending on your scores or percentile in different MBA exams. But what if they have not fared well in your MBA exams like CAT and XAT? What options do you have after scoring low in CAT or XAT? How can you still get into a top B-school? Careers360 brings you advice on your next steps towards your MBA dream.
You might be disappointed with your MBA exam results, but you should not lose heart as you may still get calls from B-schools which give very low weightage to MBA exam scores like CAT or XAT. Such B-schools shortlist candidates with percentile range as low as 50 to 60 or above.
Thus, you should explore your B-school options based on your existing CAT and XAT percentile.
Besides CAT and XAT scores, such B-schools look for other components like academic profile, extra-curricular activity, soft skills, personal traits, attitude and social behavior along with many other personal characteristics while finalizing admission offers. In many B-schools CAT or XAT scores carry only 20-30 per cent weightage in their selection process. Thus, despite your low percentile in CAT or XAT, many B-schools may shortlist you as the MBA exam scores are not the deciding factor for them. If you find B-schools which can shortlist you basis your existing CAT/XAT percentile, you can still apply to them provided they are open for applications.
Shortlist the B-Schools before they shortlist you. Predict your college with our CAT/XAT Pathfinder Tool
Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024 | Application Deadline: 1st Dec 2024
250+ Companies | Highest CTC 16 LPA | Average CTC 8 LPA | Ranked as Platinum Institute by AICTE for 6 years in a row | Awarded Best Business School of the Year
If you are still not satisfied with the B-school options that you are getting based on your CAT and XAT scores, you must now gear up for other MBA exams which are scheduled to be conducted in next two months. You can explore admission opportunities in top B-schools for academic year 2025-26 by taking two more MBA exams - CMAT and MAH CET entrance exam.
A good score in CMAT can bring you admission opportunities to top B-schools accepting CMAT like JBIMS- Mumbai, DMS -NIT Durgapur, SIMSREE-Mumbai amongst public institutions and Great Lakes Institute of Management- Chennai, Prin. LN Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research- Mumbai, KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research- Mumbai, Institute of Public Enterprise-Hyderabad, Balaji Institute of Modern Management (BIMM) –Pune, Jaipuria Institute of Management – Lucknow, PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore amongst many other private B-schools in India.
Similarly, a good score in MAH CET will bring you admission opportunity at over 400 B-schools in the state of Maharashtra. Top B-schools which accept MAH-CET scores include JBIMS- Mumbai, SIMSREE-Mumbai, DMS (PUMBA)-Pune amongst public institution besides many other top private B-schools.
So, what should be your next steps now? Since important MBA exams are scheduled in next few months and many B-schools are scheduling their GD-PI in coming weeks also, your preparation for written test and GD-PI should go side by side.
As you would have already prepared your basic during your preparation for exams like CAT and XAT, you should now go back to CMAT syllabus and MAH CET syllabus to cross-check your preparedness for the two exams. You should plan your preparation strategy for the two exams very carefully because you may also have to continue your preparation for GD-PI as many B-schools may shortlist you despite your low score. Toppers however advise that you should not start a new topic for written test now. Instead, you should revise the topics that you have already covered for CAT and XAT exams.
Careers360 has launched a prep meter tool where you can check how prepared you are to score well in CMAT and MAH CET.
Get your personalized preparation report and improvement plan. Analyze your preparation level with “CMAT Prepmeter” and “MAH-CET Prepmeter"
For any doubts and questions related to MBA exam pattern, preparation and other related queries, students can call the MBA Exam Helpline at 011-40360360.
If your CAT results and XAT results are not satisfactory and you still want to enter Indian Institute of Management (IIM) or XLRI Jamshedpur, you should seriously start afresh with a long term plan for MBA admission in academic year 2025-27.
An early preparation strategy may give you an edge over the other CAT/XAT aspirants who begin preparation after the admissions to this academic year is over.
Stay tuned to bschool.careers360.com for more news and updates on MBA admissions.
CAT 2024 was conducted on November 24, 2024.
IIM Kolkata conducted CAT 2024.
Hello Greetings
With a CAT 2024 percentile of 68.28%, you may face a challenging time getting into IIT Delhi, as their cutoffs are typically higher. However, being an SC female student, you may be eligible for relaxation in the cutoff criteria .
To give you a better idea, here are some general CAT cutoff percentiles for IITs and other top B-schools:
- *IIT Delhi*: Typically above 90 percentile for general category students.
- *Newer IIMs*: Such as IIM Vishakapatnam, IIM Shillong, and IIM Udaipur, may have lower cutoffs, around 80-90 percentile.
- *Other top B-schools*: Like IMT Ghaziabad, XIM Bhubaneswar, and TAPMI, may also consider students with lower percentiles.
It's essential to note that CAT cutoffs can vary from year to year, and other factors like your academic background, work experience, and performance in the personal interview (PI) and written ability test (WAT) also play a significant role in the admission process.
To explore more options and predict your chances of getting into various colleges, you can use online CAT college predictor tools .
Have a great day
Hello Greetings
Considering your 82.58 percentile in CAT and 22 months of industry experience in IT and Financial analysis, you have several options for General Management PGDM or PGPM programs.
*Decent Colleges Accepting Low CAT Percentile:*
- _SPJIMR_: Offers PGDM and PGPM programs, accepting CAT scores, with a minimum eligibility criterion of 50% aggregate in graduation ¹ ².
- _SOIL_: Provides PGPM and PGDM programs, considering CAT scores, with a focus on experiential learning ³.
- Other institutes like _IMT Ghaziabad_, _XIMB_, and _IRMA_ might also accept candidates with lower CAT percentiles, but this may vary depending on the program and intake.
*Key Factors to Consider:*
- _Work Experience_: With 22 months of experience, you might be eligible for PGPM programs, which typically require more work experience than PGDM programs ¹.
- _Career Gap_: Explain your career gap effectively in your application, highlighting any relevant activities or skills gained during that period.
- _Profile-Based Selection_: Some institutes consider profiles, including work experience, academic background, and extracurricular activities, in addition to CAT scores ¹.
*Next Steps:*
1. Research the institutes mentioned above and their programs.
2. Review the eligibility criteria, admission process, and fees for each program.
3. Prepare your application, ensuring you effectively communicate your strengths, work experience, and career goals.
4. Be prepared for interviews, focusing on your profile, experience, and motivation for pursuing a PGDM or PGPM program.
Remember, a lower CAT percentile doesn't necessarily limit your options. Focus on showcasing your strengths, experience, and fit with the program to increase your chances of admission.
Have a great day
Hi Gaurav,
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level management entrance exam conducted annually in India for admission into MBA/PGDM programs at prestigious institutions like the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top B-schools.
For registering for CAT 2025, you can follow the given steps:
For more recent details, you can check out the given link.
Best wishes!
Hello Greetings,
With a CAT 2024 score of 93.94 percentile, you can expect calls from newer IIMs like *IIM Udaipur*, *IIM Raipur*, and *IIM Kashipur*. These institutes have relatively lower cutoffs compared to the older IIMs. Additionally, you may also consider other top MBA colleges like *IIT Madras*, *IIT Roorkee*, or *IIT Kharagpur*, which offer MBA programs with slightly lower cut-offs. To get a better idea of your chances, you can use online CAT College Predictor tools, which estimate the probability of receiving interview calls from different IIMs and other top MBA colleges based on your CAT percentile and academic background .
Have a great day
Hi,
With a CAT 2024 score of 93.94 percentile, you have a good chance of getting calls from several prestigious IIMs. Here are some possibilities
IIMs:
- IIM Indore: 90 percentile (General Category)
- IIM Ahmedabad: 80 percentile (General Category)
- IIM Bangalore: 85 percentile (General Category)
- IIM Calcutta: 85 percentile (General Category)
- IIM Lucknow: 90 percentile (General Category)
- IIM Kozhikode: 85 percentile (General Category)
- IIM Shillong: Sectional Cutoffs
Other Top B-Schools:
- SPJIMR (S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research): 90-95 percentile
- MDI Gurgaon (Management Development Institute): 90-95 percentile
- XIME (Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship): 90-95 percentile
- FMS Delhi (Faculty of Management Studies): 95-99 percentile
- IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay: 90-99 percentile
These are general estimates and cutoffs can vary each year based on the difficulty of the exam and the number of applicants. It's always a good idea to check the official websites of these institutes for the most accurate and updated information.
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Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024 | Extended Application Deadline: 10th Jan 2024
Highest CTC 35 LPA | Median CTC 9.27 LPA | 172+ Recruiters
250+ Companies | Highest CTC 16 LPA | Average CTC 8 LPA | Ranked as Platinum Institute by AICTE for 6 years in a row | Awarded Best Business School of the Year
Highest CTC: INR 28.25 LPA | Average for Top 100 offers: INR 17.34 LPA | Ranked #63 in India under Management category by NIRF | 148 Recruiters
Ranked #41 amongst institutions in Management by NIRF | 100% Placement | Last Date to Apply: 21st Jan
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